Utah agricultural land trust outlines conservation-easement option for farmers

Deborah Van Noy, founder and board member of the Utah Agricultural Land Trust, told Utah County commissioners on July 19 that conservation easements let owners keep title while removing certain development rights to preserve farming and ranching.

Van Noy explained the basic mechanics and benefits: “What’s a conservation easement? It removes rights from the title of the property for certain uses,” she said, and noted easements are legal documents filed at the courthouse and typically take about two years to complete. She said easements allow agricultural buildings and annual monitoring visits to confirm compliance.

The presentation emphasized environmental and community benefits: Van Noy linked preserved agricultural land to groundwater recharge, carbon sequestration and wildlife habitat, and said easements can maintain public access for low-impact recreational uses at the landowner’s option. She also pointed to local examples, including a 57‑acre Heber Valley easement completed in 2022 that combined county open-space funding, nonprofit support and a landowner contribution.

Van Noy described the financial model for transactions: “The value of the easement is the difference between the developable value and the ag value,” and gave an illustrative calculation in which an easement could be worth roughly $1,000,000 on a high‑value parcel. She also outlined tax benefits for landowners, noting federal income-tax deductions can be carried forward (she said up to 50 percent of adjusted gross income and, for qualifying long‑term full‑time farmers, potentially more).

When asked how much the trust currently holds to buy development rights, Van Noy said the organization was founded in March and is actively pursuing project‑specific funding rather than holding a general escrow: it has active applications with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Leroy McAllister Fund, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and expects funds to be released to landowners at closing.

The trust’s pitch to the commission was primarily educational: Van Noy said she is traveling county to county to explain how easements work and encourage interest from ag landowners who want to preserve productive farmland. The commission took no formal action on the topic during the meeting.

The Utah Agricultural Land Trust presentation concluded with commissioners thanking Van Noy and brief follow‑up questions about local processing and market dynamics; Van Noy confirmed that JBS operates in Utah and that local ranchers delivering cattle to JBS are providing locally raised beef even when processing firms are foreign‑owned.

Looking ahead, Van Noy said the trust will continue to pursue grant funding for specific projects and annual monitoring obligations once easements are established.