About Conservation Easements
Conservation easements are voluntary agreements between a landowner and a qualified organization such as Taos Land Trust to restrict future development of a property. They are permanent and remain with the land through any changes in ownership. Terms of a conservation easement are tailored to a specific piece of land and the conservation values of its owner. In other words, no two conservation easements are alike.
Land conservation keeps our rural heritage alive, fosters healthy communities, generates good jobs, supports sustainable agriculture, preserves diverse wildlife habitats, and maintains the vast and varied landscapes that make Northern New Mexico so singularly unique. Conservation easements tie water resources to the land and permanently restrict development so the land will always be available for agricultural use. Easements also devalue property, making it easier for families to retain and work their land, which can be difficult as development pressures increase property values. Conservation easements preserve connections to local culture and rural traditions. Conservation easements support rural communities by helping to stabilize the agricultural economy as a whole. Conservation easements help draw recreation and tourism dollars. Conservation easements offer a way for communities to preserve the natural resources, open spaces, scenic landscapes, and wildlife habitat that draws tourists to our area and helps stimulate our local community economies. Conservation easements can ease the financial burden on farmers and ranchers. The tax benefits of conservation easements can help landowners reduce debt, pay for college education, save for retirement, pay for long-term health care, or purchase land and equipment to expand their agricultural activities.
Find more information in our 2020 Landowner Handbook. If you’re interested in learning more about putting your land into a conservation easement, please email our Executive Director or call 575-751-3138.
Taos Land Trust’s Easements
Taos Land Trust holds 54 conservation easements in 7 counties in Northern New Mexico, for a total of 8,232 acres. A list can be found below, listed by county and acreage. Taos Land Trust owns two properties in Taos County that are open to the public, with the easements being held by the Santa Fe Conservation Trust. These properties are Rio Fernando Park (19.73 acres) and the Rio Hondo Fishing Park (22.16 acres). Additionally, we have assisted in conserving two more areas in Taos County, which are now owned by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). This includes Taos Valley Overlook Public Purchase (2,580 acres) and Ute Mountain Public Purchase (14,344 acres).
Read stories about conservation from some our of easement owners on our Conservation Heroes page.
Taos County
- Benson 3 (1,110 acres)
- Benson 1 (960 acres)
- Hawk (550 acres)
- Benson 4 (546.472 acres)
- Benson 2 (264.94 acres)
- Woodard (153 acres)
- Romero (150.77 acres)
- Frank (135.9 acres)
- Anonymous (115 acres)
- Wilson 2 Lama (105.351 acres)
- Wilson Lama (83.769 acres)
- Hot Springs – Taos Pueblo (43.778 acres)
- Anonymous (42.3 acres)
- Ambrose Pasture (37.54 acres)
- Armstrong/Trujillo (37.5 acres)
- Wilson 3 Lama (36.218 acres)
- Attiyeh 1 (32.218 acres)
- Sofia Lucinda (28.922 acres)
- Anonymous (24.7 acres)
- Not Forgotten Outreach, Inc. (23.78 acres)
- Anonymous (22.193 acres)
- Schutez/Kintner (20.357 acres)
- DiLisio (18.052 acres)
- Droke/Hall (17.91 acres)
- Terry (16.363 acres)
- McClure (16.18 acres)
- R. Romero (15.027 acres)
- Attiyeh 4 (14.907 acres)
- Anonymous (14.837 acres)
- Martinez (14.708 acres)
- Troy (12.9 acres)
- Klein/Wilson (12.14 acres)
- Anonymous (10.763 acres)
- Sunset Park (10.157 acres)
- Attiyeh 3 (8.1 acres)
- Waters (8.02 acres)
- Huston (7.924 acres)
- Anonymous (7.411 acres)
- Franzetti (7.37 acres)
- K. Wilson (4.86 acres)
- Attiyeh PDR (4.408 acres)
- Pratt (1.098 acres)
Rio Arriba County
- Morris (323.135 acres)
- McDaniel (151.666 acres)
- Pape (128.34 acres)
- Mesa Poleo (63.415 acres)
Colfax County
- La Cañada (831 acres)
- Touch-Me-Not (554.541 acres)
- Anonymous (156.886 acres)
Santa Fe County
- Tingle (640.06 acres)
- Conservation Homestead (300 acres)
Mora County
- Hummingbird Ranch (170.939 acres)
San Miguel County
- Terre Mote (157.35 acres)
Bernalillo County
- Porter (6.146 acres)