FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Janelle Castro
Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust
315.779.2239 | tughilloutreach@nnymail.com
PHILADELPHIA, NY -- “When it’s time for me to leave this earth, I know I will be leaving my land better than how I found it,” stated fifth generation dairy farmer, William (Bill) Gleisner, “I value the tranquility and peacefulness of the land – and I want to keep it that way.”
Bill Gleisner and his brother, Charles (Chuck), moved to the North Country in the late 1970s from Ohio looking for good farmland and somewhere they could call home. At the time, farmers in Ohio were being pushed out of their land due to development; Bill and Chuck knew they wanted to continue farming, or as Bill put it, “Once you get the manure under your fingernails, it is always there.”
Since then, Bill and Chuck have been farming together in the Town of Philadelphia, NY. But now, they have done something more – they have protected their land, ensuring it will remain available for agricultural purposes, and compatible uses, forever. Fort Drum, Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust and Ducks Unlimited partnered with the Gleisner brothers through the Army Compatible Use Buffer (ACUB) program.
The purpose of the ACUB program is to limit use or development of property near the Fort Drum installation to agricultural and forestry uses. This minimizes encroachment while protecting conservation values and open space. Encroachment is defined here as urban development surrounding military installations that negatively affect the ability of the military to train realistically.
"The North Country is a special place, and it is partnerships like these
that make Fort Drum so unique,” stated Michael H. McKinnon, Fort Drum Deputy Garrison Commander. “From the early days when the 10th Mountain Division was activated, the North Country community embraced the military as one of its own. Today, the ACUB program continues in that same tradition and is a great example of neighbors working together to protect family farms, while preserving Fort Drum's training capability well into the future."
The ACUB program benefits the Army, as well as the land trust and the landowner. The Army maintains or enhances training capabilities, Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust protects open space, and the landowner is paid not to develop their land, and in this case, the landowners will continue to farm.
After thirty years of working the land together, the Gleisner brothers are still at it. “We work together; we bail hay together – we do everything together, and that’s something special that not many families have,” explains Bill.
With six children and three grandchildren he is hoping to keep the land in his family, “Hopefully one day my kids will take over the farm and keep it going, but even if they don’t I can rest in peace knowing that it will not be developed. Someone will be able to farm it, and that’s the most important thing to me.”
Totaling 274 acres, Bill and Chuck Gleisner’s farms are the fifth and sixth properties to be protected by Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust through the ACUB program. With the addition of these properties, over 1,300 acres have been conserved with agricultural agreements through the ACUB conservation partnership program.
“The ACUB program strengthens our local farming community by providing financial resources to these farm families,” explained Linda Garrett, Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust Executive Director, “The Gleisner brothers are leaders in our community; they have a great connection to their land and share a passion for the long-term importance of farming. Through this program they will be able to either invest the funds they receive back into the farm or pass it on to the next generation – and most importantly the land will continue to be available for agriculture.”
When participating with the ACUB program, farm families work with Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust and Ducks Unlimited to create a conservation plan for the property. The plan addresses immediate and long-term goals, while ensuring flexibility for future operations. Farm families are then paid through the ACUB program for the appraised value of their non-farm development rights, as determined by a state-qualified appraiser familiar with this type of conservation project. The properties remain in private ownership and stay on the tax rolls. The farmers are not told how to farm or manage their land in the agreement, as Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust believes farmers are important stewards of the land.
Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust and the Army have worked in partnership with Ducks Unlimited as part of the ACUB program when a farm or property contains bird habitat that the farmer and Ducks Unlimited are interested in conserving. This beautiful and productive land and its associated wetlands will now be able to provide important wildlife habitat.
To learn more about the ACUB program please visit their website or contact Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust Executive Director, Linda Garrett at 315.779.8240, email thtomorr@northnet.org or visit www.tughilltomorrowlandtrust.org.
Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust is a nonprofit regional community-based organization that works with local landowners to protect and foster responsible stewardship practices of working forests and farms. The organization also hosts educational and recreational programs free to the community to help connect children and families to the land within the Tug Hill region.
