LandBase, an Internet-based listing of properties of potential interest to conservation-minded private buyers, is coming on line soon. It will harness market demand for beautiful and ecologically significant wildlands and rural properties to preserve rather than compromise these resources. This Web-based marketplace, developed by land trusts for land trusts, will help locate appropriate private buyers for important properties in conservation-oriented transactions.

Conservation Real Estate
Land trusts are increasingly turning to 'conservation buyers' and 'conservation sellers' to assist them with land conservation projects. Conservation buyers are individuals with the requisite means who are willing to buy properties under conservation restriction, or to incorporate permanent protection of the land into their purchase. Conservation sellers are landowners unable to donate a conservation easement or fee, but interested in protecting their land during transfer to a new owner. Recent innovations by The Nature Conservancy have made such conservation transactions even more desirable to buyer, seller, and land trust, through creative use of the potential tax benefits. Experience has proved that conservation buyers exist and that they can enable protection of many deserving parcels now beyond the means of the land trust to purchase directly.

The Natural Web
At present, land trusts, often local and with limited budgets and staff, are dependent on chance in matching the right buyer with the right property. It has proven difficult to reach potential buyers using conventional means such as word-of-mouth, organization newsletters, and local advertising. LandBase allows land trusts to offer land under conservation protection or eligible for permanent protection to qualified and interested conservation buyers all over the world.

How LandBase Works
POSTING A PROPERTY: When a land trust has secured control of a potential conservation buyer property through ownership or purchase of an option, the land trust logs on to LandBase, using its registered password. The password provides secure access to the database, where a form is used to detail the property, including photographs, information about its characteristics, the conservation requirements, etc. When completed, the profile is added to the database, with the contact information of the posting land trust.
BUYER SEARCHES: Buyers (and sellers) find the LandBase website through internet search engines, and via links from land trust, real estate, and community or regional information websites. After a brief explanation of the nature of LandBase (with links available to further information about land trusts, land conservation, and conservation transactions), they are walked through questions regarding their needs, from basic geography to price range and type of property desired. LandBase then presents brief profiles of suitable postings with links to more complete descriptions. There is also a 'registration' form for prospective buyers to describe and enroll themselves for contacts about future property listings if nothing suits their needs. If the buyer fmds a property of interest, they contact the posting land trust.

Conservation Buyer/Seller/Realtor and Land Trust Education
LandBase also provides several associated publications. These include 'sales' materials to introduce and explain LandBase and its benefits to the real estate community, explanatory brochures for potential land buyers and sellers, and a manual on conservation buyer transactions for land trust staff and other professionals, with procedures and examples of the various forms the transactions can take.

How LandBase Is Funded
A broad array of Massachusetts land trusts, and the Land Trust Alliance's New England Land Trusts Matching Grants Program, have provided start-up funding for LandBase. For its day-to-day operation, land trusts posting properties pay fees, due only after completion of a conservation sale, of $100 to $500 based on property sales price. These fees cover internet server fees and a part-time administrator, who oversees the database (culling out-dated records and doing other web site maintenance), provides information about LandBase and conservation buyertransactions, educates participating land trusts about conservation transactions and use of LandBase, and offers some assistance with conservation transactions.

Joining LandBase
There is no cost to begin using LandBase (although contributions to cover printing, maintenance, and staff costs are welcome). If your land trust is interested in using LandBase, you only have to register. After registration, a representative will contact you to provide and review training materials on conservation transactions, including case studies and sample documents. After this orientation, you will receive your password permitting you to post property listings to the LandBase website.