You have many options for conserving your land. Greenbelt's land conservation staff can help you determine which is the right fit for you, your family, and your financial situation.

Land conservation options include:

• Donating a Conservation Restriction (known as conservation easements outside of Massachusetts)
• Donating your Land
• Charitable Sale of Your Land or Conservation Restriction
• Selling your Land or Conservation Restriction
• Bequest, Reserved Life Estate & GreenTrade

Land conservation options may also offer you potentially significant tax benefits.

Conservation Restriction

The ownership of your land carries with it different rights, including the right to build, subdivide, farm, hunt, cut trees, and the like. A conservation restriction (CR) (called a conservation easement in states other than Massachusetts) is a voluntary legal agreement that extinguishes some or all of the development rights in your land forever, but retains other rights of your choosing, such as farming, forestry and recreation – all while you maintain ownership of your land.

CRs are flexible tools that can be placed on all or only designated parts of your land. For example, a CR can exclude house lots to provide future financial value or housing options for your family.

A conservation restriction:

• Is tailored to your unique circumstances and to your individual property.
• Allows you and future landowners to continue using your land for activities such as farming, building farm structures, wood-cutting, gardening, walking, boating, etc.
• Runs with the land - forever.

Conveying a CR to Greenbelt may help you:

• Reduce property & estate tax burdens.
• Qualify for a federal income tax deduction & up to a $75,000 state tax credit.

Frequently Asked Questions About Conservation Restrictions

Donating Your Land

Donating to Greenbelt is a straightforward way to conserve your land. 

Donating your land to Greenbelt may help you:

• Avoid the capital gains taxes associated with selling highly appreciated property.
• Eliminate property taxes & reduce estate tax burdens.
• Avoid Chapter 61 rollback taxes.
• Qualify for a federal income tax deduction & up to a $75,000 state tax credit.

Charitable Sale of Your Land or CR

Many landowners can’t afford to donate their land or a conservation restriction. You can sell your land or a conservation restriction at a price below its market value, which is called a charitable sale. The difference between the appraised market value and the sale price is considered a tax-deductible charitable contribution.

A charitable sale offers you:

• Immediate income.
• Potential qualification for a federal income tax deduction & up to a $75,000 state tax credit.
• Potential savings on capital gains taxes.

Selling Your Land or CR

For high-priority parcels it is sometimes possible for Greenbelt or our conservation partners to purchase land or conservation restrictions at their full fair market value. Contact Greenbelt for more information.

Bequest, Reserved Life Estate & GreenTrade

Bequest

Donating your land or a conservation restriction through your will is another way to ensure your land's permanent protection & reduce estate taxes.

• Gifting your land to Greenbelt through your will entitles you to retain full use of your land during your lifetime, while offering you the assurance that it will be cared for in the future by our skilled land managers.
• A conservation restriction granted within a certain timeframe by your heirs (called a "post-mortem conservation easement") can generate a reduction in inheritance taxes.

Reserved Life Estate

Transferring your land to Greenbelt while you retain the exclusive lifetime use & occupancy of your property is called a Reserved Life Estate (RLE).

• Reserved Life Estate offers your heirs the same estate tax benefits as a bequest.
• Transferring your property with a RLE during your lifetime still allows you to qualify for a charitable federal income tax deductions and up to a $75,000 tax credit.

GreenTrade

Greenbelt gratefully accepts gifts of any "non-conservation" real estate asset either during your lifetime or in your will for the explicit purpose of allowing Greenbelt to sell the property to support our land conservation programs.

• Examples of GreenTrade gifts: Residence, condominium, vacation home, apartment, vacant lot.