In the sun-drenched days of my youth, I had to prove that I was a safe and responsible hunter before my parents would let me hunt alone. But once I earned their trust, I would grab a 20 gauge from the gun rack, fill a pocket with shells, and call our Irish setter.
Earning their respect took some effort, but finding a place to hunt was a matter of walking out the door. I had worked a deal with a neighboring farmer, and in exchange for bailing hay in the August heat he granted me access to his property. This arrangement allowed me to spend many afternoons chasing pheasant, grouse, and woodcock.
As time passed and I grew old enough to drive, my reach expanded to other farms. I worked a variety of deals with several farmers-one wanted fish filets in the spring, another demanded a few birds in the fall, and others would call if they needed a hand with random tasks. Those deals, negotiated with men who were looking for creative ways to help a kid who was willing to work, led to some of the best days of my life.
Sadly, the hunting grounds of my youth exist primarily in memory-most of it has been developed. One farm is now a subdivision, another a cemetery, and a third is home to a shopping mall. If conservation easements had existed in those days, perhaps those lands could have been preserved.
Conservation easements create a perfect blend of public preservation and private ownership with agreements that are quite a bit more formal than swapping hunting rights for bailing hay. At their core, easements protect land from certain types of development. The protection of the resource-be it wildlife, clean water, or open space-is accomplished when a landowner relinquishes development rights in exchange for permanent preservation and a significant reduction in state and federal taxes.
Once a conservation easement is enacted, it becomes part of the chain of title and is passed along when the property is sold or willed to someone else.
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