Landowner Easement Rights Act

This proposal, called the Landowner Easement Rights Act, would cap new conservation easements made by the U.S. Department of the Interior at 30 years. It also lets certain landowners with existing easements ask for new terms. If a landowner makes a request, the Department must, within 6 months, give a detailed map and tell the current fair market value of the easement.

After that, the landowner could either renegotiate the easement so it lasts no longer than 30 years and receive a payment equal to today’s fair value minus what the government originally paid (adjusted for inflation), or buy back all or part of the easement at fair market value. The Department must also notify landowners ahead of time about their right to make this request before their easement becomes eligible .

Key points

• Who is affected: Landowners with eligible conservation easements and the Department of the Interior .
• What changes: No new easements longer than 30 years; owners can ask to renegotiate or buy back their easement; Interior must provide maps, valuations, and timely notice .
• When: The 30-year cap applies after the law takes effect. Interior must respond within 6 months of a landowner’s request and give advance notice—at least months ahead, in some cases a year—before an easement becomes eligible for renegotiation .