CONSERVATION CORNER
New Easement Handbook Available
by James L. Cummins

Mississippi has seen significant growth in the past several years and we continue to grow, attracting new businesses and residents, as well as tourists.

Mississippi's private citizens own approximately 75 percent of the state's land. Today about 80 percent of all Mississippians live in cities and towns, compared to about 25 percent 50 years ago. As our urban population grows, natural habitats and scenic open spaces are displaced.

But the very reason many people call Mississippi their home is our rich history, prairies, red clay hills, bottomlands and bayous, coastal savannas, longleaf pine forests and scenic rivers and streams. To maintain our quality of life, we must actively preserve these unique characteristics of our state.

The Mississippi Land Trust, Mississippi's largest and most progressive land trust is pleased to announce the release of its newest conservation easement handbook: "Conservation Easements: A Handbook For Mississippi Landowners". The handbook is just another long line of educational tools that the Mississippi Land Trust has developed to help educate Mississippi's private landowners about conservation easements and their use.

The handbook is intended to help Mississippi landowners understand one of the most flexible and effective means of conserving and protecting private property: the conservation easement. A conservation easement is a restriction a landowner voluntarily places on specified uses of his or her property to protect natural, productive or cultural features as the landowner desires. The easement is recorded as a written legal agreement between the landowner and the "holder" of the easement, which is usually a land trust. It may also qualify the landowner for significant tax benefits.

Conservation easements can assist landowners in protecting their land, wildlife habitat, scenic areas or historic buildings. Every conservation easement document is individually crafted and reflects the special qualities of the land protected and the needs of the landowner.

Daniel Coggin, Director of the Mississippi Land Trust, states," It is and will always be our mission at the Trust to help preserve and protect Mississippi's beautiful natural resources. This handbook was developed to educate Mississippians about conservation easements and their use in land protection."

Those interested in acquiring the handbook can download a copy from the Mississippi Land Trust’s website at www.misslandtrust.org and click on conservation easements or one can have a copy mailed to him or her by calling (662) 686-3375 and requesting a copy.

James L. Cummins is Executive Director of the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation in Stoneville, Mississippi. Known as "Wildlife Mississippi," the Foundation is a non-profit, conservation organization founded to conserve, restore and enhance fish, wildlife and plant resources throughout Mississippi. Their web site is www.wildlifemiss.org.