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Land trust representatives explain conservation easements to Treasure County commissioners and ranchers
Summary
Representatives from MLR, a statewide land trust, described how conservation easements work, funding options (USDA ALE, state sage‑grouse programs), and how easements can be tailored to preserve working ranchlands while allowing some resource uses. Commissioners asked about timelines, restrictions and local fit.
Jan Marie Banks of MLR and her colleague Garrett Titus visited the Treasure County Commission to explain how conservation easements might work for area ranchers. Banks said the organization is a statewide nonprofit that negotiates voluntary easements designed to keep land in agricultural use while removing some development rights: "An easement typically takes one or two sticks out of the bundle of rights — often subdivision or development rights — and the rest stay intact," she said.
Garrett Titus described practical timelines and funding pathways. For fully donated easements, Titus said a straightforward transaction can close in "four to six months," but deals that rely on grant or federal funding commonly take longer because of additional requirements and approvals. He listed USDA’s Agricultural Lands Easement program and state sage‑grouse funding as commonly used sources and said local matching funds or endowments have been used to make projects feasible.
Commissioners pressed on common concerns. One asked whether easements would prevent wind turbines; Banks replied that the effect depends on how an easement is written: highly restrictive easements can bar turbines or gravel extraction, while more flexible easements can carve resource areas out of protected parcels to preserve future options. Banks said easements are negotiated case‑by‑case and emphasized flexibility: "We try to encourage landowners to write easements that don't handcuff future generations," she said.
Speakers also discussed whether easements devalue property. Banks said the impact varies with property type and easement language; she declined to offer a single valuation figure and instead urged landowners to evaluate easement terms and funding on an individual basis. The representatives said MLR sometimes partners with other programs or raises matching funds when federal sources fall short.
The presentation closed with an offer to continue conversations with landowners who want more detail. Commissioners thanked the visitors and indicated they would follow up if constituents asked for more information. The meeting moved on to other items.
