When a landowner wants to protect their land by conservation easement, they can expect anywhere from $60,000 to $150,000 in appraisal, assessment, and legal fees. For some, these costs are a significant barrier. In 2021, Keep It Colorado partnered with GOCO to establish the Transaction Cost Assistance Program (TCAP), which re-grants GOCO funds to nonprofit land trusts to help cover the costs associated with conservation easement transactions. It allows landowners who have urgent opportunities to conserve their properties, but who face financial barriers, to conserve more land more quickly.
The majority of Colorado’s land is privately owned, making private land conservation an important part of protecting our outdoors. Properties may contain critical wildlife habitat, scenic views, wetland and river corridors, agricultural operations, and places of historic and cultural significance. But as our state’s population grows, landowners are facing increasing pressure to develop. A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement that protects land, and the resources it contains, forever. By covering transaction costs, TCAP grants have helped high priority easements cross the finish line, conserving thousands of acres that will benefit Colorado for generations to come.