Criteria for Land Conservation
The following criteria guide the actions of The Kenton Conservancy (TKC). They were developed to ensure that the TKC Board acts in a manner consistent with its vision, land conservation goals, and the Internal Revenue Service’s regulations governing tax deductibility. The Board retains discretion over acquisition or disposition of projects and will evaluate each project proposal on its own merit after investigating the property, its resources and its public benefits.
GOALS CRITERIA: The property must support the conservation values that The Kenton Conservancy was formed to protect. To qualify for selection, property must meet ALL three following criteria:
1. Except for trade or income lands, the property is within Kenton County, Kentucky.
2. The property is of sufficient size that its conservation resources are likely to remain intact and sustained despite adjacent development or there is potential for adding more acreage in the future or sufficient neighboring property is either already protected or will be. For some types of resource protection, large parcels are preferred; in other cases smaller properties may accomplish the purposes of The Kenton Conservancy.
3. Protection of the property aids sound land use planning, promotes land conservation, and encourages careful stewardship of land and water resources.
PUBLIC BENEFIT CRITERIA:
2. The property is or has potential to connect with a county, regional, state, or national trail or greenway (e.g., Licking River Greenway) or
contributes to the scenic and passive recreational attributes of such a trail or greenway by its proximity.
3. Public access for education or recreation is permitted, available and sustainable for the foreseeable future.
4. Land provides a corridor to other open protected or open space lands and is important for movement of wildlife between habitats or through developed corridors so that natural areas do not become isolated islands.
6. Property is in a stage of pre-development. The land to be acquired has experienced minimal human development disturbances.
7. Property contains ecologically significant land that contains or buffers relatively natural wildlife habitat, ecosystems, or natural features
8. Property contains ecologically significant land that buffers or contributes to the protection of habitat associated with hillsides.
9. Land contains ecologically significant species, including endangered or rare species.
10. Property has a relatively high diversity of plant species native to Kentucky and the region.
11. Property contains important hydrologic features necessary for protecting water quality and supply, water resources, wetland habitat or for providing natural storm-water flood control.
12. Land borders or affects the integrity of a significant stream or river, including those designated as natural, wild or scenic rivers or classified as outstanding or high quality resource waters and/or provides access to public land or public waters.
13. Property involves land in active agriculture or forestry use such as: property designated as prime agricultural land or as an agricultural preservation district, or farms significant for scenic beauty or historic resources.
14. Land has recognized historic, archaeological, or cultural value, especially land included in, or adjacent to, designated historic properties, and necessary for the protection of the resources.
15. Property acquisition sets an important precedent for resource or open space protection in a targeted area (e.g., the property is located in an area of focus for The Nature Conservancy).
17. Property contains natural features of educational or scientific value including land used, or likely to be used, for the demonstration of various aspects of good land stewardship (e.g., stream restoration, sustainable agriculture).
18. The property is being preserved for passive (walk-able) or active recreational purposes.
19. A threat to the resource is imminent and of high magnitude.
20. Is there an income opportunity (or relatively high monetary land value) for The Kenton Conservancy, which is associated with the property to help with stewardship?
FEASIBILITY CRITERIA:
ONE or MORE of the following factors MAY preclude involvement even though the property may meet the selection criteria favoring a land protection proposal.
1. Size of property (either too large or small) does not meet current goals (or conservation foci) of The Kenton Conservancy and the management responsibilities required of existing properties.
2. Property would be unusually difficult or burdensome to monitor, manage, and/or enforce in perpetuity.
3. Property is part of a development proposal that could lead to conflicts of interest and/or problems associated with public perception.
4. Adjacent properties are being developed in a way that is likely to significantly diminish the conservation values of the site.
5. The property is in a development district and cannot be used for neighborhood-based recreational purposes or has existing infrastructure in
place, or coming next year.
6. Current landowner insists on reserving rights or provisions in an easement or deed that would seriously diminish the property’s primary conservation value or the TKC’s ability to enforce protection.
7. Property may incur an unacceptable legal or financial liability because of a known threat to public health or safety or the expense of clean-up.
8. Legal, ethical, or public image problems are associated with the acceptance of the property. Issues to consider are whether there is a conflict of interest on the Board, interested transactions by board members or officers, or involvement in controversial projects with developers, if the property may jeopardize IRS non-profit status, if there may be a significant negative economic impact on Kenton County, if there is opposition or no support from local property owners or if there is opposition or no county or political support.
9. There is insufficient information available on the property or significant problems and/or defects in the title. Full information on all related permits, variances, or legal approvals for the development plans are not available.
