Helps plan and create conservation easements to protect natural areas such as streams, wetlands, wildlife habitat, open space, or scenery. Conservation easements are voluntary legal agreements between landowners and the SWCD that place permanent restrictions on development and use of the land. The landowner maintains ownership of the property, along with the right to use the land, but not in ways that infringe on the conservation easement agreement. Property may be sold, leased, donated, or bequeathed, however the easement remains. Easements are generally associated with Federal, State, and/or Property tax incentives for the landowner based on the difference between the appraised land value with and without the easement.