Motivations for Using Conservation Easements as a Land Protection Mechanism: a Mixed Methods Analysis

This study examined landowners' motivations for placing conservation easements on personal property. A mixed method sequential embedded research framework was utilized to elucidate the motivations of greatest consequence for landowners adopting conservation easements throughout Indiana. Specifically, the researchers sampled owners of agricultural and forestland who have adopted conservation easements. The qualitative results indicate that the motivation to limit development stems from witnessing the development of land, environmental ethics and values, personal history associated with the place, and the need for farmland for the public good. The quantitative results suggest that environmental values were the primary motivation for conservation easement adoption, with uniqueness of place being ranked second. Discussions of the study's results are presented with implications for the land conservation and conservation behavior fields. Finally, future directions for research within the phenomena of conservation easement usage are suggested.