The Grand River...
On its crooked 98-mile trek to Lake Erie, the Grand River carves a course straight through the lives of the valley's residents. It remains a place of solace -- one that soothes the spirit and restores a rattled equilibrium. The Grand River beckons us. It is a surviving standard of our land's natural integrity, a benchmark that can direct us as we plan its future.
A Basic Description of the Grand River
The Grand River displays a variety of personalities as it winds its way through Northeast Ohio. Four counties have been blessed with this incredible natural resource. Beginning at its headwaters in the marshlands of Southeastern Geauga County, the river flows into Trumbull County and across a large floodplain which is home to extensive wetland complexes. The stream winds its way north through Ashtabula County before making a sharp turn to the west. Here, it ventures into Lake County where it continues to cut steep, shale gorges before emptying into Lake Erie at Fairport Harbor.
The Grand River is of such value to both the ecosystem it supports and the human settlements it affects that it was designated both a wild and scenic river on January 17, 1974. This was made possible due to the passage of the Ohio Scenic Rivers Act of 1968. The state pioneered the river preservation movement with this act, which classifies and designates Ohio waterways according to their unique and outstanding characteristics. The Grand River was found to have two unique sections. The first is found along the river between U.S. Route 322 and the Harpersfield Dam and was granted scenic status. This segment, which extends for 33 miles, passes through an ancient glacial lake. Here, the water moves slowly, allowing mud and silt to be easily deposited along the river's bottom. The area, which is sparsely populated, has remained mostly agricultural and offers an abundance of wildlife habitat. The second section, which has been designated as wild, runs for 23 miles between Harpersfield Dam and the Norfolk and Western Railroad Trestle south of Painesville. It is not far from major cities, but its rugged topography and the steep valleys have prevented major development along the river. Here, the valley floor loses elevation, forcing the stream to gain velocity throughout this section. This causes the formation of oxygen rich riffles, creating a variety of diverse habitats.
The Grand River is an incredible resource for both humans and nature. Because its banks remain mostly undeveloped, the water quality has been saved from degradation. However, the watershed remains forever on the defensive. It demands the concern and support of all those who come into contact with it; and only they can insure it remains pristine for generations to come.
Much of the Grand River's riparian corridor remains intact, but is on the constant defense from development.
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The Geology and Topography of the Grand River
Geologically speaking, the river is extremely young and slices through sediments of ancient origin. The sediments found at the bottom of the valley were laid down hundreds of millions of years ago. Younger materials were deposited near the surface only tens of thousands of years ago.
As the river cut into the valley floor, it formed a ravine now referred to as the Grand River Gorge. This formation reveals a variety of ancient rocks. The most common of these prehistoric rocks found along the Grand River Corridor are known as Chagrin shale and siltstone. These formations are the remains of ancient mud and silt, which settled to the bottom of a sea once covering Ohio over 360 million years ago. The shale can be recognized as being soft and brittle with a greenish-blue tinge. Siltstone, however, has different qualities. It is hard and resistant to weather, often protruding from cliffs of shale. The rocks that frame the Grand River, were formed during what is called the Devonian Period, or the Age of Fishes. This serves to suggest why the fossils of ancient organisms can often be discovered between the layers of shale and siltstone.
The rocks were laid down millions of years ago, but the river valley came about after the disappearance of the glaciers which once covered the area. As the glaciers traveled south from Canada, they blocked the paths of ancient river beds which flowed north into Lake Erie. The glacial ice and sediment deposited from these massive formations dammed the rivers, forming giant glacial lakes. Evidence of this still exists today. The remains of these ancient lakes can be seen by visiting what are now Grand River and Rock Creek Lakes and by examining the broad valleys and massive floodplains of Trumbull and Ashtabula counties. The glaciers contributed to more than just the formation of giant lakes, they forced the re-routing of the ancient riverbeds. This is evident in the sharp turns of the Grand River. The north flowing Grand River met with a glacier moving south, forcing the river to make a sharp turn to the west near present-day Austinburg Township, Ashtabula County. The other can be seen south of Painesville, where the river turns north again to flow out to Lake Erie. Here the river traveled the route of yet another ancient riverbed, following it out to sea.
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A Hydrological Description of the Grand River
The geology and topography of the Grand River Corridor continue to have their effects on the hydrology of the river today. As the river cuts new channels and changes its course, vast areas, such as the Mentor Marsh, are formed, creating immeasurable habitat for a great diversity of species. These habitats, and other features of the river are constantly being created and destroyed. Due to several influences, the river is constantly changing.
