A conservation easement is a legal agreement a property owner makes with a land trust or public agency restricting types and amounts of development and other uses. Restrictions may include development, logging, mining, and subdividing. Each conservation easement is different, tailored to the needs of the owner. Once the conservation easement is finalized, a land trust, nonprofit or public agency monitors the land to ensure that the provisions are followed. The easement remains in perpetuity with the title, even when the land changes ownership by sale, death, or gift.
Before June, 1998, MLT was operated strictly by volunteers. Roger Sternberg came on board at that time as the first paid staff with the title of Executive Director. Sternberg, aided by hard-working volunteers and contractors, enabled MLT to complete the conservation of 470 acres between Ukiah and Hopland. The easement was donated to MLT by the property owner, Jim Fetzer. Under provisions of the easement, no development is permitted in a 270-acre vineyard area, and 200 acres of oak woodlands are protected from vineyard use, logging and other forms of development.
MLT is also working on the conservation of many other lands throughout the county. One of these projects, in Philo, includes several miles of steelhead fishery and a significant stand of old growth redwoods. In Hopland, the conservation of 600 acres of oak woodlands/grasslands is under way. MLT, Coastal Conservancy, and other organizations are working jointly on the preservation of Glass Beach in Fort Bragg and the conservation of Caspar Beach. Near Point Arena, MLT is working to conserve a 32-acre property containing old growth redwood, douglas and grand fir, a heron rookery, mountain beaver, northern spotted owl habitat and part of a Coho salmon creek.
This June, MLT will celebrate the tenth anniversary of the establishment of Heider Field as an open space park in conjunction with the Mendocino Annual Garden Tour. Heider Field is located directly north of the Post Office in the town of Mendocino.
For more information about MLT's celebration of the conservation of Heider Field, or to find out how to become a volunteer or member of MLT, contact Mendocino Land Trust, Inc., P.O. Box 1094, Mendocino, Ca. 95460, call 707-937-0901 or email to mlt@men.org
Copyright Mendocino Environmental Center 1999
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