Trust Our Land: Eagle Valley Land Trust is here to support landowners

By Jessica Foulis

Land conservation benefits everyone in Eagle County, and local landowners make it possible. Did you know that incentives and benefits for landowners are the best they’ve ever been? The Eagle Valley Land Trust is here to support landowners in the process as they navigate them.

The Eagle Valley Land Trust is your local land trust. We’ve been working in partnership with landowners to protect agricultural land, open spaces, wildlife habitats, and our Western heritage for 43 years. The Eagle Valley Land Trust is the only local accredited and state-certified land trust serving the Eagle River Valley, Upper Colorado River Valley, and surrounding areas.

What have we learned from landowners in the last 43 years? That they’re not only the best stewards of their land, but also the land and water’s best advocates and conservationists. 

Conservation easements

The Eagle Valley Land Trust has been serving our community since 1981. Most of that time, our primary conservation tool has been the durable and versatile conservation easement. Conservation easements are voluntary legal agreements between a landowner and a land trust that permanently protect scenic or agricultural open space, natural habitat, or recreational areas (collectively defined as “conservation values” by the IRS) for the public’s benefit.

Like parcels of land, no two conservation easements are alike. Conservation easements are built in partnership with each landowner and are specifically tailored to the needs of the land and owner. They’re versatile in that way — they can support the long-term vision of multi-generational ranching families, agricultural operations, municipalities, and businesses. 

Unlike outright sale of land, conservation easements allow landowners to retain ownership, control, and management of their land. The landowner and the land trust negotiate the level and type of encumbrances on the land introduced by the conservation easement. Generally, the more restrictive the conservation easement, the more financial benefits the landowner can expect in return. It’s how hundreds of landowners across the state have been able to meet their financial and tax planning needs in partnership with land trusts in a way that benefits the public, forever.

New conservation easement legislation

Incentives for landowners in Colorado are the best they’ve ever been, but that won’t last forever. Thanks to Colorado Senate Bill 24-126, the tax credit cap for conservation easements has been increased from $45 million annually to $50 million annually, beginning on Jan. 1, 2025. The waitlist is also a thing of the past — credits will be issued in the order that applications are received by the Division of Conservation. In addition, the credits are now refundable in TABOR and non-TABOR years. Starting in 2027, landowners can claim up to a $200,000 refund each year. 

Another reason not to wait — the credit percentage will drop from 90% to 80% of the conservation value in 2027. That means landowners have 2.5 years to get their easements done at the current 90% rate that hundreds of landowners are enjoying right now. 

How to conserve your land

Protected land is the foundation of our community, economy, and way of life. We’ve worked with a wide variety of landowners, from multi-generational ranchers like the Gates and Bair families, to landowners like Marjorie Westerman eager to preserve the ecological integrity of her home, to municipalities like Eagle County and several towns looking to protect access to nature for their constituents.

Though they sound complex, conservation easements are built on a simple premise — that landowners are the best stewards of their land and protecting conservation values is a public benefit. Conservation easements are a versatile option for landowners, especially agricultural producers, that can help sustain and even boost operations while protecting the land’s ecological, scenic, and productive values for generations to come.

The Eagle Valley Land Trust is here to help you get started. Click here to learn more about conservation easements, or reach out to executive director, Jessica Foulis, directly at jfoulis@evlt.org if you are interested in learning more about a conservation easement or land donation.

Stewardship support opportunity

The Eagle Valley Land Trust’s Stewardship Series, which brings together volunteers to help with messy restoration, stewardship, and habitat enhancement projects on protected land, is expanding. Trash cleanups and barbed wire removal benefit everyone, after all. That’s why we’re now offering to support landowners with stewardship projects even if their land isn’t protected by a conservation easement.

We’re looking for a few low-tech projects where a group of volunteers can make a difference with guidance from the landowner. If you’d like to request volunteer support on your property, click this link or go to https://evlt.org/landowners/volunteer/.

As your local land trust, our team is grateful for your work and dedication to stewarding the lands that our community, economy, and wildlife depend on. We’re here for you and eager to support your land conservation and stewardship efforts. Let us know how we can help.

Jessica Foulis is the Executive Director of the Eagle Valley Land Trust. Learn more about EVLT’s conservation work at evlt.org or visit the new Conservation Center in Edwards.