Farmington Land Conservation Workshop Draws Crowd

More than thirty people came to the old town hall in Farmington to learn about land conservation and conservation easements at a workshop sponsored by the Farmington Conservation Commission (CC) and Moose Mountains Regional Greenways (MMRG). Audience members–including many landowners interested in conserving their land–heard presentations and asked questions of four experts on the panel. David Connolly, Farmington CC Chair and the lead event coordinator for the Commission, introduced each of the four the panel members.

The first speaker, Phil Auger, a consultant and long time educator in land conservation, presented research demonstrating that land conservation can help keep property taxes low. The usual assumption that development lowers taxes is, in general, just the opposite of what actually happens, said Auger. He added, ‘This data turns that common assumption on its head.’ Studies in New Hampshire and New England show that in most cases, the increase in revenue from development is more than offset by increased costs of services such as schools, police, and fire protection.

The next presenter, Keith Fletcher, Director of Land Conservation for MMRG, focused on conservation easements. He explained that an easement is a voluntary conservation agreement entered into between a landowner and a partner organization such as a land trust or Conservation Commission. Easements limit future development of the land while keeping the land in private ownership and usually allow landowners to continue to use their land as they always have for farming, forestry, or recreation. Noted Fletcher, ‘While there may be tax benefits for donating or selling a conservation easement, people enter into conservation easements first and foremost because they love their land and want it to stay the way it is.’ Public access need not be required for easements, added Fletcher.

Sara Callaghan, Land Agent for the Strafford Rivers Conservancy land trust, explained that ‘Our job as the easement holder is to make sure that easement conditions are followed in perpetuity.’ Each year, a land trust representative visits and walks the property under easement. Cases of easement violations are rare and the issues are usually quickly resolved, said Callaghan, adding, ‘Three fourths of the time, the violation is actually something done by an abutter, an action that wanders over the property line.’ Since the easement goes with the property, the easement remains in place if the land is sold. In this case, Callaghan visits the new owners to explain the easement conditions. If a new owner intentionally violates the easement, the easement holder must go to court to have it enforced.

The final presenter was landowner Art LeClair, who donated an easement on his 108 acres in Farmington. He described his interviews of other local easement donors: ‘I wanted to find out what motivates people to take the generous and permanent step to preserve their land and to undertake the easement process, which can take a year or two to complete. I learned that each landowner has deep personal or historic connections to the land–a personal story, if you will. And because of those connections, people want to see their land stay intact.’

Thanks to these generous landowners and to organizations such as the Farmington Conservation Commission, Moose Mountains Regional Greenways, and the Strafford Rivers Conservancy, future generations will have the opportunity to experience the land as it is today. If you are interested in learning more about options for conserving your land, please contact Keith Fletcher at 603-817-8260 or David Connolly at davidfly2@aol.com.