A development right, easement, covenant, restriction, or other right, or any interest less than the fee simple, to protect, preserve, maintain, improve, restore, limit the future use of, or conserve for open space purposes, any land or improvement on the land, whether the right or interest be appurtenant or in gross, may be held or acquired by any state agency, federal agency, county, city, town, federally recognized Indian tribe, or metropolitan municipal corporation, nonprofit historic preservation corporation, or nonprofit nature conservancy corporation. Any such right or interest constitutes and is classified as real property. All instruments for the conveyance thereof must be substantially in the form required by law for the conveyance of any land or other real property.
The definitions in this section apply throughout this section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(1) "Nonprofit historic preservation corporation" means an organization which qualifies as being tax exempt under 26 U.S.C. section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended, and which has as one of its principal purposes the conducting or facilitating of historic preservation activities within the state, including conservation or preservation of historic sites, districts, buildings, and artifacts.
(2) "Nonprofit nature conservancy corporation" means an organization which qualifies as being tax exempt under 26 U.S.C. section 501(c)(3) (of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended) as it existed on June 25, 1976, and which has as one of its principal purposes the conducting or facilitating of scientific research; the conserving of natural resources, including but not limited to biological resources, for the general public; or the conserving of natural areas including but not limited to wildlife or plant habitat.