Protect Your Land

Grandma and Grandpa Purdy are in their 90s. They own a home and 25 acres of forest in Saugatuck Township. Everyone loves to walk through their woods, where dozens of species of birds sing from the trees and wildflowers line the trail.

After the Purdys pass on, their children can’t agree on how to share the property, so they sell it to a developer. Within a few years, the land is cleared, several new homes have been built, and most of the trees are gone.

This story is not true, but it is very plausible. If you own a tract of woodland, farmland, or meadowland, there are measures you can take to keep it natural and protect it from being divided or developed. Some strategies allow you to keep the space private and continue farming or harvesting trees. You may even get a break on estate tax, property tax, or federal income tax.

Two Alternatives

Scenario 2: The Purdys split the property so that their home is on a 5-acre parcel. They work with a land conservancy to establish a private conservation easement on the remaining 20-acre wooded parcel. The Purdys bequeath the home to their oldest child, but the easement remains accessible to the family. They and future owners may not build on the land, but they can hike, fish, and harvest a limited number of trees.

Scenario 3: The family sells the property to the local government and receives a federal tax deduction. The Purdy Family Nature Preserve provides recreation and education to many generations of family members, friends, and grateful visitors.