Reconciling Development and Natural Beauty: The Promise and Dilemma of Conservation Easements

Contemporary conservation easement practice has attracted many critics, based in part on well-publicized national scandals involving fraudulent donations of conservation easements for tax purposes and in part on more general concerns about the potential inefficiency of these easements. This article scrutinizes the current debate by examining various criticisms and proposals for reform of current conservation easement practice. It provides important detail on contemporary conservation easement practice, considers the interaction between contemporary practice and the abstract concerns raised in the academic debate, and offers some suggestions for reform and further study.