Read the complete letter. (PDF)
Learn more about Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program.
The following members of Congress signed on:
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Nonprofit organizations have won an extension of a generous tax incentive for donations of land or historically important property under a law approved by Congress Thursday.
A two-year extension of the so-called conservation easement deduction was included in a bill to protect farmers, which became law Thursday over President Bush’s veto.
]]>Contact: Russ Shay
Director of Public Policy
202-638-4725 x 305
rshay@lta.org
May 23, 2008
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The hotly debated Farm Bill, which Congress enacted yesterday with an override of the President’s veto, renews a powerful tax incentive which has helped conserve a million or more acres of farms, ranches and natural areas across the US. The incentive had expired January 1st, but is now retroactive to the beginning of the year and will last through 2009.
A broad coalition representing sportsmen, outdoors enthusiasts, farmers, ranchers and national conservation groups, embraced the measure. Rand Wentworth, president of the Land Trust Alliance, said “This renewed tax incentive for donations of conservation easements is one of the best things Congress could do this year to help landowners choose the conservation option over sprawl. Especially for family farmers and ranchers of modest income, this is a great way to help them keep productive agricultural land from being lost.”
Wentworth gave special credit to Senators Max Baucus (D-MT) and Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Representatives Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Dave Camp (R-MI), saying “They are all true conservation leaders who have worked tirelessly to save a conservation measure that has already had benefits in hundreds of communities across the country.” In conserving land, Wentworth added, “We also are protecting clean air, clean water, wildlife habitat, local food sources, historic landscapes and scenic beauty.”
Senator Baucus, who originated the incentive provision, said “Simply put—this is an incentive that works: for conservation, for farmers, for ranchers, and for all landowners who want a fair deal for their tremendous generosity in donating conservation easements. Many ranchers and other landowners in Montana and across the US have told me they could not afford to conserve their land without this measure.”
The incentive, which applies to a landowner’s federal income tax, will:
Landowner donations to conservation organizations known as land trusts have resulted in millions of acres of working lands and natural areas being conserved for the future. According to the Alliance, many conservation groups reported an annual doubling of the number of conservation agreements completed in 2007, in response to the same incentive that had expired in January. Land trusts in America have together saved more than 36 million acres from development, an area the size of New England.
The Alliance also credited the success of the measure to the entrepreneurial spirit of the private sector, which has taken the lead in conserving land in recent years. Said Wentworth, “The fact is that conservation in this country now depends greatly on the generosity of individuals. It is the individual rancher, farmer or forester, working the land in a way that is conservation-oriented, who will largely define our natural heritage in the future.’
Lead Organizations Supporting the Conservation Tax Incentive
American Bird Conservancy
American Farm Bureau Foundation
American Farmland Trust
American Fisheries Society
American Sportfishing Association
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
BASS/ESPN Outdoors
Boone and Crockett Club
Campfire Club of America
Civil War Preservation Trust
The Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation
Conservation Force
The Conservation Fund
Delta Waterfowl Foundation
Ducks Unlimited
Environmental Defense
Foundation for North American Wild Sheep
Izaak Walton League of America
Mule Deer Foundation
National Audubon Society
National Cattleman's Beef Association
National Shooting Sports Foundation
National Wild Turkey Foundation
The Nature Conservancy
North American Grouse Partnership
Partnership of Rangeland Trusts
Pheasants Forever
Piedmont Environmental Council
Quail Unlimited
Quality Deer Management Association
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Safari Club International
Scenic America
Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
Trout Unlimited
The Trust for Public Land
The Vital Ground Foundation
Wildlife Management Institute
The Wildlife Society
This list does not include hundreds of state and local land trusts who were also instrumental in passage of the incentive.
The Land Trust Alliance is a national conservation group that works to save the places people love by strengthening conservation throughout America. It works to increases the pace and quality of conservation by advocating favorable tax policies, training land trusts in best practices and working to ensure the permanence of conservation in the face of continuing threats. This year marks the Alliance’s 25th anniversary.
]]>Contact:
Jim Wyerman
Director, Communications & Development
Phone: 202-638-4725 x 310
E-mail: jwyerman@lta.org
Denver - House Majority Leader Alice Madden (D-Boulder), Rep. Bernie Buescher, (D-Grand Junction) and Rep. Kathleen Curry (D-Gunnison) will join Senator Jim Isgar (D-Hesperus) tomorrow in introducing legislation to add an extra layer of accountability for state conservation easement tax credits.
