Overview

This is a very complex issue, and we recommend that land trusts seeking to help landowners reach out to organizations working in the space for assistance. This section includes USDA and Alliance resources along with publications, legal and organizational resources.

The Land Trust Alliance is a resource for training and capacity building for land trusts across the country, advocating for Farm Bill policies that help land trusts and landowners work together to access conservation easement programs. The Alliance works in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and actively engages with Congress, including key committees such as the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture and the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, as well as other key stakeholders to ensure our members — and by extension, landowners — have the resources they need to succeed. The Alliance also leads and engages in coalitions and working groups to identify areas of improvement and refine policy recommendations as part of the annual Farm Bill cycle and subsequent rule-making process. Heirs’ property landowners face many barriers to enjoying the full benefits of their land, including enrolling in federal programs that could benefit the land, the landowners and their communities.

The Alliance is growing a body of work that addresses diversity, equity and inclusion in private land conservation. We are committed to providing tools and resources for land trusts that help them support landowners and address inequities. Through this toolkit, we seek to provide information that supports learning and offers options for addressing heirs’ property issues.

Alliance resources include relevant Land Trust Standards and Practices, the ethical and technical guidelines for the responsible operation of a land trust, as well as training and other materials.

Additional information and resources on diversity, equity and inclusion in conservation are available in our Framework and Resources for Change.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is comprised of 29 agencies that administer programs through eight mission areas. The department’s vision is to “provide economic opportunity through innovation, helping rural America to thrive; to promote agriculture production that better nourishes Americans while also helping feed others throughout the world; and to preserve our nation's natural resources through conservation, restored forests, improved watersheds and healthy private working lands.”

Under the Farm Production and Conservation Mission area, agencies such as the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) administer programs that help landowners conserve and steward their properties. The agency partners with the Alliance and other organizations to educate land trusts and other entities on programs like the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) and the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). In turn, land trusts can be better equipped to help landowners apply for enrollment in NRCS programs saving critical agricultural lands, forested lands, grasslands and wetlands from conversion.

When heirs’ property issues are not addressed, it is difficult for Black and other historically underrepresented or disadvantaged landowners to participate in the federal conservation easement programs that benefit them and their families, their communities and the land. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has developed a growing number of online tools and resources to provide support to landowners as they navigate these challenges and seek ways to conserve their land.