Ellison, AutumnMoseley, Cassandra2015-08-172015-08-172013https://hdl.handle.net/1794/191862 pagesConservation easements provide a way to permanently commit private land to uses that support ecosystem health. In recent years, both the number of land trusts and the amount of land put into easements has increased greatly. However, easements have been criticized as a piece-meal approach to conservation, with little value to real conservation goals if isolated and surrounded by other land uses. To better understand the ecological value of easements, we examined how land trusts and other organizations are using conservation easements to enhance ecosystems and ecosystem services across the West.en-USCreative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0-USConservation easementLand trustsOther