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Conservation Easements

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Your Water Management Strategy

As rural, agricultural land converts to a more urban setting with new homes and businesses, it’s ever more important to protect the vegetated riparian areas adjacent to local creeks and streams – – the source of our drinking water. One method of protecting these vital riparian areas is through the use of conservation easements.

A conservation easement is a voluntary agreement between a landowner and a qualified land trust that restricts certain uses of a property to maintain the natural value of it, such as building homes or removing vegetation. The landowner can still own the property and enjoy many activities as before, such as recreation, and may potentially receive tax benefits if the conservation easement is donated. Conservation easements are a tool that can be used by landowners, municipalities and developers and greatly benefit society as a whole. Upper Trinity Regional Water District supports the use of conservation easements as a tool in protecting local riparian areas, as well as our drinking water sources.

To learn more about conservation easements, visit the Upper Trinity Conservation Trust website.

Established in 2010, the Upper Trinity Conservation Trust (“Trust”) leads a voluntary, non-regulatory approach to land conservancy and water quality protection. As development continues in North Texas, the Trust seeks to preserve special natural areas and protect scarce water resources for future generations through education and outreach programs and good land stewardship, including serving as a grantee for conservation easements. In 2012, the Trust attained its 501(c)(3) status as a non-profit land trust, and is qualified under Section 170(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as amended. Chartered for land conservancy, the Trust can receive and oversee conservation easements in partnership with landowners, municipalities and developers.

The Trust’s mission is to encourage the conservation and stewardship of riparian lands along and near waterways through conservation easements and education and outreach. The priority areas that the Trust focuses on are the watersheds of Lewisville, Ray Roberts and Grapevine lakes, and the future Lake Ralph Hall. The Trust’s education and outreach efforts include landowner workshops, symposiums for city/county staff and consultants, and resources on the Trust’s website and social media channels.

The Trust is managed by a nine-member Board of Trustees that oversees and approves all programs and transactions that are made. The Trustees are dedicated to preserving our precious natural resources “right where we live.”

The Upper Trinity Regional Water District supports the mission of the Trust and helps coordinate the Watershed Partners Program, which is a coalition of municipalities, organizations and individuals committed to sound water quality protection. To learn more about the Trust, conservation easements and how to get involved in land conservation and water quality protection, please visit the Trust’s website at www.utct.org.

Learn More about our Watershed Protection Program.