Looking for a bright side to the real-estate crunch? Look no further: Some developers, financially stressed by the housing slump, are selling land to folks who want to conserve it. It’s a win-win situation: developers aren’t stuck building expensive real estate that no one wants to buy, and conservation groups like the Trust for Public Land and Nature Conservancy get more funding and buying power. “Two to three years ago, local farmers and ranchers were eager to sell off their land and cash out,” says the Nature Conservancy’s Cristina Mestre. “Now, we’re being approached en masse [to buy development rights].”
