Conservation Leasing
on State-owned Aquatic Lands
Conservation leasing offers the public a way to engage in conservation activities on state-owned aquatic lands by entering into a lease agreement with the state. Conservation activities include restoration, enhancement, creation, or preservation actions (separate from any regulatory requirements).
A conservation lease, license, or easement requires an active role by the lessee - such as implementing a restoration plan, or active management and monitoring.
DNR's conservation leasing program is different from a conservation easement, which involves a transfer of rights to another party (such as water rights or development rights).
- Program Guidelines — Guidance to DNR staff on how to authorize voluntary conservation efforts through a lease to improve the natural conditions of state-owned aquatic lands. — (pdf) 98kb
- Lease License Application — Application for a lease or license to use state-owned aquatic lands for conservation. — (pdf) 221kb
- Lease Document — Blank aquatic conservation lease sample. — (pdf) 161kb
- License Document — Blank aquatic conservation license sample. — (pdf) 67kb
- Conservation Plan — Suggested format for Exhibit B of a lease or license containing the conservation plan for the state-owned aquatic lands being used. — (pdf) 19kb
- Fact Sheet — Quick look at how leasing and purchasing seascapes concealed within nearshore waters can enhance marine conservation efforts. (Created by The Nature Conservancy). — (pdf) 252kb
- Leasing Restoration Booklet — Report that explores leasing of submerged lands as a potential conservation strategy and examines some of the benefits, considerations and ways to be involved in leasing, preservation and restoration of shellfish on these lands. (Created by The Nature Conservancy). — (pdf) 1,123kb
- Conservation Biology — Tools for Marine Conservation: the Leasing and Ownership of Submerged Lands. An essay that explores the leasing and ownership of submerged lands as tools for marine conservation and provides examples of the implementation of these tools from The Nature Conservancy's work in Texas, Washington, and New York. — (pdf) 189kb