Perpetual conservation easements, which run with the life of the land and through multiple owners, are a commonly used tool by land conservancies such as the Merrill W. Linn Land & Waterways Conservancy and by county AgPreservation committees, which work with agricultural land exclusively. The Linn Conservancy regularly attends both the Union County and the Northumberland AgPres boards to coordinate and share land protection efforts in the respective counties.

The first two easements of the Linn Conservancy happen to have trail components since both owners were interested in having public involvement with their land:

  • the 137-acre Dale’s Ridge property in Buffalo Township, formerly owned by Rosemary and Ralph Charles Walker and now owned by the Union County Historical Society; and

  • the Koons’ 18 acre-farmette beside the Hassenplug Covered Bridge within the borough of Mifflinburg.
Public access to easement protected land is not a requirement and indeed, in some instances, because of a delicate environment or because of the presence of rare plants and animals, might not be advisable. Two of our easements, located along Penns Creek in Hartley Township, Union County, do not have public access. Nor do our most recent easements located in White Deer Township, Union County and in Chillisquaque Township in Northumberland County. Our 77.5 acre easement in Montandon Marsh, also in West Chillisquaque Township, has limited public access.

The Linn Conservancy is currently working on several other easements in both Union and Snyder Counties.  Donors of such easements, who have strong conservation values and an appropriate site, can work with the Linn Conservancy’s Site/Stewardship Committee to design a land stewardship program as well as a legal document to guide the use of their property forever.

 

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Conservancy members do annual easement inspections

Former Walker house, now Linn Conservancy office site

View of Eased Walker Farm

 

The Hassenplug Covered Bridge near the Koons' Easement