10. Multiple or fractured ownership, frequent incidence of destructive trespassing, fencing restrictions, irregular configuration, difficulty for using burning to maintain a fire dependent ecosystem, denial of permanent legal access to the property, or other unusual long-term constraints.
GOALS CRITERIA: The property must support the conservation values that The Kenton Conservancy was formed to protect. To qualify for selection, property must meet ALL three following criteria:
1. Except for trade or income lands, the property is within Kenton County, Kentucky.
2. The property is of sufficient size that its conservation resources are likely to remain intact and sustained despite adjacent development or there is potential for adding more acreage in the future or sufficient neighboring property is either already protected or will be. For some types of resource protection, large parcels are preferred; in other cases smaller properties may accomplish the purposes of The Kenton Conservancy.
3. Protection of the property aids sound land use planning, promotes land conservation, and encourages careful stewardship of land and water resources.
PUBLIC BENEFIT CRITERIA:
- Regional Connectedness
2. The property is or has potential to connect with a county, regional, state, or national trail or greenway (e.g., Licking River Greenway) or
contributes to the scenic and passive recreational attributes of such a trail or greenway by its proximity.
3. Public access for education or recreation is permitted, available and sustainable for the foreseeable future.
4. Land provides a corridor to other open protected or open space lands and is important for movement of wildlife between habitats or through developed corridors so that natural areas do not become isolated islands.
- Ecological, natural cultural significance
6. Property is in a stage of pre-development. The land to be acquired has experienced minimal human development disturbances.
7. Property contains ecologically significant land that contains or buffers relatively natural wildlife habitat, ecosystems, or natural features
8. Property contains ecologically significant land that buffers or contributes to the protection of habitat associated with hillsides.
9. Land contains ecologically significant species, including endangered or rare species.
10. Property has a relatively high diversity of plant species native to Kentucky and the region.
11. Property contains important hydrologic features necessary for protecting water quality and supply, water resources, wetland habitat or for providing natural storm-water flood control.
12. Land borders or affects the integrity of a significant stream or river, including those designated as natural, wild or scenic rivers or classified as outstanding or high quality resource waters and/or provides access to public land or public waters.
13. Property involves land in active agriculture or forestry use such as: property designated as prime agricultural land or as an agricultural preservation district, or farms significant for scenic beauty or historic resources.
14. Land has recognized historic, archaeological, or cultural value, especially land included in, or adjacent to, designated historic properties, and necessary for the protection of the resources.
15. Property acquisition sets an important precedent for resource or open space protection in a targeted area (e.g., the property is located in an area of focus for The Nature Conservancy).
- Other (economics, education, public enjoyment)
17. Property contains natural features of educational or scientific value including land used, or likely to be used, for the demonstration of various aspects of good land stewardship (e.g., stream restoration, sustainable agriculture).
18. The property is being preserved for passive (walk-able) or active recreational purposes.
19. A threat to the resource is imminent and of high magnitude.
20. Is there an income opportunity (or relatively high monetary land value) for The Kenton Conservancy, which is associated with the property to help with stewardship?
FEASIBILITY CRITERIA:
ONE or MORE of the following factors MAY preclude involvement even though the property may meet the selection criteria favoring a land protection proposal.
1. Size of property (either too large or small) does not meet current goals (or conservation foci) of The Kenton Conservancy and the management responsibilities required of existing properties.
2. Property would be unusually difficult or burdensome to monitor, manage, and/or enforce in perpetuity.
3. Property is part of a development proposal that could lead to conflicts of interest and/or problems associated with public perception.
4. Adjacent properties are being developed in a way that is likely to significantly diminish the conservation values of the site.
5. The property is in a development district and cannot be used for neighborhood-based recreational purposes or has existing infrastructure in
place, or coming next year.
6. Current landowner insists on reserving rights or provisions in an easement or deed that would seriously diminish the property’s primary conservation value or the TKC’s ability to enforce protection.
7. Property may incur an unacceptable legal or financial liability because of a known threat to public health or safety or the expense of clean-up.
8. Legal, ethical, or public image problems are associated with the acceptance of the property. Issues to consider are whether there is a conflict of interest on the Board, interested transactions by board members or officers, or involvement in controversial projects with developers, if the property may jeopardize IRS non-profit status, if there may be a significant negative economic impact on Kenton County, if there is opposition or no support from local property owners or if there is opposition or no county or political support.
9. There is insufficient information available on the property or significant problems and/or defects in the title. Full information on all related permits, variances, or legal approvals for the development plans are not available.
10. Multiple or fractured ownership, frequent incidence of destructive trespassing, fencing restrictions, irregular configuration, difficulty for using burning to maintain a fire dependent ecosystem, denial of permanent legal access to the property, or other unusual long-term constraints.
