Conservation projects are those that conserve ecological value of habitats through fee simple purchase, conservation easements, or voluntary landowner agreements.

A conservation easement is a restriction placed on a piece of property to protect its associated resources. The easement is either voluntarily donated or sold by the landowner. It is registered with the title and constitutes a legally binding agreement that limits certain types of uses, usually in perpetuity. Examples of conditions that can be included in an easement include limiting or extinguishing the development rights of a property, limiting clear cutting or management of forests, creating buffers along critical areas, or providing the right to conduct restoration in those critical areas. The easement is usually held by a private organization or public agency and the conditions set forth in the easement are monitored in perpetuity. However, the land remains in private hands.