Conservation Easements

The Crow Wing Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) collaborates with Crow Wing County landowners and the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) to safeguard land, water, and wildlife habitats through Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) conservation easements.

These easements provide permanent protection, restoration, and management of vital natural resources. While the land remains privately owned, landowners are compensated for placing an easement on their property.

INCENTIVES & PAYMENT

PREFERRED CRITERIA & PROCESS

POSSIBLE COST TO LANDOWNER

Personal Incentives

Legacy protection of land and water
Landowner retains full ownership
No obligation to fill out an application

Payment

Payment is typically 60% of the property's Estimated Market Value, as determined by the county
One-time taxable payment
Payment timeline is subject to change

Criteria

300+ft of shoreline
20+ acres
Adjoining public land
Adjoining conservation easements

Process

16-18 months to complete
Title or lender details may extend the timeline
Applications are ranked according to habitat values, shoreline length, public land adjacency, and other professional criteria

Updating property abstract
- The fees for an abstract update depend on the area you are in and the complexity of the search
Resolving any title issues that may come up in the title search, including property access and mineral rights
- If title search reveals property access and/or mineral rights are not owned by landowner, they may need to be obtained

I'm Interested in a Conservation Easement

What are conservation easements, and how do they work?

A conservation easement provides financial compensation to landowners in exchange for voluntarily enrolling their property to permanently protect it from future development. Landowners retain private ownership and can still utilize their property for recreational use and sustainable forest management.

Conservation easements protect the state’s water and soil resources by protecting and restoring native ecosystems, water quality, and wildlife habitat complexes. A conservation easement is a legal agreement with a landowner and the State of Minnesota.

Who is eligible?

Any individual(s) who have owned the land for at least one year and can provide evidence of a good and marketable land title can apply to enroll eligible land. Parcels should be at least 20 acres. Landowners must update their property abstract at their own expense. All liens and mortgages must be paid off, or releases or consents to the easement must be obtained from the lien or mortgage holder before the easement can be completed.

What rights do landowners convey to the state?

Landowners retain ownership and control of the property they enroll into the easement, but the easement prohibits the following:

Cropping and grazing unless specifically approved by the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) for habitat management purposes.
Timber harvest, unless approved by the BWSR for forest management purposes.
Building or placing structures on the easement.
Mining activities.
Placement of wells and/or sewage disposal systems.
Grading and excavating or any activity that would alter the cover that has been established on the easement.

Landowner's guide to Conservation Easements

This document gives a more in-depth look at conservation easements, summarizing the responsibilities landowners have in the care of their easement area.

Frequently Asked conservation Easement Questions

A quick reference guide to frequently asked easement questions.

Example conservation easement

Know what you’re signing up for before starting the application process. This document details what landowners can and cannot do within the easement area.

Find out if a conservation easement is right for you.

Click the button below to tell us about your property.

I'm Interested in a Conservation Easement

Crow Wing SWCD