Typically, when we acquire a new property, we plan to donate the easement and the stewardship fund to our partner land trust. The land trust then advises Better Place Forests on stewardship and management best practices.

A partnership between Better Place Forests and the land trust can take a number of other forms:

Conservation buyer partnership

In the conservation buyer model, Better Place Forests acquires land from a land trust. The land trust would retain a conservation easement on the property that would eliminate all development potential, except what is required for operating a memorial forest. In this model, Better Place Forests would endow the property with a stewardship fund that would cover the costs of monitoring the conservation easement.

Joint acquisition partnership

In a joint acquisition model, the land trust identifies land for Better Place Forests to purchase. Better Place Forests then donates a conservation easement and stewardship endowment to the land trust.

Revenue sharing partnership

In a revenue-sharing partnership, Better Place Forests and the land trust create a memorial forest on existing property owned by the land trust in perpetuity. Revenue will be shared and generated through the sale of memorial dedication rights around specific trees, and perhaps other mutually agreed-upon locations and features on the property.

In this model, Better Place Forests runs the day-to-day business, works directly with customers to sell tree dedication rights, host forest memorials, and steward the land. The land trust receives a portion of cash flows.

Learn more about Better Place Forests' conservation methods.