Protection mechanisms

The success of conservation on private land in the United States has often been attributed to the ability of conservation organizations to act in a flexible manner. Conservation of natural habitat on private land in the USA relies on a number of formal and informal arrangements to ensure proper protection and management of the land:

The suitability of each type of mechanism depends upon the type of habitat being protected and the type and distribution of values associated with the site. In most cases some form of property right is acquired from the landowner's interest, in order to achieve protection of a natural area. The interest held by a landowner is referred to as a ‘fee simple’ interest. The imagery of a ‘bundle of sticks’ is often used to explain the interest held, where each of the sticks represents a right associated with the property. The entire bundle of sticks can be acquired by acquiring the fee simple interest. Fee simple ownership affords the ultimate protection to an individual or organization wishing to conserve natural habitat.