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    Event

    Acquiring Land and Conservation Easements 2026

    Location / Date
    Mar 2-5 | Hotel Andaluz | Albuquerque, NM
    Source
    Land Trust Alliance
    Instructor
    Lena Pollastro, Owen Wozniak
    About This Event

    Land and conservation easement acquisition is the cornerstone of land trust work. It is also a complex undertaking requiring a robust skill set. Participants in this training course will learn the elements of successful acquisition, including strategies on how to begin the conservation conversation, the basics of real property law, transaction due diligence, federal tax benefits and tips for ensuring your projects can be effectively stewarded.

    This course will help early career acquisition staff start on the right foot by immersing them in 2.5+ days of training on key facets of conservation easement and fee acquisition. The course would also be appropriate for experienced staff needing a refresher or land trust board members who are involved in conservation transactions. As a key part of the program, participants will meet two times virtually after the in-person training to strengthen the relationships formed during the course, explore new topics and learn from their peers about issues, challenges and successes that arise over the year. Participants will also have access to course materials and a private discussion forum.

    Check out Stewarding Land and Conservation Easements in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, on Nov. 9-13.

    © 2026 Land Trust Alliance, Inc. All rights reserved.

    Disclaimer

    These resources are provided "as is" for informational purposes only, without warranty of any kind. They do not constitute legal or professional advice and do not create an attorney-client relationship. They may not reflect current legal developments and should be adapted for your organization with qualified professional help. The Alliance is not liable for any damages arising from use of or reliance on these resources. Views in individual posts and third-party links/logos are not Alliance endorsements. The Alliance is committed to equal opportunity and does not condone unlawful discrimination.

    For accreditation-related materials, please also consult the Land Trust Accreditation Commission website.

    Event details

    What’s Included:

    • 2.5+-days of training from expert instructors.

    • 3 nights of lodging, Monday through Thursday.

    • Welcome and closing events, three breakfasts and lunches, and snacks (Tuesday dinner on your own).

    • Access to the online event page with curated resources, private discussion forum, and 2 follow-up webinars.

    Such a fun event and extremely helpful in my day-to-day life here at Bitter Root Land Trust.
    — Dylan Ritter, conservation project manager at Bitter Root Land Trust

    Meet your instructors

    • Lena Pollastro

      Conservation director, Napa Land Trust

      Lena Pollastro is the conservation director at the Napa Land Trust, overseeing the monitoring and enforcement of easement and preserve properties while spearheading new conservation acquisitions. Drawing on over 20 years of experience in community-based land conservation, Lena has a deep commitment to protecting natural resources and fostering sustainable land management practices.

      Lena’s experience extends beyond the Napa Valley, as she also serves as the Western representative of stewardship directors for the Land Trust Alliance. Before joining the Napa Land Trust, she was the inaugural stewardship coordinator at the Inland Northwest Land Trust in Washington, helping establish their conservation stewardship program.

      Lena holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences and a master’s degree in natural resource sciences from Washington State University. Her background in environmental education, volunteer program management, and domestic and international conservation work underscores her dedication to preserving the environment for future generations.

    • Owen Wozniak

      Land transactions program manager, Land Trust Alliance

      Owen Wozniak is land transactions program manager at the Land Trust Alliance, where he coordinates the Alliance’s land capital granting programs and supports land protection capacity building efforts nationwide. He was previously a project manager in The Trust for Public Land’s Northwest office, developing land protection projects and programs in partnership with land trusts, state and local governments and the occasional federal partner.

      Originally from Alaska, Owen has lived in Portland, Oregon for the past two decades. He serves on the board of directors of the Intertwine Alliance, a coalition of public, private and nonprofit organizations working to promote investment in, and connect people to, nature in the Portland metropolitan region. He also serves as vice chair of Trust for Public Land’s Northwest advisory board. He has authored several outdoor guidebooks, including Discovering Portland’s Parks, published in 2021 by Mountaineers Books.

    Training topics

    After attending the training, you will be able to:

    • Understand how to ensure every acquisition project meets the requirements of Land Trust Standards and Practices and federal tax law, if applicable.

    • Explain the general roles of various land trust staff, legal counsel and consultants, and board members/committees in the acquisition process.

    • Understand the basics of:

      • Real property law, including interests in real estate, forms of land ownership (i.e., individual, trust, LLC, etc.), and title transfer.

      • Conservation law, including a working knowledge of I.R.C 170(h), the related Treasury Regulations (1.170A-14) and state level statutes, including those based off the Uniform Conservation Easement Act.

      • Contract law, charitable trust law and the application to real estate transactions.

    • Understand the distinction between and need for both land protection criteria and a strategic conservation plan (i.e., how to balance strategy versus opportunity).

      • Evaluate, update or create land protection criteria that meets the mission of their land trust, and provides a solid basis for board and/or staff review, approval or denial.

      • Understand the broad steps needed to create a strategic conservation plan that is aligned with organizational mission and community needs, including mechanisms to address history of place, equity and inclusion.

    • Understand best practices for creating and applying project selection criteria, including how to consider costs and organizational capacity of perpetuity.

    • Conduct productive site visits to evaluate project feasibility and the property’s conservation values to ensure organizational project selection criteria are met. Start a productive conservation conversation. Understand landowner motivations to facilitate effective communication, negotiation, relationship building that leads to successful project completion. Understand property history and community desires with respect to the future use of the land.

    • Conduct productive site visits to evaluate project feasibility and the property’s conservation values to ensure organizational project selection criteria are met. Start a productive conservation conversation. Understand landowner motivations to facilitate effective communication, negotiation, relationship building that leads to successful project completion. Understand property history and community desires with respect to the future use of the land.

    • Gain a general fluency in potential funding mechanisms, including philanthropy, state, federal and other public grants and financing options.

    • Be competent in understanding, including the pros and cons, of the various land protection tools, including:

      • Acquisition of different estates or rights, such as fee title, conservation easements, life estates and remainders, mutual covenants, deed restrictions, leases, license or term-limited interests and non-conservation lands or interests.

      • Different types of contracts or agreements, such as purchase and sale agreements (including bargain sales), options, rights of first refusal, rights of first offer, charitable contribution agreements and planned or future gifts of land.

    • Understand what stewardship in perpetuity means for acquisition projects and the importance of thinking about long-term stewardship at the start of a project instead of just after the deal is closed.

    • Understand some basic skills necessary to reach and engage landowners and successfully negotiate conservation transactions.

    • Explain (in general terms) the tax benefits associated with donations or bargain sales conservation interests to a landowner and how to provide information to a landowner without providing legal or tax advice.

      • Understand what needs to be included in the baseline, any management plans, and timing of completion.

      • Understand the requirements and best practices related to recording and recordkeeping.

      • Manage risks associated with various steps of the acquisition process.

      • Understand basic disposition strategies used by land trusts, and how the disposition strategy impacts the acquisition.

    Cancellation policy

    There is a $50 administrative fee for cancellations. All cancellations must be requested by Feb. 5, 2026. Registrations can be transferred to another person without charge. The Alliance must receive your written request for a refund or cancellation by February 5. Refunds will not be considered after this date. Non-refunded payment for this event will not be credited toward any other service, product from or contribution to the Alliance. Substitutions, however, may be made without penalty. The Alliance will process refunds within one month. You will be refunded in the same manner as you submitted payment. The Alliance is not responsible for losses incurred from non-refundable travel. If you have questions, contact registration@lta.org.

    Contact us

    Mary Burke

    Director of Educational Services

    If you have questions about the event, please contact Mary Burke.