Erosion, or the carrying away of sediments by water, is another factor that works to change the river. The valleys of the Grand River are slowly widening due to the erosion of their banks. This is the result of natural occurrences such as ice and water, as well as human causes such as channelization and destruction of riparian areas.
There are many ways in which erosion can be prevented or slowed. One common practice is to plant brush along the side of the river. This method helps to hold the sediments of the bank in place. Sometimes trees or other objects fall into the stream and send the flow of the water toward the bank. Removal of these objects may help to direct the flow from its sides. Another practice, revetment, calls for the laying and anchoring of cut conifers and other broad-leafed trees into a waterway at an angle to the waters' flow. The trees act to slow the velocity of the water and to force the deposition of eroded sediments which work to stabilize the stream bank. Vegetation and rocks are natural barriers to erosion. However, these too can be carried away by the river.
The floodplain needs to be protected from the unnatural changes that affect it. Floodplains provide habitat for all species to thrive in and works to protect the quality of the stream's water from degradation. A good understanding of the hydrology of the river and the power of water is necessary to understand the effects it can have on all the life that surrounds and depends on it.
Click here to see stream flow data for the Grand River from the United States Geological Survey
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The Plants and Animals of the Grand River
Click here for pictures of plants, animals, and trees that are common to the Grand River Watershed.
The Grand River watershed supports a large variety of plant and animals, many of which are endangered, threatened, or sensitive.. Plant life varies from large, riparian (stream side) forests composed of silver maple, eastern cottonwood, sycamore, black walnut, and black willow trees, to rare occurrences of riverweed, an aquatic plant whose only habitat in Ohio is the Grand River. A beautiful plant, Emory's Sedge, creates meadows on the sides of the river. The river corridor contains a unique mix of both northern boreal and southern deciduous plant communities including Beech-Maple Forests, Oak-Chestnut Forests, and Hemlock Northern Hardwood Forests.
The riparian forests, found along the river, help stop streambank erosion by holding the soil in place, lowering the water temperature, and acting as buffers by filtering out pollutants from runoff. Lower water temperature means a greater supply of oxygen in the water, allowing the river to support a great diversity of aquatic life. Smallmouth bass, steelhead, and muskie are just a few of the many fish species found in the Grand River. Sensitive species, such as the eastern sand darter, four-toed salamander, and northern brook lamprey, make the waterway their home and even minimal habitat destruction can prove harmful to the continuance of these species. The river otter was reintroduced to the Grand in 1986, and is still considered endangered.
The state endangered Eastern massassauga rattlesnake calls the Grand River Watershed its home.
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The History and Archaeology of the Grand River
As the great glaciers of the last ice age receded across the North American continent around 12,500 B.C., modern Lake Erie, and the rivers that drained into it, began to take shape. Plants and animals slowly reclaimed previously glaciated areas of Lake Erie's southern shore. With them came the first humans, bands of Paleo-Indians who followed the natural ridges along present-day northern Ohio. Whether by migration or assimilation into later cultures, these first Paleo-Indians seemed to have left the northern Ohio area around 8,000 B.C.
Two periods of native-American culture followed, beginning with the Archaic period. Little is known about these hunting and gathering cultures except they probably spanned over into the next period, the Woodland era, around 1,500 B.C. The two representative groups of this period were the Adenas and Hopewells. Both excelled in the construction of elaborate mortuary and religious mounds. Their joint occupation of the Ohio territory, between 700 and 300 B.C., left many prime examples of various geometric shapes utilized in earthworks in the Ohio basin. The decline of the Woodland tribes did not, however, signal the end of mound building in Ohio. Particularly prevalent in the Grand River area of northern Ohio, the Whittlesey people continued the mound-building tradition.
Named after Colonel Charles Whittles of Cleveland, who was the first to describe many sites and artifacts uncovered in the 1800's, the Whittlesey culture centered itself around the middle and eastern sections of Lake Erie's southern shore. Their abundance in the area, from approximately 900 A.D. until around 1650 A.D., combined with the relatively small number of the 250 identified archaeological sites that have been excavated, pose some tantalizing questions. In our own backyard lies the potential, with proper excavation, to study the emergence, maturity, and decline of a little known culture.
It is known the Whittleseys used stone tools, ceramic vessels, and resided in oval-shaped structures. Most major sites were situated near waterways, specifically the Grand River. Their dead were usually buried in shallow graves found close to their homes or sometimes together in small graveyards.
