All potential land protection projects are reviewed by Ausbon Sargent’s Land Protection Committee and then voted on by the Board of Trustees according to a list of specific criteria. The more favorable criteria met and the fewer unfavorable criteria met, the more likely the Board is to approve a project.
Favorable Criteria
The property:
- Is visible and benefits the public
- Is or has the potential to be productive agricultural or forest land
- Protects a scenic view
- Protects a lake, stream, wetlands or watershed
- Is likely to be developed in the future in a way that does not preserve the rural character of the area
- Contains significant wildlife habitat
- Has been identified in your town’s Master Plan as a priority for preservation
- Provides public use and/or has widespread community support
- Is close to land that is already under protection and/or may encourage abutters to protect their properties
- Can pay for itself or lend itself to special fundraising
Unfavorable Criteria
The project:
- Primarily benefits a single landowner or developer and is being done only for tax benefits or personal privacy
- Is not especially productive
- Would be expensive and use up significant financial or goodwill assets of Ausbon Sargent
- Would present a stewardship or monitoring problem
- Is found to be irreparably contaminated
- Landowner is unable to obtain a mortgage subordination or insists on retaining unacceptable rights to the land