Colorado Open Lands
How to Choose a Land Trust
There are a wide variety of land trusts, with a diversity of missions, philosophies, and capabilities. Engaging the right land trust to help accomplish your conservation and financial goals in protecting your land can be a challenging process.
Listed below are some questions you might want to ask to help ensure that your goals are accomplished in a professional and ethical manner. It is by no means a complete list, but just a place to start when thinking about a land trust to work with.
Organizational Questions
- Does the land trust meet the definition of a “Qualified entity” according to the Internal Revenue Service Code?
- Has it been in existence at least two years (required by Colorado statutes) if you want it to hold your conservation easement?
- What is the land trust’s mission? Is that mission compatible with your objectives? What is its geographical or resource focus?
- Has the land trust adopted the “Standards and Practices” of the national Land Trust Alliance?
- Does the land trust have a recent financial statement (990 or audit)?
- Is the land trust staffed by professionals (be they volunteer or paid)?
- Does the land trust staff have the capability and capacity to accomplish the proposed project?
Project Specific Questions to Ask
- How does the land trust decide on which projects to work on?
- How long will this process realistically take?
- What are itemized costs I should expect if I proceed with the land trust?
- Does the land trust have information concerning professionals available to assist in the conservation easement process?
- If I am eligible for a state tax credit, can you sell my credit?
Long-term Stewardship Questions to Ask
- How many conservation easements does the land trust hold?
- Does the land trust have baseline documentation on all their conservation easements?
- Does the land trust monitor them annually? If not, how often do they monitor?
- Does the land trust have an endowment to fund ongoing monitoring activities? How big is that fund?
- Does the land trust have a conservation easement amendment policy?
- How does the land trust handle violations of the conservation easement?