| The project investigated landowners' attitudes and perceptions toward the use of easements to preserve wildlife habitat and agricultural land prior to the enactment of conservation easement legislation. The study was conducted through personal interviews in three regions of Alberta which varied in development pressure, land uses, and ecotypes. One hundred and seventy-three landowners, owning 160 acres or more, were interviewed. Support for conservation easements, attractiveness of various easement features, motivations for signing a conservation easement, and concerns about easement use were examined. Responses were related to personal characteristics of landowners, property characteristics, and environmental and agricultural orientation. Easements were compared with other forms of land conservation, and recommendations were made to increase the effectiveness of future land preservation efforts. Easements were found to be the most preferred mechanism for long-term land conservation among landowners. Conservation easements provide numerous opportunities for coordination between agricultural and environmental interests in maintaining the ecological and productive value of land. |
