Conservation Easement Keeps Working Lands in Working Hands

By Lori Valadez, Public Affairs Specialist, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service

Photo by the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation

Dennis McLaughlin farms the land where he and his siblings grew up in Madison County, Iowa. Much has changed since John and Mary McLaughlin started farming the land in 1854. Once their neighbors were other farmers, but now new subdivisions are popping up near the property. Family members were concerned that, as surrounding communities expanded, their farm would be lost along with its ability to grow food and fiber.

With McLaughlin eyeing retirement, and no successor interested in running the farm, the family needed a plan for the property. They formed a limited liability company, or LLC, in 2008 to collectively consider their options and ensure the continued stewardship of the land.

The McLaughlins researched organizations with expertise in land easements, in search of a potential partner. Eventually, they connected with the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation which led them to conservation easement options with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

The Foundation tapped into the NRCS Agricultural Conservation Easement Program – Agricultural Land Easements (ACEP-ALE), which helps private and tribal landowners, land trusts, and other entities protect croplands and grasslands on working farms and ranches by limiting nonagricultural uses of the land through conservation easements, ensuring that the land will remain in agricultural production.

“Everybody understood that we had to educate ourselves,” McLaughlin said. “Part of the formation of the LLC incorporated the possibility of eventually working with a land trust. We decided it might be a good fit, if it meant that we did everything we could to preserve the agricultural land and natural resources.”

The McLaughlins placed an easement on 107 acres of the farm. As part of the agreement, the McLaughlin family donated 50 percent of the easement value and agreed to contribute toward the easement monitoring fund, which helps cover the expense of ensuring land use compliance perpetually.

“For us, it felt like the right decision. We’re only here for a short time, filling in the gap between who was here before and who will come next,” McLaughlin said. “This land has a long history, and the conservation easement means it can also have a long future.”

Their easement allows for activities the McLaughlins value, including sustainable grazing; row cropping in designated areas; and fruit, nut, and vegetable production. It also protects against activities like development, mining, or subdividing.

“I had already come to the decision that this was the only way to protect the land from the development that was happening all around us,” said Dennis’s sister, Sharon, about the family’s choice to do the easement. “I knew it was what Dad and Mom wanted, and I know they are very happy that we made it happen.”