Early hypotheses connected the Whittlesey community to that of the nearby Erie tribes found in western Pennsylvania. Contrary to popular belief, the Erie tribes never traveled much further west than the Niagara Frontier and were wiped out by the powerful Iroquois confederation in 1654. New evidence suggests, however, the Whittlesey's had closer ties to the Delaware tribes inhabiting neighboring regions.
Formally excavated in 1929, the Indian Point site, at the junction of Paine Creek and the Grand River, was the first major excavation of a Whittlesey site. Located atop a peninsula with 100-foot cliffs encompassing three sides was a Whittlesey fortress. Surrounding a 100 by 100-foot area, two mounds representing the fortress' main walls are still visible. Excavation has also demonstrated logs were once set on end within the walls, providing greater height. Near the fortress, many huts and small clusters of houses have been excavated, with many still to be unearthed.
Another site, located a few hundred yards from the banks of the Grand River in Fairport Harbor, has produced an abundance of Whittlesey skeletal remains. Because no apparent contact was ever made between the Whittleseys and Europeans, little was known about the reasons behind their disappearance. Yet an examination of the skeletons uncovered at Fairport revealed that few had died from diseases or weapons.
With the fading of the Whittlesey community from the area, numerous other tribes moved in. Clear cutting sections along the Grand River for growing crops, northeastern Ohio became home to tribes from the Senecas, Wyandots, Ottawas, Chippewas, Cayugas, Tonawandas, Iroquois, and Delawares. The Massasaquas, a division of the Delawares, were the most numerous around the Grand River.
Because of the difficulty in reaching the Ohio Valley, Europeans were not known to have set foot on Lake Erie's southern shores until the arrival of French missionaries and fur trappers. Returning from Illinois in the 1680's, it is likely that Sieur de la Salle was the first European to cross the Grand River. Soon after his trip, a group of Sulpician missionaries, bound for Detroit, were caught in the winter weather and forced to make a winter camp somewhere between the mouths of the Grand and Chagrin Rivers. While La Salle did have a map for his trip, the Grand River was not identified and labeled on a map until Lewis Evans did so in 1755. He identified the Grand as being the Cheraga River.
Evan's map also helped identify the location of several Native-American villages along the Grand River. He cataloged a Native-American village named Shanungas at the mouth of the Grand River. On a survey trip in 1797, Moses Warren diagramed the Grand River in his journal and labeled wigwams of Big Sun on the north side of the river and those of his brother, Standing Stone (Stigwandish), on the south side.
Different sources do not agree as to the reason why Major Robert Rogers became the first European to have definitely come into contact with the Grand River in 1760. One account placed him in charge of a convoy of British troops heading to Fort Detroit. Supposedly, a storm forced the convoy to seek shelter in the mouth of the Grand River. While waiting, Rogers happened to meet with Chief Pontiac (all sources agree) who showed him the direction to Detroit and warned his kind never to return. Another source put Rogers in command of an expedition set out to acquire land in the Lake County area. Talks with Chief Pontiac at the Grand River failed, since no attempts were made to settle the area for thirty more years. Finally, another source identified that Rogers had been to the Grand River and had met Pontiac but provided few details.
Ownership of the lands surrounding the Grand River did not come into question until the arrival and the subsequent "land-for-worthless-promises" methods employed by Europeans and colonists against the native-Americans. The first such action took place at Albany in 1726 where the Iroquois nation seceded all the land east of Lake Erie to the Cuyahoga River and a 60-mile strip of land along the southern shore of Lake Ontario to the British. In return, the British promised protection. However, western tribes did not recognize the treaty and successive agreements, including the 1785 Fort Macintosh Treaty, were required. At Fort Industry in 1805, the Native-Americans relinquished all land within the recognized Western Reserve. As late as 1797, Native-Americans still maintained a small presence on the eastern side of the Chagrin River. When rumors of war spread in 1811, these tribes moved west.
Settlement of the area did not begin until after May of 1795, when Connecticut put all of its property along the southern shores of Lake Erie for sale. The land was sold to a group of 48 men who organized themselves as the Connecticut Land Company. After dividing the land up into townships and distributing it among themselves according to its value , these businessmen began to look for investors and settlers to sell it to.
