Our organization is an umbrella organization that does not itself own land. However, our member groups do own land.
A conservation easement is a legal instrument. It's an encumbrance upon the title of the land. It's a legal agreement between a landowner and a third party land trust, usually. What it does is legally restrict the type or location of development or severance on a piece of property.
Because it's legally registered on title, it runs with the land, so it survives owners; it goes from one owner to the next. If it's ever removed, it has to be removed by a court of law.
The land trust that's involved annually monitors the conservation easement and works with new owners to make sure that the provisions of the easement are upheld.