(a) Except as otherwise
provided in this chapter, a conservation easement may be created, conveyed,
recorded, assigned, released, modified, terminated, or otherwise altered or
affected in the same manner as other easements.
(b) A right or duty in
favor of or against a holder and a right in favor of a person having a
third-party right of enforcement may not arise under a conservation easement
before the conservation easement is accepted by the holder and the acceptance
is recorded.
(c) Except as provided in
AS 34.17.020
(b), a conservation easement is unlimited in duration unless the instrument
creating the conservation easement provides a limitation on duration.
(d) An interest in real
property in existence at the time a conservation easement is created is not
impaired by the conservation easement unless the owner of the interest is a
party to or consents to the conservation easement.
(e) The state or a
municipality may not establish a conservation easement on property by eminent
domain.
(a) An action affecting a
conservation easement may be brought by
(1) an
owner of an interest in the real property burdened by the easement;
(2) a
holder of the easement;
(3) a
person having a third-party right of enforcement; or
(4) a
person authorized by other law.
(b) This chapter does not
affect the power of a court to modify or terminate a conservation easement
under the principles of law and equity.
A conservation easement is valid even though
(1) it
is not appurtenant to an interest in real property;
(2) it
can be or has been assigned to another holder;
(3) it
is not of a character that has been recognized traditionally at common law;
(4) it
imposes a negative burden;
(5) it
imposes affirmative obligations upon the owner of an interest in the burdened
property or upon the holder;
(6) the
benefit does not touch or concern real property; or
(7) there
is no privity of estate or of contract.
(a) This chapter applies
to an interest created on or after
(b) This chapter applies
to an interest created before
(c) This chapter does not
invalidate an interest, whether designated as a conservation or preservation
easement or as a covenant, equitable servitude, restriction, easement, or
otherwise, that is enforceable under the law of the state.
This chapter shall be applied and construed to effectuate its
general purpose to make uniform the laws with respect to the subject of the
chapter among states enacting it.
(a) In addition to the
immunity provided by AS 09.65.200
, an owner of land, a portion of which is subject to a conservation easement
that is 50 feet or less in width, that has been granted to and accepted by the
state or a municipality, and that provides public access for recreational
purposes on the land subject to the conservation easement is not liable in
tort, except for an act or omission that constitutes gross negligence or
reckless or intentional misconduct, for damages to a person who uses the
easement to enter onto or remain on the land if
(1) the
person had no responsibility to compensate the owner for the person's use of
the easement or the land; and
(2) the
damages arise out of the person's use of the easement for recreational purposes
on the land.
(b) The immunity under (a)
of this section extends to the grantee of the conservation easement providing
public access to the land for recreational purposes.
In this chapter,
(1) "conservation
easement" means a nonpossessory interest of a
holder in real property imposing limitations or affirmative obligations to
retain or protect natural, scenic, or open space values of real property,
ensure its availability for agricultural, forest, recreational, or open space
use, protect natural resources, maintain or enhance air or water quality, or
preserve the historical, architectural, archaeological, or cultural aspects of
real property;
(2) "holder" means
(A) a
governmental body empowered to hold an interest in real property under the laws
of the state or the
(B) a nonprofit
corporation, charitable corporation, charitable association, or charitable
trust exempted from taxation under 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) and empowered to retain
or protect the natural, scenic, or open space values of real property, ensure
the availability of real property for agricultural, forest, recreational, or
open space use, protect natural resources, maintain or enhance air or water
quality, or preserve the historical, architectural, archaeological, or cultural
aspects of real property;
(3) "third-party
right of enforcement" means a right provided in a conservation easement to
enforce any of its terms granted to a governmental body, nonprofit corporation,
charitable corporation, charitable association, or charitable trust that is not
a holder.