One such individual was General Edward Paine. On a return trip from the settlement of Cleveland in 1796, Paine was deeply influenced by the beauty of the Grand River area and decided to move his home there. The following year, 1,000 acres were bought from Henry Champion by Paine and those he persuaded to move with him. One such man was John Walworth. After surveying and purchasing the area just west of the Grand River at the marsh, Walworth became the first settler of what later became Painesville. Both he and Paine, who arrived three days later, built their homes near the banks of the Grand River.
The aforementioned Henry Champion arrived near the Grand River in 1805 and began surveying the site of a town, Champion. This village later became known as Painesville, in honor of General Paine. Another prominent settler, Samuel Huntington, Ohio's 3rd governor, built the first warehouse at the mouth of the Grand River. He later surveyed land on the east bank of the river, which became Fairport Harbor.
The years immediately following the settlement of the Grand River Basin were witness to the growth of cities and townships such as Champion (Painesville), Concord, and Leroy, and the abandonment of the first county seat at New Market. First-time events occurred regularly for the next decade and the Grand River was no exception. The first bridge over the river was built by Joel Scott in 1806, at the later vacated New Market. Scott later built the first dam on the river in 1809. First Abbot's Mill, constructed on the north side of the river in 1807, was rebuilt after several fires and floods and went on to later provide some electric power for Painesville before it was torn down.
The Grand River went on to contribute much to the life of the communities that lined its shores. For a time, Fairport Harbor became a booming metropolis of commerce and trade, thanks to the natural harbor created by the Grand River. The river was also the final stop on the Underground Railroad for many slaves before departing for Canada and freedom. Yet as times changed, so did the impact of the river. Railroads replaced canals and rivers and the need for water transportation reduced. The Grand River has now become a medium of exploration into, and symbol of, the past.
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Land Use and Its Effects on the Grand River
The watershed of the Grand River has pollution potential as a result of land use. Here the land is mostly owned by private citizens, with a small portion being owned by groups or organizations. Metropolitan parks from all four watershed counties own various segments of land adjacent to the river, with Lake County possessing the largest amount. The land value for the acreage that stretches away from the river may be influenced by the land uses of areas surrounding it, not so much as the river. However, the land value for a tract of land which stretches along the banks of the river may be influenced by the condition of the river itself. Land within the floodplain that has been zoned for residential use often has a decreased value, and flood insurance and protection are major problems.
The land along the Grand River has a value beyond monetary terms... hikers, fishermen, canoeists, nature enthusiasts, and many more enjoy this beautiful resource. It is impossible to place a monetary value on the pleasure and enjoyment the river creates.
The watershed of the Grand River is used for two primary purposes, residential and agricultural. The residential areas mainly consist of single-family dwellings, while in the agricultural portions, crop and dairy farming are the norm. Because of these uses several sources of pollution are evident. The specific land usage and how it creates pollution will be broken down by the counties of the Grand River Watershed: Lake, Geauga, Ashtabula, and Trumbull.
The land usage in Lake County is the most diverse in the watershed. It offers a mixture of agricultural and residential zoning. Residential areas in Lake County pose future problems because of inadequate sewage systems and improperly maintained septic systems. It must be stressed that septic systems do not contribute to the Grand River Watershed pollution unless they are not properly used or maintained.
One cause for watershed pollution is the rapid residential growth of Lake County. More housing in the watershed causes increased human and construction related waste. The impact of this rapid growth on the environment within the watershed is increasing the amount of runoff, which in turn, increases flooding, and carries lawn fertilizers, salts, and other harmful non-point source pollutants to the Grand River.
Another large contributor to watershed pollution is the agricultural and animal farming industry. Fertilizers and animal waste can cause highly toxic runoff. Fortunately in Lake County, many programs run by the Lake County Ohio State University Extension Branch and the Lake County Soil and Water Conservation District are in place to educate farmers on how to cut down on these types of pollution.
Although residential zoning constitutes the majority of the land in Geauga County, a higher percentage of agricultural land is used in comparison to Lake County . As in Lake County, one of the pollution problems in the watershed is inadequate or old septic systems. Much of Geauga County is not sewered, so as to maintain its rural environment. Because of this, there are about 20,000 septic systems in Geauga County, with 10,000 to 12,000 being 25 years or older and in need of replacement. A concern with fixing these problems is the lack of applicable laws to enforce maintenance of septic systems. Presently, the only way the health department can investigate a problem is if a written nuisance complaint has been filed by a private citizen.
