Conservation Easement: Roundhouse Hills
In November 2023, Mendocino Land Trust received the donation of a new conservation easement that protects 120 acres of stunning second-growth redwood forest and meadow outside Elk. The property remains privately owned and is not accessible to the public, but the conservation easement now held by MLT ensures that it is conserved and protected in perpetuity. The conservation easement requires MLT to monitor the property annually to ensure that the conservation values identified in the easement are preserved, including a prohibition on commercial timber harvesting and limitations on future development. The limits imposed by the conservation easement will ensure that almost 90% of the property is left undisturbed so that the forest can grow and heal from prior timber harvest activities.
The landowners who generously donated the conservation easement to MLT – Miranda Edison, Matthew Drewno and Jaime Jensen – worked closely with MLT to make sure that their conservation-minded vision for their property would be in place forever, ensuring the land’s protection long after they are gone. As Jaime noted: “This conservation easement makes me wish that I could be here in a hundred years and more so that I can see this forest as it ages. Thank you MLT and Miranda and Matt.” MLT was honored to work with Miranda, Matt and Jaime to make their vision a reality, and looks forward to its obligation to monitor and enforce the conservation easement. Matt had this to add: “It’s an honor to work with MLT on this conservation easement. We all worked as a team to develop an easement that reflected our own personal values, which honors the land we inhabit and sees that it is cared for and protected in the future.”
