ABSTRACT
During the third quarter of the 20th century rising land values challenged the ability of park, recreation and historic preservation planners to meet the needs of their individual programs. As all kinds of properties became too expensive for fee-simple ownership, government agencies explored alternatives that would provide protection for and access to the values seated within natural, scenic, and historic parcels. Know by a variety of names, conservation easements were seen as the solution to the ongoing problem. First applied along highway rights of way to preserve scenic views, easements were used to protect a variety of historic properties during the 1960s, with each application adding new efficacy to the conservation technique. One of the greatest challenges in using easements was estimating their true financial impact on land costs, as government agencies began to recognize that protective measures had tangible values. Despite the lower cost of acquisition, easements were generally not favored by park planners, because of the ongoing difficulties in managing landscapes with private owners. During the 1970s easements were also viewed as providing enhanced protection for historic properties facing potential encroachment by conflicting land uses.
