Some private easement talk up north

Star Tribune Tue, 11 Dec 2007 00:20:42 GMT
Mark Johnson and Bud Stone: Who owns the forest? It's no small matter

The fragmentation of the North Woods has an impact just as clear-cutting and fires do. ... What can we do about it? First, we can manage our nonindustrial private woodlands more intensively for timber and wildlife habitat. Second, we can make better use of a tool called working forest-conservation easements. Conservation easements are legally binding agreements with landowners that keep the forestland in private hands, but prevent the land from being developed. Under conservation easements, the landowner is allowed to live on and use the land in environmentally sustainable ways. Landowners also may receive tax benefits. At the same time, the working forest-conservation easements we support allow the public to have access to the land forever for a variety of recreational uses. Beyond the environmental and recreational benefits, the land also continues to provide economic benefits for the area, such as jobs and property taxes.

[[keywords: LandUse;Legal;Metro;]]