An interested landowner who wishes to protect her land, may telephone, email or write us.  We are happy to discuss the landowner’s situation and land, answer any questions, and provide additional information.  Typically, if the landowner wants to progress beyond this initial fact finding, we arrange to meet with the landowner and walk the land.  This meeting allows us to learn about the land and the landowner’s plans, as well as discuss ORLT’s conservation easement process and the potential costs to the landowner.  These costs can include a title report, a survey (where necessary), and two contributions to ORLT.  The first contribution is made at the beginning of the project, and simply supports ORLT’s efforts to protect land.  The second contribution comes at the end of the process, when the easement is to be signed and is called the stewardship contribution.   

If the landowner determines that he wants to work with ORLT, staff presents a summary of the project to the ORLT Board for its approval.  Once the Board votes to approve the project in concept, then staff will notify the landowner and send a letter which details our understanding of the project, sets out the process, and reminds the landowner of the contribution amounts that are customary for that type of project.  When the landowner is ready to move forward, then she simply notifies ORLT, makes an initial small contribution, and ORLT gets to work.  ORLT typically drafts the easement, working to create a document that both meets the needs of the landowner and protects the conservation values of the property.  ORLT also collects the baseline information which documents the conservation values of the property.  Once these documents are completed, then the ORLT Board must vote again to authorize the chairman to sign the easement.  Then the landowner and the chairman sign the easement and it is recorded the county where the land is located.  It is at this time that the landowner makes a stewardship contribution, which supports ORLT’s efforts to monitor and enforce its easements.