The Harpswell Heritage Land Trust exists to preserve the natural and cultural heritage of Harpswell. If you own land or a building in Harpswell that you cherish for its natural or scenic beauty, its habitat value or its history, and you would like to preserve those values for future generations of your family and/or others to enjoy, you may wish to talk with the Trust about ways of protecting your land or historic building forever. Not only can you protect a valued property in perpetuity, you may realize income tax benefits, property tax benefits and reduce your estate taxes.

A good way of getting started toward conserving your property is to talk with the Trust about your conservation or preservation goals, your family’s needs and wishes, your property’s special features, and your financial situation. While some methods of conserving land or historic buildings are discussed briefly below, we can provide you with detailed information about various conservation techniques as prepared by the Maine Coast Heritage Trust. Or you can obtain their booklet and other material directly from their web site. We can also offer insight into how your goals can be meshed with our mission and purposes to achieve a successful result.

The three main methods of preserving your land or building are through a conservation easement, through a donation, and through a sale.