Talking about voluntary private land conservation

The anti-voluntary private land conservation movement is not new. In fact, it has been around for decades and includes targeted attacks in the 1970s. In early 2021, the movement re-emerged and its new leaders began spreading disinformation about critical conservation tools to landowners as well as elected and appointed officials. To date, counties across the country have passed harmful nonbinding resolutions opposing conservation efforts. State senators and representatives have introduced — or plan to introduce — legislation that opposes conservation easements. And at the federal level, legislation has been introduced in Congress that would effectively ban the use of permanent easements and restrict landowners’ private property rights.

Below are some talking points that can be used to counter harmful messages about private land conservation.