1. (a) Conservation easements provide for a significant contribution to Arkansas’s past and future and are a means for keeping property in private hands while:

   1. (1) Serving the public interest; and

   2. (2) Ensuring the preservation of valuable:

      1. (A) Structures;
      2. (B) Land areas; and
      3. (C) Natural resources.
2. (b) In Arkansas, conservation easements are created pursuant to Acts 1983, No. 567, Arkansas Statutes § 50-1201 et seq.

3. (c) The act defines a conservation easement as a nonpossessory interest of a holder in real property imposing limitations or affirmative obligations, the purposes of which include:

   1. (1) Retaining or protesting natural, scenic, or open-space values of real property;
   2. (2) Assuring its availability for agricultural, forest, recreational, or open-space use;
   3. (3) Protecting natural resources;
   4. (4) Maintaining or enhancing air or water quality; or
   5. (5) Preserving the historical, architectural, archeological, or cultural aspects of the property.

Codification Notes: Acts 1983, No. 567, is codified at Arkansas Code § 15-20-401 et seq.