Long-Term Protection: All EEP projects must be protected by a permanent conservation easement. Conservation easements serve to protect projects by restricting uses that would damage restoration work but allow for the landholder to retain ownership of the project area. Conservation easements do not allow for public access to the protected areas and provide for the continued use of the property, such as hunting, fishing, camping and other types of recreation.

EEP can pay fair market value to acquire conservation easements for restoration projects or can purchase the property in fee simple. In most cases, landowners can receive a tax credit for donating a conservation easement to EEP. For stream projects, the conservation easement must be on both sides of the stream. The EEP prefers to implement projects on public property or property with a limited number of landowners as fewer property owners reduces the time required to acquire the property through fee simple purchase or conservation easement.

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