Acquisitions: For Those Ready to Conserve

WAC’s Agricultural and Forest Conservation Easements

Thank you for taking this first step towards conserving your working landscape and protecting water quality. If you prefer, please do not hesitate to contact CE Program staff directly at (607) 865-7790, ext. 100 to discuss the application process, or download the application here.

WAC’s Conservation Easements are intended to conserve agricultural and forestry lands and protect water quality by limiting the form, location, and density of development while promoting sound agricultural stewardship and/or properly managed forestry activities. WAC’s CE Program is a “working lands” program.  It seeks to balance conservation, water quality protection, and the economic stability of the Catskill region.

WAC currently offers two (2) distinct types of conservation easements.  WAC’s Agricultural Conservation Easement continues to protect local agricultural lands; these are available to farmers or landowners whose property is utilized as supplemental lands to a local farmer. In addition, WAC recently launched its Forest Conservation Easement to include those woodland landowners committed to conservation, as forests comprise over 70% of the Catskill landscape.

WAC’s ability to purchase conservation easements could be used to support plans for retirement, the wish to pay off debts, to help transition ownership to the next generation, or to fulfill a commitment to preserve the rural character and natural resources of the Catskill region. A WAC Conservation Easement may be a useful tool to maintain private ownership of your property.