Frequently Asked Questions

• What is a conservation easement?
  
  A. A conservation easement is a legal agreement between a landowner and a private or public entity that places limits on land use in order to preserve the property's resources and features. The easement seeks to protect specific conservation values, such as water quality and is legally binding, in perpetuity, regardless of whether the ownership changes.
  
  The original owner and/or land developer of your community agreed to place a conservation easement on portions of the property in order to fulfill regulatory obligations. In doing so they selected OSP, a qualified 501(c)(3) conservation organization, as the steward of that easement.
• Does OSP own the land within the conservation easement?
  
  A. No, the owner of the land is the grantor listed in the Grant of Conservation Easement and successive owners are automatically deemed to be successor grantors when property containing a conservation easement is transferred to a new owner.
• Why do I pay a stewardship assessment at closing?
  
  A. Every purchasing or selling owner in a community (depends on the community) associated with an OSP easement pays a one-time stewardship fee at the closing of the home. These fees pay for the stewardship and annual monitoring of the easement including daily office operations.
• How much is the stewardship assessment in my community?
  
  A. The fee varies by community and is specific to the amount of easement area, accessibility, and origination date. Go to the Protected Properties tab at the top of this website to find the assessment details for your community. They are also listed in your community's Deed Restrictions (may also be entitled Declaration and By Laws).
• What am I allowed to do within the easement?
  
  A. Permitted and prohibited actions within the easement can be located in your community's Protected Properties page and in the Grant of Conservation Easement document. Most activity is limited to passive use of the property and construction of structures is almost always prohibited.
• What are deed restrictions?
  
  A. Many communities are affiliated with homeowners' associations or are located in areas where there are land use limitations. Deed restrictions are the set of rules and restrictions created by the developer at the inception of the development, placed upon your property (and that of your neighbor's), and enforced by the homeowners' association. To date, all OSP's residential properties have recorded deed restrictions and those are located under the Protected Properties tab.
• How do I handle a concern regarding a dead or fallen tree?
  
  A. OSP reviews all proposed activity within the easement and provides specific instructions to minimize environmental impacts. Frequently, trees along the edge of development die due to construction-related activity. If you have a tree you would like to remove (or have removed by the homeowner's association if on common property), please fill out the Maintenance Request form, add clear photos of the tree in relation to any existing structure, and send to info@ohiostream.org. OSP will communicate its decision by email with any special instructions included in the response. It is the homeowner's responsibility to coordinate the tree removal with the homeowner's association, if applicable.
• How do I find out if I have any easements on my property?
  
  A. Contact your local building or zoning department in the community in which you reside and they should be able to provide that information. To locate the exact locations of easements on your property, it is recommended you consult with a surveyor.

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