Welcome!
Established in 2017, the Exeter Rural Land Preservation Trust is a municipal Trust consisting of a committee of five members appointed by the Exeter Town Council. The Trust has been working since its creation to develop a foundation that will allow Exeter’s rural character and natural resources to flourish for generations. The Trust is honored to serve this community and looks forward to putting its mission and goals into action.
Established in 2017, the Exeter Rural Land Preservation Trust is a municipal Trust consisting of a committee of five members appointed by the Exeter Town Council. The Trust has been working since its creation to develop a foundation that will allow Exeter’s rural character and natural resources to flourish for generations. The Trust is honored to serve this community and looks forward to putting its mission and goals into action.
What are the Land Trust’s Mission and Goals?
The mission of the Exeter Rural Land Preservation Trust is to preserve and protect the rural character and natural resources of Exeter for the benefit of present and future generations. This includes recreational land, working farmland, sensitive environmental areas, and historic properties that are an important part of our community. To work toward this mission, our goals are:
The mission of the Exeter Rural Land Preservation Trust is to preserve and protect the rural character and natural resources of Exeter for the benefit of present and future generations. This includes recreational land, working farmland, sensitive environmental areas, and historic properties that are an important part of our community. To work toward this mission, our goals are:
- Locating areas suitable for both conservation and passive recreational activities;
- Preserve working farmland;
- Protect sensitive environmental areas from development; and
- Provide collaborative opportunities with environmental organizations and other groups to foster natural resource awareness and education.
What is the purpose of the Land Trust?
As a land trust, we help owners of properties who want to protect their land from future development, typically through implementing conservation easements. Conservation easements are voluntary legal agreements between a landowner and a land trust that permanently restrict development or certain land uses in order to protect the land’s environmental values (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservation_easement).
These values can include wildlife habitat, prime farmland soils, water resources, scenic or culturally important properties, and recreation potential and public access to nature. Each conservation easement is different and is based on the interest of the property owner(s). A conservation easement does not automatically make a property public, but public access can be granted by the property owner if they wish.
As a land trust, we help owners of properties who want to protect their land from future development, typically through implementing conservation easements. Conservation easements are voluntary legal agreements between a landowner and a land trust that permanently restrict development or certain land uses in order to protect the land’s environmental values (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservation_easement).
These values can include wildlife habitat, prime farmland soils, water resources, scenic or culturally important properties, and recreation potential and public access to nature. Each conservation easement is different and is based on the interest of the property owner(s). A conservation easement does not automatically make a property public, but public access can be granted by the property owner if they wish.
Why does Exeter need a Land Trust?
Conservation easements provide property owners with a wide variety of options to continue to enjoy their land while preserving it in a way that makes sense for your vision for future generations. We are interested in working with you to do this. Exeter is fortunate to have a lot of protected natural resources owned or managed through the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (State of Rhode Island), the Audubon Society, and the Nature Conservancy. We want to provide Exeter’s landowners with another option to protect and preserve their land.
Conservation easements provide property owners with a wide variety of options to continue to enjoy their land while preserving it in a way that makes sense for your vision for future generations. We are interested in working with you to do this. Exeter is fortunate to have a lot of protected natural resources owned or managed through the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (State of Rhode Island), the Audubon Society, and the Nature Conservancy. We want to provide Exeter’s landowners with another option to protect and preserve their land.
I’m interested in learning more. What should I do?
The first step is contacting us using the “Contact Us” tab at the top of this webpage. A member of the Land Trust will reach out to you to chat about your property to gather information – what your goals are, property location, current uses, and history of the land.
As one of the first phases in this process, we will use this information to assess the property for its conservation values. This is also a good time to ask us any questions you have about our process. If there is mutual interest, we will move forward with conducting the next steps to get the ball rolling……title work, appraisal, surveying, and environmental assessments, etc.
We will be available to you to answer any questions you may have about the process as it unfolds in order to make it as seamless as we can. It’s important to note that a typical land deal takes anywhere from months to years, but the end result will be the preservation of your land for the benefit of the environment.
The first step is contacting us using the “Contact Us” tab at the top of this webpage. A member of the Land Trust will reach out to you to chat about your property to gather information – what your goals are, property location, current uses, and history of the land.
As one of the first phases in this process, we will use this information to assess the property for its conservation values. This is also a good time to ask us any questions you have about our process. If there is mutual interest, we will move forward with conducting the next steps to get the ball rolling……title work, appraisal, surveying, and environmental assessments, etc.
We will be available to you to answer any questions you may have about the process as it unfolds in order to make it as seamless as we can. It’s important to note that a typical land deal takes anywhere from months to years, but the end result will be the preservation of your land for the benefit of the environment.
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ExeterLandTrust/
Current Members:
Janelle Bonn, Chairperson
John Bradley
Brian Lesinski
Mary Beth McKenna
Joram Northup, Clerk
Janelle Bonn, Chairperson
John Bradley
Brian Lesinski
Mary Beth McKenna
Joram Northup, Clerk