West Virginia Code Chapter 20. Natural Resources § 20-12-4. Creation, transfer and duration

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this article, a conservation or preservation easement may be created, conveyed, recorded, assigned, released, modified, terminated or otherwise altered or affected in the same manner as other easements.

(b) No right or duty of a holder, successive holder named in the easement deed or person having a third-party right of enforcement arises under a conservation or preservation easement before the easement's acceptance by the holder, successive holder or third party with right of enforcement and a recordation of the acceptance.

(c) Except as provided in subsection (b), section five of this article, a conservation or preservation easement created after the effective date of this article may be perpetual in duration, but in no event shall be for a duration of less than twenty-five years.

(d) An interest in real property in existence at the time a conservation or preservation easement is created, including an unrecorded lease for the production of minerals or removal of timber, shall not be impaired unless the owner of such interest is a party to the easement or expressly consents to comply with the restriction of such easement.