Many land trusts require that the donor of a conservation easement have an environmental assessment performed on the property prior to accepting the easement. This is particularly true for working properties such as ranches and forestlands. The environmental assessment, or Phase I Environmental report as it is referred to in many places, is performed by an environmental consultant to ascertain if there are pollutants on the property that could create environmental damage on the property or to adjacent properties. Generally the consultants are looking for evidence of pesticides, old dumps, discarded appliances and cars, petrochemicals, mining wastes and other pollutant sources that might create future environmental liability. In some cases these issues may be severe enough to warrant remedial action to clean up the contaminated area. The costs of the environmental assessment vary widely based on size and complexity of the property. Most assessments are performed for $2,000 to $5,000.
(Link to list of environmental consultants in Landowner Resources pending...) |
