Saving the Ranch

Conservation Easement Design in the American West

ANTHONY ANELLA and

JOHN B. WRIGHT

Photographs by Edward Ranney

With the economic viability of the family-owned ranch in decline, ranchers across the American West are seeking to capitalize on a lifetime of stewardship. The solution for many comes in the form of a conservation easement - a voluntary legal agreement that permanently protects the conservation values of a property by limiting or restricting future development.

Saving the Ranch is a concise and readable guide to conservation easments for ranchers, conservationists, and developers concerned with protecting the natural and scenic values of ranch lands in the western United States.  The book shows how ranchers can reduce estate taxes, generate and shelter income, and combine land conservation with estate planning.  Case studies explore how conservation easements have been used, helping readers to understand the variety of circumstances under which easements can be effective.  Throughout the book, photographs, maps and illustrations bring to life examples presented and the situations described.