Every conservation easement is different regarding public access and recreation opportunities. Please read an easement's individual webpage or contact the DEC Lands and Forests office nearest to the easement property for details.
A conservation easement is a voluntary, legal agreement that protects the natural resources of a parcel of land by restricting future land use and/or development on the property "in perpetuity" (permanently). This agreement is held between a landowner and a government agency or land trust, with the landowner maintaining ownership. The conservation easement can either be sold or donated, resulting in a variety of tax benefits for the landowner. The easement is recorded with the property's deed and transfers to all future landowners.
The natural resources and landscape values that easements aim to protect include water quality, wildlife habitat, sensitive ecosystems, wetlands, riparian areas, scenic areas, working forests, and historic sites. All DEC conservation easements prioritize environmental protection, with many allowing some level of public recreational access. There are more than 900,000 acres of conservation easement lands managed by DEC's Division of Lands and Forests in New York State. While most of these lands are located within the Adirondack Park and Tug Hill Plateau, DEC also holds easements on a variety of other properties around the state. Links to DEC conservation easements that offer public access are available at the bottom of this webpage.
The purpose and terms of each conservation easement are tailored to the specific characteristics of each property, and most are designed to meet multiple conservation objectives. For example, an easement intended to conserve a scenic area will have different restrictions than an easement designed to protect an endangered species habitat. Some prohibit all future development, while others allow for limited new construction or other improvements. Most easements allow traditional uses of the land such as forestry, agriculture or recreation to continue as long as the conservation goals of the property are being met.
DEC has acquired some level of public recreation rights on most easement properties. The amount of public access depends on the goals and objectives of the landowner at the time the easement was negotiated, as well as the natural resources being protected by the easement. Working forest conservation easements provide public access to hundreds of thousands of acres of private land. However, public access may be suspended or relocated when forest management activities are underway. Many working forest landowners also rely on income from private hunt club leases, so public hunting may be restricted or prohibited in certain areas of the property.
Public recreational opportunities on conservation easement lands are managed either through an interim recreation management plan (IRMP) or a recreation management plan (RMP) prepared by staff from DEC's Division of Lands and Forests with input from the public. These documents address existing natural resources, land uses, and laws and policies, as well as plans for future recreational development. When a property is first acquired by DEC, an IRMP will be created so that some recreational opportunities for the public can be immediately offered while a formal RMP is developed. In some instances, the IRMP or RMP may be part of a state land unit management plan (UMP).
Public access varies among conservation easements. People who plan to visit an easement should read the property's individual web page or contact the DEC Lands and Forests office nearest to the easement property.
Working forest conservation easements allow the landowner to professionally manage the eased property's forest resource so that it remains available for sustainable forestry in perpetuity (permanently). DEC has acquired working forest conservation easements on nearly 807,000 acres of land. Primarily in the Adirondacks, these easements account for 90% of the total acreage of DEC-held conservation easements.
Most working forest conservation easements provide the landowner the choice of two forest management options:
Both of the above options require landowners to develop and update detailed forest management plans that integrate sustainable forest management with the conservation of soil, water quality, wildlife and fish habitat, historical significance, recreation and aesthetics. Regardless of which option the landowner chooses, a forest management plan must be in place prior to any forest management activities being conducted on the eased property.
The DEC is proud of its record of conserving lands through its conservation easement (CE) program. The program keeps land in private ownership and on local tax rolls, while cost effectively achieving tremendous environmental and outdoor recreation benefits. DEC is a leader in the country in using easements to conserve important landscapes. Indeed, DEC's conservation easements, most of them in the Adirondacks and Tug Hill regions, amount to more acreage than our century-old State Forest system and about one third of the acreage in the Adirondack Forest Preserve, which has been adding acreage since the 19th century. The combination of the conservation easement tool and the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) have delivered the most successful conservation results in decades while positioning New York State well to ensure our forests continue to provide environmental and economic benefits into the future.
For more information on a specific DEC conservation easement, contact the DEC Lands and Forests office nearest to the easement property you are interested in.
To learn more about sustainable forestry visit:
To learn about nonprofit land conservation organizations, visit our partners' websites:
New York City Region
Eastern Adirondacks/Lake Champlain Region