The Interior Alaska Land Trust (IALT) is a private, tax-exempt charitable organization that works with private landowners to acquire, protect or manage natural, scenic, recreational, agricultural, historic, or cultural aspects of property. Continuing development throughout the Fairbanks community has brought attention to land use issues. The pace of building, though not at frantic as during pipeline days, is beginning to turn the last remaining undeveloped areas into small pockets, and cutting up trails and greenways that people thought were protected. In addition to environmental protection, many areas are safeguarded for public use and recreation. Private land that people acquired 30 or more years ago has increased tremendously in value. Often these are large parcels, and their owners find that their heirs would be required to sell some of the land just to pay the inheritance taxes. In these cases, the Interior Alaska Land Trust can hold an easement on the land, reducing its estate tax value, protecting open space, or connecting greenways and trails. The Interior Alaska Land Trust works with private landowners, allowing land to stay in private ownership and management, while protecting conservation values for the public. Our most common approach is to use a conservation easement, a voluntary contract between the landowner and the land trust that runs in perpetuity along with the deed. Each conservation easement is tailored to meet the needs of the landowner and the character of the land. The landowner gives up certain rights to the land, to preserve its conservation values. IALT takes on the responsibility of monitoring the conservation easement, ensuring that the property’s conservation values are preserved. The partnership between the land trust and the property owner benefits the whole community.
