Working for a Permanent Easement Incentive

Great news! On May 22, 2008, Congress approved a two-year extension of the expanded federal tax incentive for conservation easement donations! By allowing landowners to deduct a larger portion of their income over a longer period of time, the easement incentive has increased the pace of conservation by perhaps a million acres a year.

The incentive had expired January 1st, but thanks to the hard work of land trusts across the country, it is now retroactive to the beginning of the year and will last through 2009. Now we need your help to make this incentive permanent!

Senators Max Baucus (D-MT) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) were honored for their leadership at a reception celebrating the incentive. See more photos and remarks from the reception.

Key Resources on the Renewed Incentive:

• Grassroots Toolkit to Thank Congress and Spread the Word
• Alliance Press Release on the Renewed Incentive
  
• Resources and Frequently Asked Questions on Using the Easement Incentive
• Text from the Farm Bill that Renewed the Easement Incentive
  
  

Support Bipartisan Legislation to Make the Easement Incentive Permanent

Representatives Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Dave Camp (R-MI) introduced legislation (H.R. 1576) to make the easement incentive permanent.  That bill has a bipartisan list of 181 cosponsors from all parts of the country. Senators Max Baucus (D-MT) and Charles Grassley (R-IA) have introduced similar legislation in the Senate (S. 469), with 27 cosponsors. Please ask your Members of Congress to cosponsor and thank those who have!

• Tools and Advice on How You Can Help
  
• Current List of Cosponsors and Key Members to Reach
  
• Tell Us About Your Success; Take the Tax Incentive Survey!
  
• Key Letters of Support for the Conservation Tax Incentive
  

Click here for a detailed cosponsor map.

How the Easement Incentive Works

Since 2006, thousands of family farmers, ranchers, and other moderate-income landowners were able to conserve the land they love while obtaining a significant tax benefit for making the charitable donation of a conservation easement.

• Frequently Asked Questions
  
• Conservation Tax Incentive Media Coverage
  
• Resources on Using the Easement Incentive

The Conservation Tax Incentive Coalition

A diverse list of more than 50 national agricultural, conservation, and sportsmen’s organizations support making this important conservation tool permanent:

• American Bird Conservancy
• American Farm Bureau Foundation
• American Farmland Trust
• American Fisheries Society
• American Sportfishing Association
• Archery Trade Association
• ArrowSport
• Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
• B.A.S.S./ESPN Outdoors
• Bear Trust International
• Berkley Conservation Institute
• Boone and Crockett Club
• Bowhunting Preservation Alliance
• Campfire Club of America
• Civil War Preservation Trust
• Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation
• The Conservation Fund
• Conservation Force
• Dallas Safari Club
• Delta Waterfowl Foundation
• Ducks Unlimited
• Environmental Defense Fund
• Houston Safari Club
• Izaak Walton League of America
• Land Trust Alliance
• Mule Deer Foundation
• National Audubon Society
• National Cattleman's Beef Association
• National Shooting Sports Foundation
• National Wild Turkey Federation
• The Nature Conservancy
• National Trust for Historic Preservation
• North American Grouse Partnership
• Foundation for North American Wild Sheep
• Partnership of Rangeland Trusts
• Pheasants Forever
• Piedmont Environmental Council
• Quail Unlimited
• Quality Deer Management Association
• Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
• Safari Club International
• Scenic America
• Texas Wildlife Association
• Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
• Trout Unlimited
• Trust for Public Land
• The Vital Ground Foundation
• Whitetails Unlimited
• Wildlife Land Trust
• Wildlife Management Institute
• The Wildlife Society