Conservation Land Buyer Program

Land Available for Purchase:
764-Acres, WeeNee, Berekley County, South Carolina

The Nature Conservancy often must purchase hundreds of acres when only a small portion of the parcel falls within our preserve design. To address this issue, the Conservancy in recent years has bought land in critical conservation areas (including land that buffers and surrounds core natural areas), placed conservation easements on the land, and then resold the restricted property. We refer to this as a "conservation buyer" project.

A conservation easement is an agreement between a landowner and a private or public organization in which the landowner agrees to sell or donate certain rights associated with his or her property - often the right to subdivide and develop - and the organization agrees to hold those rights in trust. Advantages are that the property remains in private ownership and on the local tax rolls while the easement restrictions stay with the property, even if it is sold, and therefore limit the use of the property permanently. These restrictions are binding in perpetuity, and designed for a distinct conservation purpose. Because use is restricted, land subject to a conservation easement is worth less on the market than comparable unrestricted parcels.

Private landowners are essential partners in successful strategies to protect biodiversity. Purchases by conservation buyers advance the cause of conservation by protecting land from intense development while minimizing the expenditure of scarce government or donated funds. Please call our office if you would like more information on any of the details of this growing and successful program.

Learn more about easements and other conservation methods The Nature Conservancy uses to save the Last Great Places on Earth.