VOF provides an array of services to landowners free of charge, such as interpreting existing easements, reviewing and approving plans for activities on easement properties, and responding to questions and inquiries from easement landowners and prospective buyers. The following are services for which a fee is charged in order to defray the costs incurred by VOF. The Open-Space Lands Preservation Trust Fund (PTF) is available to income-eligible landowners to help with some of the costs associated with conveying or improving an easement. If you have questions about these services, fees, or PTF, contact your local VOF office.
Please note that the fees below are non-refundable. In addition, paying the required fee does not guarantee approval for your request or application.
$1,500. This fee covers VOF’s due diligence review and analysis work and will be charged prior to the Board of Trustee’s review of each easement proposal.
Treasury Regulation §1.170A-14(g)(5)(i)) requires that the donor of a conservation easement provide documentation sufficient to establish the condition of the property going under easement at the time of the gift. To satisfy this requirement a baseline documentation report (BDR) setting forth the characteristics and condition of the donor’s property must be prepared prior to recordation. The characteristics and condition of the property set forth in the BDR become the basis of comparison for future monitoring of the easement.
Preparing a BDR entails one or more visits to a property to document the existing features and values of the property such as buildings, roads, boundaries, water features, etc., with photos, maps, and verbal descriptions. Areas where future activities are permitted or prohibited must also be carefully shown. Most importantly, the BDR sets forth the conservation values that are defined and protected by the specific provisions in the deed of easement. VOF charges the BDR fee at the time the report is completed.
$1,000. This fee applies when an easement project is approved by the Board of Trustees but is not recorded within one year of approval.
VOF shall consider proposed assignments of conservation or open-space easements not co-held by VOF on a case-by-case basis. If VOF in its sole and absolute discretion accepts such an assignment, VOF shall charge the assignor such fee as VOF deems to be sufficient to properly administer the assigned easement.
$20,000. For example:
The base fee of $20,000 includes the Baseline Documentation Report (BDR) and processing fees applied to donated easements. The fee may be decreased based on the extent that a project utilizes Commonwealth of Virginia funding sources such as the Open-Space Lands Preservation Trust Fund or the Virginia Land Conservation Fund (VLCF) or to the extent that a particular grant program limits this type of fee or other factors at the discretion of the Executive Director. The fee is due at the time of closing.
$1,500 fee with application. This fee applies to amendments that are initiated as a result of an easement violation or compliance issue or that are initiated by a landowner to clarify ambiguities or improve conditions for the landowner. Amendments can’t impart impermissible private benefit or inurement. VOF’s Executive Director may reduce this fee for amendments that dramatically improve the conservation values of an existing easement, for example, by adding significant new acres, reducing division and/or dwelling rights. In order to qualify for this reduced fee such amendments must substantially improve the conservation values and protections thereof.
If a BDR is necessary to document the amendment, the BDR fee will apply. For amendments only, the BDR fee may be reduced to $1,500 when all the following factors are present:
$1,500 fee with application. This fee shall apply to requests for review of any documents, including draft deeds, plats, and any required site visits related to third party access or utility easements over or through the open-space easement. This does not include utility or access easements that serve permitted buildings or activities on the property.
$1,500 fee with application. This fee applies to requests for review and evaluation of ecosystem function projects for commercial purposes on easement properties including, but not limited to, projects involving stream bank restoration, wetland and stream mitigation, biological carbon sequestration, or biodiversity mitigation
$10,000 fee with application.
$1,500 fee with application. Non-public agencies may obtain guidance from VOF in the form of interpretations of easements, policies, or procedures in the process of working towards a formal request for conversion or diversion under Virginia Code 10.1-1704. This fee would not apply to requests for records or documents within the possession of VOF.
$20,000 fee with application for applicants other than public agencies. A conversion or diversion of open space requires replacement or substitute land; in addition, a Stewardship Fund will be required to support VOF with the operation and management of the substitute property. The amount of the Stewardship Fund will be negotiated based on the property size and characteristics.
$500 fee with request. This fee applies when the owner of an easement property requests formal written acknowledgement from VOF of the transfer or sale of his or her property; the acknowledgment may be an official letter, affidavit or similar form.
$3,000 fee with application. The fee applies to the preparation of a Present Conditions Report for an easement when requested by a landowner as part of a sale.
$500 fee with request. This fee applies to requests from potential buyers of open space easement properties for a formal response from VOF within 7 business days and/or the proposed plans require extensive review with perhaps a site visit. If your request is not time-sensitive or if you have a simple review, there will be no fee or a reduced fee.
Searchable database containing detailed information about VOF's programs and policies.
Start a new grant application or check the status of an existing one.
Staff directory, an interactive map to locate staff by zip code, and a form to contact board members.