Proposal

Executive Summary

The topic and land trusts and conservation easements have grown in popularity in the recent years in the preservation of green space competing with increasing urban sprawl. American Forest Management Inc. is a forestry consulting and real estate brokerage firm. I will be working through them to write a report informing South Carolina landowners of the benefits of land trusts by describing what a land trust is and how they work. This will in turn be of the company’s advantage by hopefully convincing the landowner to sell or donate conservations easements to American Forest Management Inc. Selling a conservation easement means that American Forest Management Inc. will have to rights to manage the timber on that specific property.

Land Trusts and the Landowner

By defining what a land trust is to the landowner in a non-intimidating way using simple language will help prevent them from turning away the idea. Since land trusts may be something a lot of landowners don’t know about they will be inclined to turn it down in the first place. It is important to get a sufficient amount of information across but not introduce a massive amount of small details at this point. This would only confuse the reader in the beginning.

Why Choose Land Trusts?

This section is devoted to most of the convincing of the landowner to why a land trust would be worth their while. It will include the many benefits that landowners will receive from a land trust with financial benefits and land management being the main two. An example or two a “land trust success story” if you will may be included. They will include what the landowner achieved from it and why they are glad they did it.

How they work and how to start one?

The final step is to explain how these land trusts will physically work and the necessary steps to starting one. The steps will include first going through American Forest Management Inc. and getting their ultimate guidance from them on what to do. It will explain what the company will do to assist them and what the landowner needs to do on their own.