Land Conservation

As our community faces increasing pressure to develop land for residential and commercial use, greenspace protection becomes more important than ever. Although The Sandy Springs Conservancy does not own or manage land, we want to encourage citizens to do more to conserve, even increase, the amount of greenspace in our community.

We encourage land protection through a variety of tools, from conservation easements to land trusts. There are several organizations, listed below, that can help you find the tool that best matches your goals. We encourage you to work with qualified experts to maximize your tax benefits while helping the environment!

Common Land Conservation Tools

• Conservation Easements - can allow public access or be restricted for private use. Refer to A Landowners Guide - Conservation Easements for Natural Resource Protection, which is available from the Georgia Land Trust Service Center (see below).
• Land Donation - can be to a public entity, such as a local government, or to a non-profit organization, such as a land trust
• Bargain Sale of Land to a land trust or local government can conserve important land while yielding a blend of revenue and tax benefits for you
• Civic Involvement - you can support groups that take the long view of our greenspace needs by working to ensure public policies support conservation. You can join the organizations listed here as a supporter, including the Sandy Springs Conservancy!

Organizations That Can Help You

• Land Trust Alliance - This national organization's website has good on-line information as well as excellent publications you may wish to purchase. 202-638-4725 or http://www.landtrustalliance.org
• The Trust for Public Land - This national organization helps communities to assemble land for people to enjoy as parks and natural areas. The Georgia office often works with land owners in strategic land acquisitions, like near the Chattahoochee River. 404-873-7306 or http://www.tpl.org
• Georgia Land Trust Service Center - This affiliate of the Georgia Environmental Policy Institute works to increase the effectiveness of land trusts and helps land owners protect conservation lands in Georgia and the Southeast. A good referral source for land trusts working in areas of Georgia as well as for questions about conservation easements. 706-546-7507 or http://www.gepinstitute.com