A conservation easement, according to the Land Trust Alliance, is “a legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust or government agency that permanently limits uses of the land in order to protect its conservation values.” The National Conservation Easement Database (NCED) is the first national database of conservation easements in the United States. Voluntary and secure, the NCED respects landowner privacy and will not collect landowner names or sensitive information. This public-private partnership brings together national conservation groups, local and regional land trusts, and state and federal agencies around a common objective. The NCED provides a comprehensive picture of the estimated 40 million acres of privately owned conservation easement lands, recognizing their contribution to America’s natural heritage, a vibrant economy, and healthy communities.Before the NCED was created no single, nationwide system existed for sharing and managing information about conservation easements. By building the first national database and web site to access this information, the NCED helps agencies, land trusts, and other organizations plan more strategically, identify opportunities for collaboration, advance public accountability, and raise the profile of what's happening on-the-ground in the name of conservation.With the initial support of the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, NCED is the result of a collaboration between five environmental non-profits: The Trust for Public Land, Ducks Unlimited, Defenders of Wildlife, Conservation Biology Institute, and NatureServe.