To the editor:

Laura Adelmann's recent column about conservation easements covered many subjects including Karl Marx, the American Dream and hungry goats in Texas not providing kids a college education.

Fortunately, the Dakota County Farmland and Natural Areas Program she referred to is a very well designed; an open, local, totally voluntary program for both the landowner as seller and Dakota County as purchaser. It is user friendly, open to inspection by the public and, as far as I know, is without goat issues.

A "conservation easement" simply conserves the land as a natural area or farmland, this land will not be developed as the development rights have been purchased and transferred to a local agency (such as city or county) that will make sure the land is protected.

People who don't want their land developed can have their cake and eat it too: they can sell the development rights for a mutually agreeable price while, for example, continuing to live and farm the land as before with no outward changes.

Complete information about this program is available from the Office of Planning for Dakota County, the Internet address is www.co.dakota.mn.us/planning/fnap/Index.htm with well written information complete with pictures. I encourage anyone with concerns or interest to research the program and talk to the friendly, well informed staff administering this program.

John Ward

Friends of the Eagan Core Greenway

Member of the Eagan Open Space Coalition
www.EaganCoreGreenway.org/coalition.html