Managing Conservation Easements in Perpetuity - Environmental ...

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11. Have a system to learn from experiences with managing
conservation easements and to evaluate conservation easement
drafting?
Scores
If your land trust scores:
11: Congratulations! Your land trust has put much time, effort
and thought into its systems, policies and procedures. Share
your success stories with the Land Trust Alliance so others
may learn from them (e-mail your policies to learn@lta.org).
9–10: Good job! Keep at it. Identify the few places where your
organization could improve and implement some of the
suggestions in this course.
5–8: You are on the right track and have tackled some of the basics.
You are ready to take the next steps so that your amendment
policies and procedures comply with Land Trust Standards
and Practices.
0–4: By taking this course, you have taken the first step toward
learning about the complexities of conservation easement
amendments and how to develop a policy for your land trust.
Keep at it — you will be pleased with the results.
Guidance
1. A written amendment policy ensures that everyone in the
organization addresses amendments consistently. A consistent
approach to the subject is critical for landowner relationships,
public perception of the land trust’s integrity and for complying
with all laws.
2. Your land trust must avoid violating the IRS prohibitions
on charities conferring private inurement and impermissible
private benefit. IRS and public scrutiny of land trusts
has increased in recent years, and even the perception of such
a violation may subject your land trust to audits and loss of
public confidence.
3. Your land trust will encounter conflicts of interest in managing
its conservation easements. It is best to have a policy to
Managing Conservation Easements in Perpetuity