Grand Victoria Foundation Awards $15,250 to
The Land Conservancy of McHenry County

May 12, 2003

The Grand Victoria Foundation of Elgin recently awarded $15,250 to the Land Conservancy of McHenry County in support of a comprehensive outreach program aimed at securing conservation easements on important natural areas in McHenry County.

The Land Conservancy has identified 25 high priority natural areas in the County that contain important resources and are also at risk of development. These sites are not targeted for acquisition by any public agency.

The Grand Victoria funds will support outreach to at least 100 individual landowners at these 25 sites over the next 12 months. The McHenry County Conservation Foundation has also committed $5,262 to support this outreach project.

A conservation easement is a legal agreement between a landowner and an organization like the Land Conservancy that protects a property’s natural, agricultural, and/or open space values permanently. With a conservation easement, landowners can permanently protect their land without giving up ownership. They can continue to live on it and use it, and can sell it or pass it on to heirs. Additionally, they can receive an income tax deduction for the donation, and often times can reduce future estate taxes.