How much does free land cost? The Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust has always depended upon the donation of land or land rights through conservation easements to fulfill its mission of protecting wildlife by protecting habitat. So if the land and conservation easements are donated – why does the Trust still need financial support? And why should a landowner be asked to make a financial contribution in addition to giving the Trust his or her property? The answers: Free land isn’t cheap. The process of considering a donated title or conservation easement starts with a property visit and meeting. A senior staff member will travel to the property, make notes of visual observations, take photographs and discuss with the landowners their goals and the Trust’s mission. We estimate the cost of this visit between $2,050 and $3,450. If all goes well at the initial property visit, we can begin our due diligence process – the steps to ensure that the property is what it appears to be and that all the legal requirements are met at the time of transfer. Estimates of these expenses include staff and legal time ($4,000), title research and transfer ($750), database search, and a baseline/Phase I study to learn the history of the property and expose any potential liabilities ($4,750-$5,800). Bringing the total estimated due diligence costs to $9,500 and $10,550. And that is before the donation is made and accepted! When we accept a gift of land or a conservation easement, the Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust takes on significant and permanent stewardship responsibilities. These include – at a minimum – an annual monitoring visit ($2,100 to $3,400) as well as signage, liability insurance, a legal defense set-aside fund and, in the case of most title donations, property taxes ($2,000 to $5,000). So for every property protected as a wildlife sanctuary, the estimated cost for stewardship is $4,100 to $8,400 annually. The expenses listed here apply to virtually every application considered by the Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust for sanctuary protection. Some properties have more requirements, such as a boundary survey, aerial photography for larger properties, and topographical mapping. We seek support for these significant expenses through national fundraising solicitations, from foundations, and through individual planned giving programs. These ongoing fundraising efforts have been successful, and they will continue. However the Trust does need and expects some level of support from each of our land and easement donors, either now or later. This support can come in the form of cash or other assets, such as stocks, bonds, and even insurance policies. Please support the perpetual protection of wildlife habitat. |
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