Each of our conservation projects is different, but one of our most common conservation methods is fee simple land donations. To date, we manage over 4,100 acres of fee simple property in Central Alabama to protect and enhance its conservation values.  

What is a fee simple land donation?

A fee simple land donation gives us complete ownership of your property. As a land trust, we commit to managing and protecting the donated land for future generations.

Depending upon the donor’s wishes, Freshwater Land Trust may hold ownership of the conservation land permanently or it may transfer ownership of the property to a suitable governmental agency and retain a conservation easement to ensure permanent protection, if necessary. In all cases, we will do our best to honor the donor’s wishes with respect to ultimate ownership and permanent conservation. 

Fee simple donations offer great benefits:

Making an outright donation of conservation land is one of the most important legacies a person can leave to future generations, and it is an important way to help Freshwater Land Trust protect important conservation lands. Donating land can release you from the responsibility of managing the land and can provide substantial income tax deductions (based upon the appraised fair market value of the property) and estate tax benefits, while avoiding capital gains taxes that would have resulted from a sale of the property. 

Are you a landowner interested in conserving your land? We can help.