Our Working Farms and Ranches Program helps local families set up voluntary land conservation agreements that permanently protect their working lands from the threat of subdivision.
The Eastern Sierra’s working farms and ranches are scenic, historic, and a vital part of our regional economy. They also offer important homes to wildlife: many iconic or rare species use the Eastern Sierra’s irrigated meadows and open pastures as a place to roam, forage, and raise their young.
Yet many families following the ranching traditions of their parents and grandparents are struggling. Rising pressures to subdivide are putting these productive lands at risk. They don’t want to see their land developed, but many are running out of options.
Fortunately, conservation provides a solution – and a growing number of ranchers and farmers in our area are choosing to partner with Eastern Sierra Land Trust to conserve their land for the future.
This is usually accomplished by using one of our primary conservation tools: the conservation easement. Under a conservation easement, landowners retain title and management of their property, while designating how their land may be used now and in the future. For example, landowners may want to protect their land’s current agricultural use in perpetuity by prohibiting any subdivision or land use that would compromise those protected qualities, while retaining all other property rights. Landowners also may benefit from significant tax advantages currently and for future generations.
Learn more about conservation easements and conserving your land.