LINCOLN -- The city of Lincoln started the process last week to grant a conservation/recreation easement for Lincoln Lake to Northwest Arkansas Land Trust.
Lincoln City Council on March 21 unanimously voted to move forward with the proposal. An easement would protect and control the future use of the lake and the land around the lake.
"This is for our kids, our grandkids and our great-grandkids," said Mayor Doug Hutchens in recommending the proposal.
Grady Spann, executive director and CEO of NWA Land Trust in Fayetteville, gave a presentation on the Land Trust and how the city and trust would work together to create a document granting a Lincoln Lake conservation and recreation easement.
Before moving to Northwest Arkansas, Spann served Arkansas State Parks for about 30 years. He was director of the state park system from 2016 until he retired. He joined the Land Trust in May 2022.
Spann said he believes Lincoln has a "gem" in Lincoln Lake.
"It is a treasure that is part of your story and a part of your attraction as a city," Spann said.
NWA Land Trust is a 501(c)3 conservation organization founded in 2003. Its office is located in the former Ozark Mountain Smokehouse on U.S. Highway 62 just outside Farmington city limits.
The mission of the organization, Spann said, is "to preserve and enhance the quality of life for all people in Northwest Arkansas through the permanent protection of land."
Currently, the organization, which mainly focuses on Benton, Washington, Madison and Carroll counties, has permanently protected almost 6,800 acres on 42 properties in seven counties.
A conservation easement is a legal agreement between the landowner and the Land Trust that restricts the uses of a property to protect the land's unique conservation and recreation value.
The easement is customized to accommodate the landowner's intended uses of the property or, in this case, it would be customized to how the city of Lincoln wants to use the land, Spann said.
"I've already had a couple, three meetings with the mayor to kind of look at that," he added.
Lincoln Lake has trails for mountain biking, great hiking, great fishing and great climbing, Spann said.
"You probably have the best climbing routes in Arkansas here," Spann said. "The attraction and the tourism impact that can cause for Lincoln is pretty big, so if we can protect that in perpetuity, then that climbing is always there for people who want to come and enjoy it."
Spann, who had not been to Lincoln Lake before, was impressed with the beauty of the lake and the need to protect it. Other areas that would be protected through a conservation easement would be cultural sites, the diverse natural habitat and additional areas available for recreation.
An easement would run with the land in perpetuity, so even if the property sells a new landowner has to abide by the restrictions in the easement, Spann said.
The process for an easement starts with a title search to identify potential issues. This step has been completed, Spann said.
Next is an environmental due diligence and an assessment of Lincoln Lake and the land around it, more than 400 acres. This research is underway now by the Land Trust and it will be used to form a baseline documentation report.
"We're going to look at all the information associated with that property. We will really do a deep dive so we can understand what we need to maintain," Spann said.
A draft conservation easement will be reviewed by the city attorney. The easement then has to be approved by the Land Trust Board of Directors and Lincoln City Council. When this has happened, the signed conservation easement is filed as a public record that stays with the deed forever.
As part of the agreement, NWA Land Trust would monitor Lincoln Lake annually to make sure the uses are in compliance with the easement terms. The city of Lincoln would be responsible for property management and use of the property.
Some examples of the Land Trust's conservation easements, Spann said, include the Rabbit Foot Lodge with the city of Springdale, Kessler Mountain Reserve and West Side Prairie with the city of Fayetteville and Greenland Park with the city of Greenland.
"We are here to help make Lincoln Lake a great place in perpetuity, a place that people can look to and spend a great Saturday afternoon there and do just whatever they want to do, mountain bike, kayak. There are just so many great activities there. We're excited about this opportunity if the city approves," Spann told council members as he closed his presentation.
Hutchens said another advantage to a conservation easement is that it locks in the use of the land where groups and organizations would be comfortable investing money to improve Lincoln Lake and add to its amenities.
File photo Lincoln City Council has decided to pursue granting a conservation/recreation easement to Northwest Arkansas Land Trust to protect the 400-plus acres of Lincoln Lake.