Frequently Asked Questions

CLS does not provide funding for land  conservation. The Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP) is  actively involved in funding protection of exceptional lands and cultural and  historic assets on a statewide basis. A comprehensive list of projects they  have supported can be found on their website. Additionally, some state agencies engage in land conservation projects  where outside funding is available, or a donation is being considered. Lastly, the NH Land Trust Coalition is a  clearinghouse resource for all of the land trusts and the work they do,  including acquisitions.  They usually  seek donations or require outside funding sources to purchase interests.

Since the acquisition component of the LCIP closed its doors in 1993, the major distinction between the two is that the LCIP is solely a stewardship and monitoring program of the  State of New Hampshire for a distinct and limited set of properties. The LCIP  is a core component of the CLS program. Conversely, LCHIP is continually funded  and thus actively involved in land acquisition and the stewardship of properties and historical structures for which they have provided funding. They are a public instrumentality of the State and are governed by the LCHIP  authority board of directors. The CLSP  was a new name created in part to avoid confusion between the two distinct  programs with different agendas.

Yes, unequivocally. And furthermore, no land can be removed from the "Public Trust", except in extreme circumstances, or as may be specifically allowed in RSA 162:C. In the 25+ years that CLSP has operated the  five amendments that have been approved were for public safety or benefit  purposes, such as a road realignment due to an unsafe condition. Additionally, there are IRS rules regarding the monitoring of properties for which a tax deduction was taken.

For properties protected through the municipal portion of the LCIP, both in fee and as  easements, a project agreement was signed by each Town obligating it to monitor and report on each property annually.

No, in general. Lands protected through the LCIP are held in the Public Trust and cannot be released from that Trust. The only way to have a change allowed is through an affirmative vote of the legislature. The bar has been set extremely high making it extremely unlikely it will ever happen. This rigorous standard is meant to prevent the conservation values from being eroded at the property level, and for the program as a whole. To date no amendment for other than public safety purposes has been approved by the legislature.

Every conservation easement is considered a "charitable trust", and thus subject to the requirements of the Charitable Trust division of the Department of Justice.  For more explicit guidance see Amending or Terminating Conservation Easements.  Additionally, questions regarding LCIP conservation properties are subject to review by the Council on Resources and Development (CORD), as well as other layers of review.  Some conservation easements do contain an affirmative clause relative to amendment considerations. 

The standard is to monitor annually, and in some cases it may be a  requirement. Occasionally situations may  require closer scrutiny and more frequent visits. More importantly, creating good reports and  saving them securely is the best way to protect the Grantee's interests. Every monitoring report should include  information gleaned from a conversation with the landowner. They are your primary source of information  and are responsible for activities and changes on their land. Conservation  easements where a tax deduction was taken may be required by the IRS to be  monitored annually. Monitoring properly and adequately is important work and should be conducted according to industry standards. The several costs of not monitoring, or inadequately monitoring, can be catastrophic.

Typically there are two main purposes to this  section of a CE. The first is to provide  the Grantee interest reasonable access to and entry onto a property for  inspections as necessary. In the case of conservation properties that were funded with public money they almost always include  a right for the public to access and enter upon the conservation property.  Typically that access is limited to passive, transitory, pedestrian uses such as hunting, fishing, snowshoeing, nature  observation, and like activities. Typically camping and fires are explicitly prohibited public rights. According to RSA 162-C:11, landowners with CEs allowing for public access cannot be held  liable if a user suffers injury unless said injury is caused by willing negligence  or malicious conduct on behalf of the landowner.

Dogs, horses, and bicycling are not "pedestrian" so  they are not allowed except by landowner permission. Transitory in general means moving across the  landscape, stopping at times. Passive  also means leaving the landscape untouched, so to speak. The affirmative right of access also does not  allow placement of game cameras. It does  not allow disturbance of the natural or cultural resources. This would include activities such as cutting  of any vegetation, trail building, organized activities, commercial guiding, or digging for artifacts.

Generally, the landowner reserves the right to post against motorized access on LCIP properties. Unless expressly prohibited, they may use them themselves or allow others to use the property, as long as it is not contrary to any of the other purposes of the CE. On occasion, though seldom, a conservation easement may contain an affirmative right for a specific pedestrian trail, or a snowmobile route. State law requires written permission to use a motor vehicle on private property. There are laws governing the use of OHRVs – including ATVs – on certain categories of roads and trails. NH State Parks provides ATV information on their website, including OHRV Laws.

Generally, yes. Though there are provisions relative to the Affirmative Right of Access that may limit some hunting activity. For information on hunting rules and regulations visit the NH Fish and Game website. Easements that were funded with public money typically have an affirmative right that allows the public to hunt, hike, ski and fish. This is one of the benefits that is derived from this money being distributed. Since state funds were a part of acquiring interests in the land, there is a distinct public access piece to state-funded easements. However, there are some exceptions! Often, there is language in easements that allows landowners to post certain areas, such as in their annual croplands during the planting and growing season and in areas to protect their livestock. Some of the municipally held easements, which were a donated match property as part of a municipal LCIP project, can post against hunting. Before going out, make sure you understand if and where hunting is allowed. Park in a safe location. Hunter etiquette suggests making a direct connection to the landowner builds a strong positive relationship and reflects well on the hunting community.

When the program began acquiring easements and fee simple interests, LCIP funds were divided between municipal projects and state projects. Municipal easements and conservation properties are "held" by the community. The community is responsible for ongoing stewardship and the State of New Hampshire holds a secondary interest in each property by virtue of the expenditure of public funds. This means that CLS conducts periodic Field Visits to ensure the conservation purposes and values are intact. CLS also provides support and training services upon request or in conjunction with Field Visits.

State held easements are primarily held by one of three state agencies; the New Hampshire Fish & Game Department (NHF&G), the Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Foods (DAMF), or the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR). The Conservation Land Stewardship Program (CLSP) provides ongoing stewardship on many of these easement lands, including regular monitoring visits. We also actively coordinate our stewardship activities with the appropriate agency.

The first step towards stewardship planning involves getting to know your conservation property better. The University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension is a great resource with an office in every county in the state. They offer a free landowner consultation with a field specialist. A natural resource inventory is often conducted to get a baseline to better understand the conservation values of the property. Good Forestry in the Granite State: Recommended Voluntary Forest Management Practices for New Hampshire is another valuable resource which can help guide the stewardship planning process. A well-written stewardship plan helps guide landowners and managers to make decisions that are thoughtful and appropriate to the purposes of the property. Good stewardship will protect or enhance natural resource values and benefit the greater conservation landscape and community.

Yes! You can find A Conservation Land Stewardship Guide for Municipal LCIP Properties under the  "LCIP Municipalities" Navigation panel.