| Sam Warnock, December 2024
Building Natural Capital Through Conservation Easements: A Lasting Legacy
At Unique Places to Save, we work with landowners and communities to conserve land and aquatic resources with ecological, cultural, and economic value. One of the primary tools we use to achieve this is the conservation easement. A conserva...
| Michael Scisco, November 2024
Conservation of Working Forests
It is estimated that 20% of the land base in the U.S. or 445 million acres are private forested lands. Fifteen million acres of private forested land is under some type of permanent or term conservation agreement. While this seems like a bi...
| Sam Warnock, October 2024
Recent Examples of Sustainable Conservation in Real Estate Development
Today, environmental stewardship is increasingly regarded as a social responsibility. In response, many land developers are recognizing the importance of balancing economic growth with the preservation of natural ecosystems and are embracin...
| Michael Scisco, October 2024
Working Lands & Conservation
Working lands conservation is a practice aimed at conserving natural resources and biodiversity while also sustaining productive agricultural or forestry activities and operations. It involves integrating conservation easements into working...
| Sam Warnock, October 2024
Natural Capital and Its Value to the Economy
When you think of capital, you probably think of money or investments. But at its core, capital is anything that: Stores or confers value Generates benefits Grows in value over time We’re all familiar with financial capital—the money and re...
| Sam Warnock, August 2024
How to Value Ecosystem Services
Economics is all about determining how to best use our limited resources, and assigning a value to these can help us understand how scarce these resources are. When we value ecosystem services and biodiversity, we show what we're willing to...
| Sam Warnock, June 2024
What are Ecosystem Services
Ecosystem services (ES) is a buzzword that often appears when discussing ways to protect the environment. Although the term has been around since the 1980s, there’s a lot of confusion behind what it conveys. We’ll discuss ES’s meaning and h...
| Michael Scisco, April 2024
Conservation Offers a Strong ROI for Land Planners
Conservation efforts have historically been viewed through a narrow lens, primarily focused on environmental stewardship. This perspective, while critical for the protection of our planet's natural habitats and biodiversity, only scratches ...
| Michael Scisco, April 2024
How Open Spaces Impact Property Values
Open spaces, such as parks, green belts, and protected natural areas, significantly influence the value of residential and commercial properties. Numerous studies and reports have highlighted the positive correlation between proximity to op...
| Christine Pickens, March 2024
The State of Wetlands in the US
Historically, wetlands were misunderstood and undervalued, often dismissed as mere wastelands. This misconception led to widespread practices of filling them in or using them as dumping sites. However, our contemporary understanding has evo...
| Sam Warnock, March 2024
How Healthy Trees Can Boost Property Values & Reduce Costs
In the realm of real estate, a green landscape can significantly enhance the value of a property. Beyond mere aesthetics, trees play a pivotal role in shaping the economic landscape of residential and commercial areas.
| Michael Scisco, February 2024
Cash for Land: Types of Grant Funding for Land Planners & Managers
The realm of real estate development is rapidly evolving, with a growing emphasis on sustainability and community welfare. Grant funding is one of the most promising avenues for developers looking to create positive contributions to the com...
| Michael Scisco, February 2024
Opportunities for Real Estate Developers in North Carolina's Conservation Efforts
Last year marked a significant turning point for many real estate developers in North Carolina. It was the start of an era where the paths of development and environmental conservation not only met but intertwined, offering a golden opportu...
| Nathan Phillips, January 2024
The Vital Role of Tax Incentives in Promoting Land Conservation
In the modern era, the conservation of land has become a crucial element in the movement to preserve our natural heritage and biodiversity. Over the course of the past century, humanity’s rapid acceleration of technology and population grow...