Becky Dunlap of the Heritage Foundation was interviewed on FOX and says that land trusts are tax-free environmental activist organizations that are “in cahoots” with government to take people’s private property away from them through easements for the eventual benefit of the government. This is the kind of political extremist hogwash of which there is too much of these days. Did anyone at the Heritage Foundation or FOX bother to look and see that most conservation easements are donated or purchased, and there is no intent to benefit the “government?” In fact it’s the donors who often receive tax benefits FROM the government, while benefiting the general public through their selfless environmental contributions. I happen to have served for a decade on the board of a land trust which has had 22 conservation easements donated, totaling nearly one thousand acres of natural lands which remain in their owner’s control, but are thoughtfully and permanently protected from development. If you can stand to see responsible environmentalism undeservedly dissed, see below.