Jerry Jost explained that the Kansas Land Trust (KLT) has been protecting land and water in Kansas for 29 years. During that time, KLT has permanently conserved 74 properties equaling nearly 39,000 acres.
The KLT works to protect and preserve land of ecological, agricultural, scenic, historic, or recreational significance in Kansas. Thus, the protected acres may be virgin prairie, prime farmland, stream banks, or woodland. Nearly 30,000 acres of land in the Flint Hills falls within KLT protection. Six properties preserve threatened species. Protected property may or may not allow public access.
When property owners place land into the trust, they retain ownership, but create conservation easements.The easements are voluntary arrangements in which the owner gives up certain options for using the land in exchange for the protection of the land in perpetuity . Thus, they also end up contributing some portion of the equity in the property to the Kansas Land Trust. Each trust is negotiated individually.
