Conservation easements and land donations help to protect resources and assets of the property, such as wildlife habitat, prime agriculture land, and watershed protection for improved water quality.

These lands also benefit our communities by providing places to recreate, restore the body and spirit, improve water and air quality, and increase property values by making areas desirable places to live and work.

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Conservation Easements

A conservation easement is:

  • One tool landowners can use to realize their long-term vision for their land;
  • A voluntary partnership between a landowner and a conservation organization to protect and preserve land for the long term.
  • A cost-effective way for the Platte Land Trust and other organizations to conserve lands with important conservation value while allowing a landowner to retain ownership and control of his or her land.
  • A legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust that limits future development and use of the land to activities that are compatible with the land’s long-term conservation or agriculture values.
  • May provide a landowner with financial benefits through federal income tax benefits.

Landowners often donate conservation easements to Platte Land Trust. PLT has 20+ years of experience working with interested landowners to develop a conservation easement for their land that achieves the landowner’s vision and dream for permanent land protection.

Land Donation

For some landowners, the best method to protect the land they love forever is to donate the land to a qualified organization, such as the Platte Land Trust. Donations can be tailored to include all or selected portions of the landowner’s property. Most conservation organizations have standards which donated land must meet before accepting donated land. For more information on donating land for conservation purposes, please contact us.

Conservation Policy

Platte Land Trust partners with other organizations and agencies in the Kansas City region to advocate for land use and management decisions that promote responsible growth in harmony with the protection of our most valuable natural, farm, and historic resources.

Conservation priorities include:

  • Lands along rivers and streams, including floodplains and wetlands, that protect watersheds and water quality;
  • Lands that contain habitats of local and regional importance, including endangered, threatened or rare species;
  • Grasslands, prairies, woods and native communities;
  • Farming and ranch lands important to the community;
  • Lands located near or within important wildlife or natural area corridors, or that buffer protected areas.

For more information about land conservation easements and partnering with the Platte Land Trust, contact the President of the Board of Directors.
Carla Dods, 816-716-3402