As with Lake County, growth plays a part in the burden on the environment. Growth in Geauga County is increasing. Residential waste and agricultural runoff of different kinds are still the biggest single pollution concerns.
Ashtabula County, the largest county in Ohio, contains the most watershed area of all the counties the Grand River flows through. Land usage in Ashtabula County is mainly residential and agricultural. Like Geauga County, many of the septic systems are in major need of repair or replacement.
In Ashtabula County, the impact of growth is not as pronounced as in other counties. Agricultural runoff is not a problem because most fields are interrupted by forests and grasslands. Most of the larger commercial dairies no longer pasture animals thus eliminating animal waste. The dairy farms that still pasture use manure handling systems to decrease pollution.
In Trumbull County, both agricultural and residential are the major land uses. Agriculture in the watershed far outweighs the residential portions. Large forested areas still remain in parts of the watershed. Not much data is available on the condition of the sewer systems in Trumbull County, only that septic systems are more prevalent than sewer systems. Package plants for waste and waste water treatments are numerous, with Trumbull county having the largest concentration of package plants in the watershed. Not all of the package plants are known by county officials, which makes regulation of these plants difficult.
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Threats to the Grand River Watershed
Environmental threats to the Grand River are not as numerous as with some other Ohio waterways, but there are some concerns.
{ Urban and industrial areas in the lower reaches of the river are degrading water quality in their vicinity.
{ The Grand watershed has two Superfund hazardous waste sites in Ashtabula County that are being monitored.
{ Most municipal wastewater treatment plants have been upgraded, but they occasionally have operating and maintenance problems.
{ The invasion of exotic species, such as zebra mussel and common reed, is a constant threat.
{ The Grand has been mentioned as a link in a barge canal from Lake Erie to the Ohio River. The channelization and damming resulting from this project would destroy the river.
{ Failing septic systems increase nutrients in surface water and lower the amount of dissolved oxygen, required by many aquatic organisms, in the water.
{ Headwater degradation is occurring on small creeks throughout the watershed.
{ Unnamed tributaries are dredged and the spoil is cast onto the riparian zone. The results are: lowered water quality, diminished aquatic life, loss of wetlands, increased erosion, and a likelihood of increased flooding.
{ Farming and logging, especially when they occur with no vegetative buffer zones adjacent to creeks, contribute significantly to sediment problems.
{ Changing land use (especially increasing residential development) is probably the gravest threat facing the river today. Population in the basin increased nearly seven percent between 1980 and 1990.
Construction, without the proper Best Management Practices (BMPs) can have a negative impact on the health of our streams, waterways, and watersheds.
Solutions to these varied threats are complex and multifaceted, but many of them involve protecting the riparian corridor. For example, the simple act of adding vegetative buffer zones between the water and developed land or farm fields will reduce sediment and nutrient runoff.
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How to Save a River
Regulatory Efforts
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency monitors the water quality at several sites in the Grand River watershed. They use biological criteria to monitor the effects of larger aquatic pollution sources such as industrial and wastewater treatment facilities. These facilities have National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits to discharge wastes into waters. Sampling sites are often selected near discharge facilities which have these permits in order to determine the extent of impact.
The river and many of the tributaries have been assigned an "aquatic life habitat use designation" by the Ohio EPA based on biological, chemical, and physical data. Continued monitoring allows the agency to determine the effects of discharges on water quality. While many streams exceed state minimum requirements for Northeast Ohio, some smaller streams have not been studied extensively. Such streams may be assigned use designations based on visual data alone. This can lead to an underestimated evaluation of that stream.
Cutts Creek is a good example. This Geauga County tributary of the Grand River was originally designated as a Warmwater Habitat based on visual observations. The Ohio EPA performed a more comprehensive study and upgraded the original designation to Coldwater Habitat. This change can be important since aquatic life habitat use designations are considered by regulatory agencies during permitting processes.
In order to protect this watershed, it is important these small streams be thoroughly studied to determine the most accurate use designation.
Community Efforts
The threat of urban sprawl has prompted many communities to find ways of deterring the rapid depletion of their riparian corridor, natural resources, and rural land. Numerous planning tools are now available to manage development in a sustainable manner thus protecting the watershed. Planning studies and socio-economic and scientific data can be used to justify and provide legal defenses to preserve the landscape.
Land use controls can protect significant habitats from potential development. If development is inevitable, incentives can be offered to developers to establish conservation developments.
Concerned citizens can also become involved by working with their local communities to preserve the natural resources in their neighborhoods.
