India, Oct. 8 -- Forked Lightning Ranch in New Mexico is a good example of how land can remain protected long after an owner moves on. According to the New Mexico Land Conservancy, actress Jane Fonda purchased the ranch in 2000 and worked to conserve and enhance its natural communities until she sold it in 2015. The group completed a new easement in October 2018 that provides protection for the entire 2,229-acre ranch. Conservation values of the conservancy include agriculture, scenic open space, and wildlife habitat. The Pecos River runs through nearly four miles of the ranch.

A conservation easement is an agreement between a landowner and a group, such as a land trust, that limits the uses that can be made of the land, such as developm...