Easement defense stops at the easement. The trail is still yours to insure.

General liability

Injury to visitors, hikers and neighbors on preserves you own, with volunteers and easement monitors named as insureds.

Without it — Terrafirma will not enroll you, and recreational use statutes fall away the moment you charge a fee or ignore a known hazard.

Vacant land

Liability on undeveloped parcels you hold in fee, priced by acreage, often scheduled under the main policy.

Without it — A parcel left off the schedule can be uninsured land with your name on the deed.

Nonprofit directors and officers

Claims against the board over acquisitions, easement amendments, employment and donor disputes.

Without it — Terrafirma excludes claims a D&O policy would cover, so the board has nothing answering without one.

Commercial property

Offices, barns, visitor centers, trail structures and stewardship equipment at replacement cost.

Without it — Property is one of the three coverages Practice 6E2 names, and land trust structures are often remote and unprotected.

Volunteer accident

Medical bills for volunteers hurt on trail work, invasive removal or monitoring visits, regardless of fault.

Without it — Workers compensation rarely extends to unpaid volunteers, and an injured volunteer’s only route to payment becomes a lawsuit.

Workers compensation

Injury to paid stewardship staff and seasonal crews, from chainsaws, brush cutters and uneven ground.

Without it — Required with employees in nearly every state, and stewardship work is rated as outdoor labor, not office work.

Commercial auto

Trucks, UTVs on public roads, and trailers hauling equipment between preserves.

Without it — A personal auto policy on a staff member’s truck rarely answers when it is used for land trust work.

Pollution liability

Contamination you inherit or disturb on acquired land, herbicide drift, and fuel spills from equipment.

Without it — General liability excludes pollution almost entirely, and a donated parcel can carry a history nobody disclosed.

We are insured with Terrafirma. Do we still need commercial insurance?

Yes. Terrafirma insures the legal cost of defending and enforcing conservation easements and conserved land, and it excludes anything general liability, D&O or other commercial insurance would cover. It also requires general liability before it will enroll you. So a visitor injury, a volunteer accident, a board dispute or a damaged barn all sit with your commercial policies. The two are designed to fit together, and we place the commercial half.

What does Practice 6E in the Standards and Practices ask for?

Practice 6E2 asks a land trust to carry general liability, directors and officers liability, property and other insurance as appropriate to its risk exposure or as required by law. It sets no dollar amounts. Practice 6E1 adds that risks should be routinely assessed and managed so they do not threaten the trust’s finances or mission. Accreditation reviewers look for evidence that you did that analysis, so a short written summary of your coverages and why is worth keeping.

Does the recreational use statute mean we cannot be sued?

No, it limits liability but does not stop lawsuits. Washington’s statute, for example, protects landowners who allow free outdoor recreation from liability for unintentional injuries, but not for a known dangerous artificial condition without warning signs. New York’s law gives no protection where access was granted for a consideration. Charging for parking, a guided walk or an event can change your position. You still need a policy to pay for the defense that proves the statute applies.

Do we need different coverage for preserves we own than for easements?

Yes, mostly. On land you own in fee, you are the landowner, so visitor injuries, hazards and structures are yours to insure, usually parcel by parcel. On an easement, the landowner keeps possession and most premises liability, and your exposure is mainly monitoring visits and the legal fight over enforcement. Underwriters will ask for a list of fee parcels with acreage, public access and improvements, and a separate count of easements.

How vacant land is insured

Does our general liability cover prescribed burns?

Not always, so it has to be checked before the burn season. Some forms exclude prescribed fire outright, and others cover it only when burns follow a written plan with certified burners. State law varies too: Florida protects landowners from liability for certified burns unless gross negligence is proven, but that rule depends on following its process. Tell us how often you burn, who leads the burns and what acreage, and we will confirm the wording in writing.

Are volunteers covered when they work on trails?

They can be, in two separate ways. Listing volunteers as insureds on general liability protects them when a hiker blames their work. Volunteer accident coverage pays a volunteer’s own medical bills if they are hurt, without anyone suing. The federal Volunteer Protection Act shields volunteers in some cases but expressly leaves the nonprofit’s own liability untouched. Chainsaw work and heavy tools are the questions underwriters ask about first.

Volunteer accident insurance

What is the price based on?

It depends on what you own and what people do on it. General liability is rated on acreage held in fee, public access, structures and the activities you run, such as guided hikes or events. Property is rated on replacement values. D&O is rated on budget and staff. Prescribed fire, chainsaw work and water access move it most. Loss runs, a report from each prior insurer listing every claim, matter too, and a clean history helps.

Who writes land trust insurance, and can we go to them directly?

Philadelphia Insurance Companies — PHLY, part of Tokio Marine, rated A++ by AM Best — is the carrier that has told us in writing it wants land conservation organizations, and it is where we send these submissions first. PHLY does not sell to organizations directly: it works only through appointed agents, and we hold that appointment, so your file reaches their underwriter with our name on it rather than through a second intermediary. What their underwriter wants to see is specific and we assemble it before anything is sent — their supplemental application for your class, the standard applications, three years of valued loss runs (a report from each prior insurer showing every claim and its reserve), photographs of the premises, and your brochure or website. Payment plans are available once the annual price reaches $2,000. None of that is a promise to bind — every quote is subject to their underwriting review — but a complete file is the difference between a quote and a list of questions.

What does a land trust insurance application ask for?

The applications for land trust businesses ask about 4 things above all: what is your organization's main purpose; do you offer counseling services for a fee; are there at least two accessible exits from your main building; what year was your main building constructed. Have your loss history for the last five years, including details of any claims or losses and information about your current insurance coverage: company name, types of coverage, limits, and annual premium ready and a quote takes a day instead of a week.