Lorri Barrett

Title issues may feel arcane or esoteric compared to joy of finalizing a donation of land. But such due diligence can be critical for sound conservation.

Bill and Anne Trabucco loved the idea of living off the grid, somewhere quiet and remote. They’re passionate about farming and were thrilled when they found a place with over 700 acres near the South Yuba River State Park in California.

In order to protect the Severn River and restore the Chesapeake Bay, land trusts and state agencies in Maryland were purchasing conservation easements on land around the river, protecting an area known as the Green Cathedral. But then something unexpected happened.