The conservation easement is an effective and flexible technique for land preservation. The Conservation Easement in California, written by California attorneys expert in conservation law for The Trust for Public Land, is an authoritative legal handbook for the use of conservation easements in California. This book puts the conservation easement in context, discusses the historical and legal background of the conservation easement in California, its state and federal tax implications and the problems involved in drafting easements. Of special importance is the book's clear exposition of the statutory distinction between conservation and open space easements, which should be especially helpful to land trusts and public agencies at all levels who want to put these innovative techniques into practise.

Thomas S. Barrett, an associate of the San Franciso law firm of Chickering & Gregory, comes to the land conservation field as a former ranger for the National Park Service.

Putnam Livermore, a partner of Chickering & Gregory, is an eminent California conservationist and a founding member of the Board of Directors of The Trust for Public Land.

The Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national conservation organization renowned for its innovative approaches to land saving. In its ten years of existence, TPL has made use of the conservation easement and other techniques to arrange for the permanent protection of 45,000 acres of open space land. In addition, TPL has shown local land groups nationwide how to protect important natural resources on their own.