Our stewardship program is how the Centre County Farmland Trust safeguards the legally binding conservation easement on the land.
A conservation easement between a landowner and the Farmland Trust perpetually protects the natural, cultural and/or historic resources of a property by permanently restricting uses of the land for purposes not consistent with agriculture or conservation.
Stewardship comprises annual monitoring visits to the land, maintaining good working partnerships with owners of preserved land and — if necessary — enforcing the easement into the future. Stewardship is ongoing, in perpetuity, and as such is at the core of our responsibility and preservation work as a land trust.
Once a conservation easement is in place, then what?
The Centre County Farmland Trust, as the holder of the easement:
• Becomes a partner with the landowner in conserving land and preserving farmland.
• Ensures that the restrictions and reserved rights are adhered to for the perpetual, permanent easement.
• Assists landowners by answering questions about easement implementation and by referring them to appropriate agencies for help with achieving conservation goals.
CCFT carries out these responsibilities within our stewardship program with contracted assistance from ClearWater Conservancy, through monitoring, assistance and enforcement.
Annual Monitoring Visits
Centre County Farmland Trust volunteer Trustees visit each easement-protected property annually to identify and document any changes on the property with digital photography and written descriptions.
This information is compared to past monitoring reports and the baseline documentation report to determine if any and all changes are consistent with the terms of the conservation easement.
CCFT’s monitoring follows guidance developed by the Land Trust Alliance and outlined in the Land Trust Standards and Practices (LTSP). Specific directives related to monitoring are found in Standard 11: Conservation Easement Stewardship.
Our preserved farms are in different watersheds of Centre County. Several are part of Pennsylvania natural heritage sites. With our stewardship partners at ClearWater Conservancy, we recently began using monitoring software that identifies critical conservation information.
Assistance
We assist landowners by being available to answer any questions about an existing easement, particularly when the owner is first contemplating changes. We also connect landowners with information and potential resources to assist them with enhancing the natural resources and conservation value of their land.
Enforcement
Through cooperation with easement landowners, the Farmland Trust might identify issues and consider remedies before the issues become easement violations requiring enforcement. For enforcement matters, the Farmland Trust seeks legal opinion.
Learn more
Learn about the 17 properties preserved by conservation easements held by the Centre County Farmland Trust: CCFT-Preserved Land