Conservation

Protect your forest, working farm, waterways, and wildlife habitats through a conservation easement.

Through conservation easements, we protect working farms, forests, scenic and historic landscapes, rivers, vital wildlife habitats, mitigation sites, and special areas that remain protected for future generations. We also accept donations of land which we manage as public or private preserves.

CONTACT OUR CONSERVATION TEAM

Because our team is often in the field, we may miss your call. To ensure we don’t miss your message, please email us or leave a detailed voicemail, and we’ll respond as soon as possible.

What is a conservation easement?

A conservation easement is a legal agreement between the landowner and the land trust that limits the uses of the land in order to protect its conservation values. Unlike a zoning designation or enrollment in county tax abatement programs (like CUVA in Georgia), a conservation easement is permanent and perpetual. The landowner continues to own the land and can live on it, sell it, or pass it on to heirs with the agreement remaining in place.


Conservation easements can be placed on various types and sizes of both private and public land. In most cases, the landowner is eligible for federal income, estate, or property tax benefits. These will vary and a tax attorney can help determine what applies to your situation. Just like the properties themselves, no two conservation easements are alike.

Conservation Easement Specialties

The Southern Conservation Trust’s conservation team works with a variety of land owners, including individuals, corporations, farms, and families, to meet their conservation goals. Our most common conservation successes are listed below and are not mutually exclusive. Reach out if you think a conservation easement would be right for your property!

  • Working Farms & Forests

    We are currently losing an estimated 175 acres of farmland every hour, placing a huge focus on conserving and protecting working farms and forests into perpetuity. SCT understands the importance of retaining land with prime agricultural soils in production and will work with you on the terms of a conservation easement that allows agricultural activities to continue sustainably.

  • Family Lands

    Our team can work with you to protect land that has been in your family for generations so that future generations may enjoy it. Our landowners have many motivations for permanently conserving their property, and many want to protect their family tracts now to secure their legacy in an uncertain future.

  • Mitigation Easements

    We help landowners and mitigation sponsors meet the US Army Corps of Engineers and IRT requirements for a permanent conservation easement and provide long-term management of their mitigation sites.

  • High Priority Resources

    We track regional conservation priorities - whether they be species, habitat types, or watersheds - and help landowners contribute to the protection of areas of highest need. SCT relies on multiple sources of regional, county, state, and federal data to match clearly defined targets with conservation efforts.

Fee Simple Property Donations

Interested in transferring ownership of your land entirely? Unlike donating a conservation easement, which keeps the property under your continued ownership, you may prefer to donate your land outright to the Southern Conservation Trust. We accept donations of fee simple property with clear title and protect thousands of acres of greenspace, wildlife habitat, streams, and wetlands this way.

Leave Your Legacy with Planned Giving

Not ready to donate your land yet? That's okay. Some landowners choose to remember SCT in their wills or arrange for a life estate. Explore planned giving options instead for your real estate as well as other assets.

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Nicks Creek Longleaf Reserve

A Southern Conservation Trust Project

In December 2019, the Southern Conservation Trust, Inc. (SCT) was donated the 1,660 acres in Moore County, North Carolina that we call Nicks Creek Longleaf Reserve. Previously, the tract of land was slated for development into golf course, hotel/resort, residential and commercial uses. It is now a crown jewel private nature reserve that the SCT is proud to own and manage.

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Contact the Conservation Team

Because our team is often in the field, we may miss your call. To ensure we don’t miss your message, please email us or leave a detailed voicemail, and we’ll respond as soon as possible.