What about properties with conservation easements—does zoning affect those?

What about properties with conservation easements—does zoning affect those? Some properties in and around Missoula have conservation easements, which are legal agreements that permanently protect land for open space, agriculture, habitat, or scenic value. These easements are separate from zoning and remain in place no matter how zoning changes.


  • Zoning and conservation easements work separately. Zoning sets what could be built under City rules, but an easement limits what can happen on the land.
  • Easements are legally binding. They stay with the property even if ownership changes, and only the landowner and the organization that holds the easement can make changes to it.
  • Zoning updates don’t remove or weaken easements. Those protections stay in place regardless of zoning changes.


In short, conservation easements are permanent legal tools that protect land, and zoning changes don’t override them. Even if zoning allows development, an easement may continue to restrict it.



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