I don't really understand your vehement objection to this. Given that purchasers of land trusts cannot develop or use the land (except, perhaps, for some grazing/recreation or other limited uses), a 25% "discount" would not be all that much of an incentive to take land out of development. Not all land trusts become people-unfriendly, after all. Some are hunting and fishing preserves. As for private property owners, they are also not all that averse to having a land trust in their neighborhoods.
They're kind of a tax-avoidance gimmick, sometimes designed to keep a ranch or farm in the family without having to liquidate it for estate taxes, but not this terrible pernicious threat you describe.
No hunting on NC land.
No hunting on NC land.
Research various articles in Range Magazine out of Carson City, Nevada. The Nature Conservancy sells a great notion with the idea of preserving the land for future generations, but they have sold such holdings for development in the past, and I am confident they will again in the future. An annual subscription to Range is $20 for quarterly issues. Worth the money. They also have a web site...www.rangemagazine.com.