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104 North Laurel,
Suite 104
Port Angeles, WA 98362
Phone (360) 417-1815
Fax: (360) 457-1089
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Will my land qualify for a Conservation Easement?

Members of the Land Trust's Board of Directors must carefully evaluate each proposed easement with respect to the Land Trust's conservation goals and managerial abilities. North Olympic Land Trust's conservation goals are sufficiently broad to include a wide variety of lands. In support of these goals, the Land trust uses the following criteria to evaluate lands being considered for protection, by asking if the land has one or more of the following characteristics:

• Is it habitat for endangered, threatened, or rare species?

• Does it contain exemplary natural ecosystems such as old-growth forests, or migratory waterfowl staging and/or wintering areas?

• Is it valuable for timber or agricultural production?

• Does it include shoreline and riparian areas, wetlands, floodplains, or other lands important for the protection of water quality?

• Does it include parcels that could be connected to from greenbelt corridors between privately protected or publicly held properties?

• Does it include unique local scenic viewpoints or outstanding physiographic features (for example, distinct outcroppings, waterfalls, or bluffs) that help define the character of our locale and enhance our community's sense of place?

• Is it a heritage site of historic and/or prehistoric importance?

• Does it include ecosystems of educational or scientific value?

In addition to satisfying the above ten criteria, North Olympic Land Trust must be confident that it can adequately fulfill its stewardship responsibility for each property or easement which it accepts. Some important questions are:

• Is the land currently protected?

• Could another organization better protect the property?

• Do legal restrictions limit acceptance of the gift?

• Are the proposed restrictions in the conservation easement enforceable?

• Is the land a sufficient size to protect its conservation values?

• Can the Land Trust protect the property in perpetuity?

• Is a funding source in place to support on-going monitoring?

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