Funding
Stewardship activities entail
costs. Without the financial
“where-with-all” to accomplish its objectives, the best intentioned stewardship
program will fail. Since the obligations
are permanent and run with the land, a stable source of funding is strongly
recommended.
Interestingly, when a private
land trust accepts a donated conservation easement for which the donor claims a
tax deduction, the land trust must certify that it has the ability to carry out
the terms of the restriction in perpetuity.
Many land trusts have created
dedicated funds, operated like endowments, to address these on-going
obligations. When an easement is donated, the donor is asked to contribute
cash, commit to staged payments or contribute other items of value to the land
trust with the express understanding that these funds will be dedicated to
stewardship. One
However, while there is no
such requirement for a municipality, the importance and obligation to assure
that the public good is protected may be even greater. Municipalities may use funds derived from
their open space trust fund for stewardship functions, provided the enabling ordinance
and language of the referendum permits such uses. If the ordinance and referendum language prohibits
such uses, it is strongly recommended that the issue be re-examined and
amendments made to permit the use of funds for this purpose.
In the case of easements
obtained as part of the development approval process, it may be possible to
require the applicant to contribute to the stewardship of the conservation
easements at the time of approval. This
will require an appropriate municipal ordinance.
It may also be possible to
structure a “transfer fee” in the original easement agreement that provides
funds to inspect the easement at time of transfer, issue a compliance letter,
and educate the new landowner to the requirements of the easement.
Finally, numerous government
grants are available for specific stewardship activities. The municipality may use these for specific
stewardship activities such as stream corridor stabilization, reforestation,
wildlife habitat enhancement and “development” of open space features. These grants are best used within the context
of an overall management plan developed for a specific property or area. Non-profit conservation groups are often
willing to assist municipalities in obtaining these grants. In one case, the New Jersey Audubon Society
has facilitated over $300,000 in such grants into one municipality, many to
private owners of active farmland. Some
examples of available grant funding include the Partners for Wildlife Program,
administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Conservation Reserve
Program (CRP) and the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, administered by
the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the 319 h Grant Program administered by
the N.J. DEP.
(Source: Land Stewardship for
Municipalities, ANJEC, 2007)