S Comprehensive Planning and Natural Resource Analysis
A comprehensive plan, conducted at the local or regional level, is a statement of community policies about future development that serves as the foundation of land use controls. Although communities may support protection of natural resources and sustainable development, measures toward these goals can be derailed by certain legislation and individual property rights. Therefore, it is important for a local jurisdiction to have scientific data demonstrating the public health and safety benefits of significant habitats.
A natural resource analysis can identify land areas with unique environmental characteristics for conservation and open space preservation. Through this analysis and regional build-out projections, potential areas of concern can be identified, locations for acquisition and conservation easements can be prioritized, and ordinances and open space dedications can be enacted.
This information may reveal potential public health and safety problems caused by development. By identifying the ability of undeveloped land to respond to these problems, zoning ordinances can be written to control land use.
S Zoning and Subdivision Regulations
By demonstrating public health and safety functions of habitats, land use controls can be created to preserve natural resources. Where environmental zoning cannot protect habitat, and when development pressure occurs, a more creative design is needed to preserve significant habitat as a connected open space system.
One solution is to create a special planning overlay district to encourage open space subdivision design. In this district, jurisdictions can require open space set-asides for any new residential development, to link and preserve habitat corridor systems.
S Growth Management
Growth management is a tool the community can use to regulate the location, timing, or rate of community expansion. Growth management issues deal with adequate public facilities standards, phased growth programs, urban growth boundaries, and rate of growth programs.
Natural resource data can be used to establish disturbance criteria for the impact of new development on habitats. Performance zoning can then be used to create a range of standards to be met for development approval.
Points can be given to developers for protecting undeveloped lands, limiting development to previously disturbed areas which provide little or no habitat, and restoring degraded lands.
S Easements and Acquisition
When conservation easements are not made voluntarily for tax reasons, one way to acquire funding for acquisition or easement purchase is by means of a levy to support acquisition and protection. Often a cost-of-service study can justify these expenditures. By collecting data from reports, officials, boards, and departments, local jurisdictions can allocate revenues and expenditures by land use. Analysis of data may provide information to shoe that residential land use costs more to service than it brings in from tax revenues, while undeveloped land use provides more revenues than it costs to service. This data may provide the incentive for funding for conservation easements. If the costs are the same, voters will choose a view of open space instead of a view of more rooftops.
S Land Trust Efforts
Land trusts are organizations that work with landowners to protect and conserve open spaces. They are operated by individuals who live in the area and are familiar with the concerns of the community. Such organizations have helped protect more than four million acres of open space across the country.
Grand River Partners, Inc. is a land trust that works with residents, landowners, businesses, and communities to protect the natural resources in the Grand River watershed. They help landowners plan, manage, and protect their property with cost-effective practices. In addition, they help to increase citizen participation in the community planning process by working with government agencies.
When a landowner wishes to pursue land conservation, they are presented with many options. Conservation easements and donations are commonly established through land trusts. Many of the methods can provide income benefits and reduced property taxes to the landowner.
S Conservation easements are voluntary agreements made between the landowner and a conservation agency. A legal document is produced to restrict land use practices that could damage the natural setting. In this agreement, the landowner is still allowed to sell, or bequeath, the land and may receive substantial income benefits and reduced property taxes.
There also are many ways landowners can donate their property to a conservation agency. In doing so, the landowner can gain income and receive property tax savings. Bequests, outright gifts, less than fee donations, leasebacks, reserved life estates, and limited developments are types of land donations which vary in their land use restrictions and benefits to the landowner.
S Bequests allow the landowner to use the property in an unrestricted fashion until death. The owner may also receive some reduction in state taxes. Click here if you are interested in more information about bequests and estate gifts.
S Outright gifts limit the property's use and, rights to the land are transferred to the conservation agency. The landowner then receives income tax deductions, reduced estate taxes, and is no longer responsible for property taxes.
S Less than fee donations only involve certain property rights. Property values are then reduced, leading to tax reductions for the landowner.
S Leaseback donations occur under the condition that the original owner can lease use of the land from the receiving agency. This condition, however, may not result in tax deductions.
S A reserved life estate will allow the landowner to reside on the land and receive tax benefits. A reserved life estate is established with a conservation agency, and both the landowner and the agency agree upon the limitations to the land use.
S Limited development donations are ideal when there is a need to finance conservation of the property. In this agreement, a portion of the land is developed to bring in funding to protect the rest of the property.
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