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]]>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lisa V. Hancock
215-513-0100 | lhancock@mclt.org
LIMERICK, PA -- Standing against the idyllic backdrop of the Hawthorne Farm in Limerick Township today, local conservation leaders celebrated the preservation of the farm and recognized Representative Jim Gerlach for his leadership on legislation that helps family farmers conserve their lands for future generations.
Don Hawthorne donated a conservation easement on 28 acres of his farm to Montgomery County Lands Trust in order to preserve an active Christmas tree farm, fruit orchard, and blueberry patch prized by the local community. Mr. Hawthorne was able to protect his property thanks to a 2006 tax incentive that has helped thousands of farmers, ranchers and other landowners of modest means to conserve their land. That incentive is scheduled to expire at the end of 2011. Congressmen Jim Gerlach (R-PA) introduced H.R. 1964 last month to make this important tax incentive permanent.To date, this bipartisan bill has 260 co-sponsors representing 48 states. A companion bill (S.339) that has been introduced in the Senate has 14 co-sponsors.
"Knowing that farming will likely continue on this land long after I am gone gives me peace of mind. It really would be wonderful if the federal tax incentive would be made permanent so other farmers who choose to preserve their land can benefit," said landowner Don Hawthorne.
Voluntary conservation agreements, also known as conservation easements, are a popular tool for protecting natural areas, working farms, and ranches and can make it easier for families to leave their land to the next generation. A landowner who grants a conservation easement continues to own and manage his or her land, but restricts its use to protect the property’s significant natural, agricultural, scenic and open space resources, or “conservation values.”
“Without a doubt, the conservation easement tax credit is a tremendously practical option for many landowners and an effective tool for preserving farmland and natural resources that contribute immensely to the quality of life in our communities. Many of my colleagues in Congress seem to understand. That's why at a time when Congress seldom reaches a consensus, this legislation has received overwhelming bipartisan support from 270 members of the U.S. House of Representatives said Congressman Jim Gerlach (PA-6th district). And that's why I am extremely honored to work side-by-side with Montgomery County Lands Trust, Natural Lands Trust, the Brandywine Conservancy and other organizations to permanently extend the conservation easement tax incentive for family farmers, moderate-income property owners and others.”
The enhanced tax incentive applies to a landowner’s federal income tax. It:
“We at Montgomery County Lands Trust believe conservation has broad benefits when we work with our generous partners,” said Dulcie F. Flaharty, Executive Director of Montgomery County Lands Trust. “The preservation of the Hawthorne farm and other landscapes dear to our local communities was made possible due to personal generosity, complemented by the conservation tax incentive. Congressman Gerlach’s leadership on the land conservation caucus has helped produce an outcome that will deepen the impact of the work done by the Trust. Thank you, Congressman for making possible the realization of conservation dreams that were previously out-of-reach for many land owners.”
“Congressman Gerlach deserves significant credit for taking the lead in introducing this legislation to permanently extend the enhanced tax incentive for donating conservation easements,” said Sherri Evans-Stanton, Director of the Brandywine Conservancy’s Environmental Management Center. More than 83,000 acres of critical farmland, natural, cultural and recreational resources have been permanently protected within Gerlach’s congressional district. Many landowners were able to utilize this important conservation tool. When landowners donate conservation easements to preserve their land, they are voluntarily giving up value in what for many is their greatest asset. This bill has the positive effect of returning some of that value to the landowner, and by doing so, encourages more land and natural resource preservation.”
The economic benefits of preserving open space are clearly documented in this region. A recent study commissioned by the GreenSpace Alliance and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission found that open space in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties adds $16.3 billion to the region’s home values, saves more than $130 million in water treatment and flood control costs, and, through recreation at area parks and trails, avoids $1.3 billion in health related costs.
“Preserving open space contributes to our quality of life in countless ways,” noted Molly Morrison, President of Natural Lands Trust. “However, preserved lands are more than just pretty places, they are productive assets that make substantial contributions to our economy. Congressman Gerlach and his colleagues understand that encouraging donations of conservation easements isn’t just good for our environment, it is good for our economy, as well.”
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]]>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: David Kotker
Membership Coordinator
978-248-2055 | kotker@mountgrace.org