Conservation Easement

Conservation easements are legal agreements between a landowner and a conservation agency to preserve natural features and resources on private lands. Under these agreements, landowners continue to own and manage the land which provides benefits to both the landowner and the environment. As a landowner, you can take steps to preserve your property"s conservation values, and retain use of the land, by entering into an agreement with an eligible conservation agency or level of government. Conservation easements can be permanent or granted for a specified time. They may be applied to the entire property or just a portion containing the natural features. A conservation easement is an option for any landowner whose land contains conservation value. Reasons why an easement may be granted: -To protect, enhance or restore a natural area; -To preserve an open stretch of land; or -To retain significant archaeological or historic features.

保护地役权（Conservation easement）是土地所有者与保护机构之间订立的法律协议，旨在保护私有土地上的自然特征与资源。根据此类协议，土地所有者仍保有土地的所有权与管理权，此举可同时为土地所有者与生态环境带来双重裨益。作为土地所有者，可通过与符合资质的保护机构或相应层级的政府签订协议，采取相关措施保全自身土地的保护价值，同时保留对土地的使用权。
保护地役权可设定为永久有效，或在特定期限内生效；其适用范围可覆盖全部地块，亦或仅涵盖包含自然特征的部分区域。对于土地具备保护价值的所有者而言，保护地役权是一项可行的选择。可授予保护地役权的情形包括：
- 保护、改善或修复自然区域；
- 保护开阔连片的土地；
- 保留具有重要价值的考古或历史遗存。