Conservation Easements: How it Works

Michael Furtman 

How to get started: 

1. Contact DU: DU staff can walk you through the process to  donate a conservation easement. 

2. Property assessment: A regional biologist will schedule a site visit to evaluate the habitat and determine if it aligns with DU’s conservation mission. 

3. Discuss terms: If the property is suitable, DU and the landowner together will outline the terms of the conservation easement.  

4. Finalize details: Once terms are agreed upon, DU and the landowner will complete the necessary steps, including documentation including appraisals, title work and a property baseline report. 

5. Seal the deal: After everything is in order, the conservation easement is signed and officially recorded. 

Easement program contacts:

Great Lakes Region

Missouri
Kim Cole, 314-964-0619 kcole@ducks.org

Connecticut/Delaware/Maryland/Maine/New Hampshire/New Jersey/New York/Pennsylvania/Rhode Island/Vermont/West Virginia
Betsey McNaughten, 603-805-4636, bmcnaughten@ducks.org

Illinois/Iowa/Indiana/Kentucky/Michigan/Minnesota/Ohio/Wisconsin
Geoff Cripe, 269-270-8543, gcripe@ducks.org

Great Plains Region

Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming
Greg Kernohan, 970-481-7793, gkernohan@ducks.org

Southern Region

Mississippi Alluvial Valley North
Chris Sims 870-740-9276, csims@ducks.org

Mississippi Alluvial Valley South
Tyler Pierot, MAV South, 318-548-8700, tpierot@ducks.org

Oklahoma, New Mexico, Texas
Todd Merindino, 832-451-4801, tmerendino@ducks.org

Florida
Elizabeth Guthrie, 704-500-4668, eguthrie@ducks.org

Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia
Diana Iriarte, (843) 277-8241, diriarte@ducks.org
Ali Bastian, (843) 628-1626, abastian@ducks.org

Western Region

Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Utah, Washington State
Greg Green, 360-831-2152, ggreen@ducks.org

Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada
Virginia Getz, 916-798-1973, vgetz@ducks.org