Land Protection

From lakefront property to wetlands, forests and farms, the land in Walworth County has exceptional value for its scenic beauty, its wildlife habitat and its importance to the health of our lakes and streams. The Geneva Lake Conservancy has 40 years of experience in helping landowners to preserve their property. Working with the Geneva Lake Conservancy, we can help you select the right land protection tool to protect your property.

Land Donation

Giving your land to the Geneva Lake Conservancy is the most direct way to protect it. If accepted by our board of directors, your land will become part of our permanent holdings and will bear the name of your choice. The donor is usually entitled to an income tax deduction for the value of the property.

Land given to the Conservancy for permanent ownership is managed for multiple conservation benefits, including wildlife habitat, watershed protection recreation, scenery and natural area preservation.

Life Estates

A gift of land can be tailored for you to live on the land for the rest of your life. Some landowners donate land to the Conservancy, while retaining a life estate for themselves and their families. This can result in a significant tax deduction.

Leaving land to the Conservancy through your will allows you to own and manage the property during your lifetime, while assuring permanent protection for the future. We recommend that you discuss a potential bequest with a Conservancy land protection staff member before including it in your will. Upon acceptance by the Geneva Lake Conservancy Board of Directors, a “letter of understanding” will outline how the land is managed.

Conservation Easements

Conservation easements are legal agreements between the property owner and the Geneva Lake Conservancy. These agreements permanently restrict the type and amount of future development and activities permitted on a property in order to protect the property’s scenic and conservation values.

Conservation easements donated to the Geneva Lake Conservancy have helped landowners protect more than 2,850 acres of Walworth County farms, forests, wetlands, meadows and lake shore property over the last 46 years. Conservation easement permanently protect land while leaving the property in private ownership. Landowners can continue to live on the land, are free to sell their land or pass it on to heirs and can use the property in any manner of the terms of the conservation easement are met. The landowner sets the rules for the land in the future and gives the Conservancy the responsibility of enforcing these rules in perpetuity.

Land Purchase

Occasionally, the GLC buys land that is considered by Walworth County, Southeast Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission or conservation organizations to be of high conservation value and critical to the environmental health of the county. If you believe that you have land that would qualify for a purchase, contact the Conservancy staff who will work with you to determine if your land meets our requirements.

Bargain Sale

The Conservancy may have funds available through its Land Acquisition Fund, which is supported by state grants, private grants and private donors, to purchase land of high conservation value. If you are willing to sell for less than fair market value, the difference between the fair market value and the price you sell it to the Conservancy may be considered as a donation to the Conservancy, in which case you may be entitled to a tax deduction

Mutual Covenant

You and your neighbors may agree to voluntarily impose restrictions on the use of your lands. Such restrictions are binding on all current and future owners where the majority of the owners agree to enforce compliance. Sometimes, a conservation easement may be used that would ensure that the Conservancy monitors the properties once a year to ensure that all restrictions are being honored. For example, mutual covenants are often established by waterfront owners who share common concerns about land use around the body of water.

Land Conservation Testimonial

“What a wonderful organization! The Geneva Lake Conservancy shares the same goals and philosophy that our family believes in —always protect the farmland. It gives me great peace of mind to know that the land will remain preserved from subdivision and destruction of it's conservation features and natural beauty.”

- Elena Spiegelhoff - Sunshine Acres

Private Conservancy

The Conservancy owns four properties that are not open to the public. If you would like to have a guided tour, please contact the Conservancy.

“Conservation must not fail for too much of our native landscape has already been thoughtlessly destroyed . . . it is our sacred duty to preserve what is left for future generations.”

–Jens Jensen, landscape architect

Land Protection

Land Donation

Land Conservation Testimonial

Private Conservancy

The Geneva Lake Conservancy is an Accredited Land Trust Organization