Conservation accords signed in Seneca County

TIFFFIN — The owners of three Seneca County farms have signed land-conservation easements that will ensure that the property is used for agriculture in perpetuity.

With the three new properties — the 163-acre Ewald farm, the 33-acre Fry farm, and the 80-acre Wise farm — the Black Swamp Conservancy now has protected a total of 11,251 acres in northwest Ohio. The three farms are north of Tiffin.

Conservation easements let property owners retain ownership, but they restrict development. That diminishes the land’s value, but there are substantial tax incentives to help offset the difference.

They are a popular tool for the Black Swamp Conservancy and other land trusts, because they are more affordable than acquiring the land.