The West Virginia Land Trust (WVLT) is a member supported non-profit organization whose sole purpose is to protect West Virginia’s natural lands and scenic areas. Incorporated in 1995 the WVLT continues to be West Virginia’s only statewide land trust. To date our organization has protected over thousands of acres throughout West Virginia. Currently there are over 17,000 acres protected statewide through voluntary conservation easements.

Land is a resource that is owned by individuals, but enjoyed by many. When it is overdeveloped or misused, we all suffer.

The WVLT works with landowners to protect the natural values of their property to ensure that the scenic beauty of West Virginia will be maintained for future generations.

Landowners use permanent conservation easements to protect their property from development forever, regardless of who owns it.

Easements protect property (while allowing it to remain in private hands) and keep the property open for specified farming, forestry, and recreational uses.

The West Virginia Land Trust promotes easements as an excellent way to preserve our rapidly vanishing countryside, wetlands, farms, and forests.

The WVLT views the landowners we work with as partners in conservation. You can read here about how to protect your land and some of the tax benefits that may be available to you. Our goal is to help landowners preserve land using the options that are open to them in the manner that suits them best.

If you’re interested in protecting your land, you can start by filling out the Criteria Checklist. Once completed you can mail it to us or send it as an attachment to an email.

Helpful Information

Easement Definition

As part of our long-term vision for developing a statewide conservation plan, the WVLT coordinates and provides technical assistance to the Coalition of West Virginia Land Trusts.

This coalition is made up of local organizations focused on specific geographic areas of the state, such as the Indian Creek Conservancy in Monroe County; and organizations with special focus on specific types of conservation work, such as the West Virginia Cave Conservancy. The coalition also includes:

Cacapon and Lost River Land Trust

The WVLT has unique strengths as an organization devoted to conserving our state’s special places.

• Appraisal: A report prepared by a professional appraiser that provides an estimate of the fair market value of the property or conservation easement. A “qualified appraisal” is one prepared to substantiate the value of a donated property or easement, and meets Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requirements.
• Backup holder: A holder, named in the easement, that is empowered to enforce or hold an easement if the original holder is not able to do so.
• Co-holder: A holder that jointly holds title to an easement with another holder.
  

A conservation easement is a voluntary contract between a landowner and a land trust, government agency or another qualified organization in which the owner places permanent restrictions on the future uses of some or all of their property to protect scenic, wildlife, or agricultural resources (conservation values). The restrictions usually limit the number of future home sites but can, and often do, limit other uses as well.