home> Conserved Lands> How We Conserve
How We Conserve
 The Aquidneck Land Trust primarily uses permanent conservation
easements to protect important open
space properties from development and other threats.
ALT generally conserves land with conservation easements instead of owning the land outright because such easements:
- Enable landowners to continue to own their beloved land
- Help ensure private land stays on municipal tax rolls
- Limit ALT’s liability by not being the first-in-line landowner
- Receive special statutory and legal protections and benefits afforded perpetual conservation easements
- Limit ALT’s stewardship costs because the landowner works as the primary steward
- Lower acquisition costs because ALT is not purchasing the full fee simple title of the land
- Keep land in active agriculture
WHAT IS A CONSERVATION EASEMENT?
A conservation easement is a perpetual legal agreement between a
landowner and a qualified organization, such as a land trust,
that restricts future activities on the land so as to protect
its conservation values (wildlife habitat, scenic vistas,
important agricultural soils, etc.) while also allowing the
landowner to continue owning the land. Learn more about how a
conservation easement works.
Easements can be designed to:
- Protect natural habitat from destruction by conversion to
other uses such as subdivision and development.
- Protect open space of varying kinds from development or other
disturbances.
- Conserve forests through limitations on forest management and
development.
- Preserve agriculture and grazing lands from subdivision and
development.
- Protect water resources by limiting disturbance of lands in
the watershed.
- Provide for public use and access for recreation, such as
through trail easements.
ARE THERE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF CONSERVED LAND?
In general, there are three different “levels” of conserved
land.
LAND CONSERVED WITH A PERPETUAL CONSERVATION RESTRICTION
(Strongest protection): Land that has a perpetual conservation
restriction (e.g., Conservation Easement or Deed to Development
Rights) on it held by an entity, besides the landowner, that is
recognized as a qualified holder organization under s. 170(h) of
the Internal Revenue Code (e.g., governmental agency or land
trust).
Click here for more information about conservation easements.
LAND CONSERVED WITH A DEED RESTRICTION (Less protection) – Land
encumbered by deed restrictions and owned by a qualified holder
organization, but the land lacks a perpetual conservation
restriction held by an outside qualified holder organization.
LAND CONSERVED WITH CONSERVATION INTENT ALONE(Least protection)
– Land owned by a qualified holder organization with the intent
to keep the land in conservation but the land lacks deed
restrictions or a perpetual conservation restriction held by an
outside qualified holder organization. This is a weak level of
protection because there is a lack of checks and balances and
intentions change regularly. Good conservation is like good
government, it requires checks and balances!
Merritt
Neighborhood Fund program
 Can I Receive Help Saving or Improving a Small Community Open
Space?
If you have a small community space you’d like to save or
improve, consider applying for a community conservation grant
through Aquidneck Land Trust’s Merritt Neighborhood Fund program.
The Fund’s modest $100-$2,500 grants are designed to encourage
the preservation and appropriate use, for community good, of
small open spaces serving residential neighborhoods and other
community areas. Sample projects include pocket parks, community
gardens, and transformation of neglected properties for
community recreational and environmental benefit.
The Merritt Neighborhood Fund was established in 1999 to honor
the late Peter M. Merritt, the organization’s visionary past
president, for his decade of leadership. Peter had a vision to
someday execute the mission of the Land Trust on a smaller scale
to benefit individual neighborhoods across the island.
If you have questions about ALT’s Merritt Neighborhood Fund,
please contact
Jessica Pohl, Assistant Development Director
Aquidneck Land Trust,
790 Aquidneck Avenue,
Middletown, RI 02842
Tel: 401-849-2799 Email: jpohl@ailt.org
Click here to see a list of past recipients.
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