What is Tecumseh Land Trust?

• We are one of over 1,200 land trusts in the United Sates, and are the first Ohio land trust to achieve accreditation by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, among only 465 nationally.

• Our mission is to assist landowners in finding ways to protect their valuable farm land and significant cultural or natural sites. We have preserved 60 stream miles within easements.

• We have protected over 35,000 acres of land, and have additional awards to preserve 5,000 more acres.

• We are a 501 (c)(3) organization that serves Clark and Greene County, as well as surrounding counties.

Why do you protect so much farmland?

• Agriculture is Ohio’s #1 industry, and the majority of our land is still available for farming.

• Every minute of every day, America loses 2 acres of farmland to development.

• Working farmland preserves native plants and animals in its untillable niches.

• Well farmed land helps preserve good water quality; water is our most precious resource.

• Farms provide open vistas which make residential areas more pleasant.

• Farms cost less in public services than they bring in tax revenues.

• Only 3% of the world’s soil are prime and we are blessed with much prime soil here.

How do you protect land?

• We work with landowners who wish to preserve their land by donating or selling a conservation easement to the land trust. Donated value can provide a substantial tax benefit.

• We occasionally accept gift of land, generally placing an easement on the land and then selling it, and using any profits to purchase easements on other properties.

What exactly is a conservation easement?

• An easement is a condition or limitation permanently attached to the deed for a property.

• A private organization, like a land trust, or a government unit can “hold” an easement.

• The value of an agricultural conservation easement is the difference between a property’s development value and its agricultural or “as is” natural value.

• Eased land can be bought and sold, but the conditions of the easement remain in place.

What’s it mean to hold an easement?

• We walk the land and develop the specific language of each easement with he landowner.

• We document the specific conservation or historical values of property with maps, photos, and descriptions, and attach the documentation to the easement.

• Once drafted and documented, the easement is signed by land trust officers and by land trust officers and the landowners, and recorded at the county court house.

• We monitor the properties on which we hold easements annually, and keep in contact with he landowner. If needed the land trust takes legal action to enforce easement.

• If eased land is sold.we orient the new landowners to the conditions of the easement.

What if Tecumseh Land Trust were no longer in business?

• if we were to go out of business, our assets and responsibilities would be transferred to a similar organization; if a local land trust were not available, one of the national or state land trust organizations with which we are affiliated could also take this responsibility.

How are you funded? Do you get money from the government?

• We are supported by donations from members and charitable organizations.

• We do not generally get funding for operations from the government.

• Government units fund acquisition of specific properties or easement based on competitive applications.

• We have a separate fund specifically for monitoring and stewardship costs that is funded primarily by donations from landowners.

How do you decide what land is most important to protect?

• We use a set of guidelines that prioritize lands that protect watersheds, contain important native plants and animals, or are of cultural significance.

• We seek agricultural easement on properties that are viable for farming into foreseeable future.

• The areas that have been most successful in preserving agricultural have preserved several blocks of 2,000-5,000 acres within each county.

• Our aim is to permanently preserve 50,000 acres in each of the two counties we serve - Lancaster County, PA, a leader in farmland preservation has preserved more than 100,000 acres.

Is funding available to purchase easements?

• Clean Ohio funding has recently been reauthorized! Additional, Farm Bill funds are available, along with some local pots of funding.

• TLT has been able to protect over 22,000 acres through Clean Ohio, the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program, and other sources providing payments of over $35 million dollars to landowners for their developments rights.

  • Landowners interested in receiving a payment fro their conservation easement should contact TLT as soon as possible to learn about the process and decide whether to get started on it!

What can local government do to assist in preservation of farmland and natural areas?

• Townships and counties can develop a plan, identifying those areas most important to preserve and hose most illogical to develop and can designate agricultural and historical areas and zones.

• Local government can set aside transfer fees, a percentage of sales tax, or other funding to purchase easements on key properties, or to use as a match to leverage state of federal dollars.

• To get he right balance of development and preservation, they can evaluate costs and revenues of different land uses - residential, commercials/industrial, and agricultural.

What can individuals do to assist in preservation?

• Join the land trust, contribute, and volunteer.

• Consider donation or sale of an easement or a bequest as a part of your own estate financial planning.

• Consider becoming a conservation buyer with assistance from the land trust.

• Talk to your neighbors about joining the land trust or operations to preserve their land.

• Tell public officials and candidates that natural and farmland preservation are issues you are concerned about.