A conservation easement is the legal document which a landowner uses to eliminate some of the uses of his or her land, while retaining ownership and control. It is an entirely voluntary process and a permanent decision.

A land owner works with a land trust to identify the conservation values of the land. After doing so, the landowner decides, in conjunction with the land trust, which uses should be prohibited and which should be retained for future owners. 

An easement donor (the land owner) typically retains the rights to continue to live on the land, to farm and manage timber, enjoy hunting, fishing, and other similar pursuits, to allow for a limited number of additional future residences; the landowner always retains the right to sell or lease the land, and/or bequeath it to heirs. 

When a land trust accepts the easement, the organization is then obligated to ensure the provisions of the easement are upheld permanently.