Scheduled to be introduced Friday as House Bill 1353, the measure will build upon changes enacted last year in HB07-1361, which increased the standards, transparency and accountability for the tax credits.
Conservation easements are sold or donated by private landowners to nonprofits or government agencies to guarantee that a parcel of land will never be developed. Property owners may continue using their land as it has been used but give up the rights to sell the land to developers in the future or to develop it themselves.
The drafting of HB 1353 was guided by the Colorado Conservation Easement Tax Credit Task Force, led by Rep. Madden. The 2007 task force included legislators, landowners, state officials and land trust representatives.
"Colorado has benefited from conservation easements in every corner of the state that protect farms, ranchland, wildlife habitat, scenic and historic landscapes and other unique natural lands. These are places that could have been lost forever to development without the state tax credits," said Rep. Madden. "Our goal is to make this successful program stronger."
"Conservation
easements are a cost-effective way to safeguard Colorado's agricultural
traditions and beautiful places. This bill will ensure that holders of
conservations easements are truly protecting property and accurately
assessing the value of conservation," said Rep. Buescher.
Attention TV news departments: extensive B-roll video of Colorado lands
preserved by conservation easements is available from Eric Anderson
(303-892-9100 ext. 12 or EA@publicpersuasion.com)
HB 1353 has five main components:
1. Increased easement appraisal accountability
The bill will require appraisers to file conservation easement
appraisals with the Colorado Division of Real Estate which will review
the information. If wrongdoing is found, the Board of Real Estate
Appraisers may impose suspensions or other penalties. These appraisers
also will face education and experience requirements.
2. Conservation easement holder certification
A
state certification program for groups that hold conservation easements
will be established by the Division of Real Estate and the Conservation
Easement Oversight Commission. This program will establish minimum
qualifications for these groups, looking at their process for approving
easements, their governance and their financial strength. Only
landowners who work with certified groups will qualify for the tax
credit.
3. More effective oversight
The
Department of Revenue will be allowed to share information with other
state agencies, and the Conservation Easement Oversight Commission, to
ensure it can address concerns about information contained in a tax
credit application.
4. Conservation Easement Oversight Commission
This new commission will advise the Division of Real Estate and Department of Revenue.
5. One-year holding requirement
The bill limits conservation contributions for properties held less than one year.
Additional photos are available; e-mail pressroom@lta.org
]]>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Russ Shay
Director of Public Policy
202-638-4725 x 305
rshay@lta.org
May 23, 2008
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The hotly debated Farm Bill, which Congress enacted yesterday with an override of the President’s veto, renews a powerful tax incentive which has helped conserve a million or more acres of farms, ranches and natural areas across the US. The incentive had expired January 1st, but is now retroactive to the beginning of the year and will last through 2009.
A broad coalition representing sportsmen, outdoors enthusiasts, farmers, ranchers and national conservation groups, embraced the measure. Rand Wentworth, president of the Land Trust Alliance, said “This renewed tax incentive for donations of conservation easements is one of the best things Congress could do this year to help landowners choose the conservation option over sprawl. Especially for family farmers and ranchers of modest income, this is a great way to help them keep productive agricultural land from being lost.”
Wentworth gave special credit to Senators Max Baucus (D-MT) and Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Representatives Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Dave Camp (R-MI), saying “They are all true conservation leaders who have worked tirelessly to save a conservation measure that has already had benefits in hundreds of communities across the country.” In conserving land, Wentworth added, “We also are protecting clean air, clean water, wildlife habitat, local food sources, historic landscapes and scenic beauty.”
Senator Baucus, who originated the incentive provision, said “Simply put—this is an incentive that works: for conservation, for farmers, for ranchers, and for all landowners who want a fair deal for their tremendous generosity in donating conservation easements. Many ranchers and other landowners in Montana and across the US have told me they could not afford to conserve their land without this measure.”
The incentive, which applies to a landowner’s federal income tax, will:
Landowner donations to conservation organizations known as land trusts have resulted in millions of acres of working lands and natural areas being conserved for the future. According to the Alliance, many conservation groups reported an annual doubling of the number of conservation agreements completed in 2007, in response to the same incentive that had expired in January. Land trusts in America have together saved more than 36 million acres from development, an area the size of New England.
The Alliance also credited the success of the measure to the entrepreneurial spirit of the private sector, which has taken the lead in conserving land in recent years. Said Wentworth, “The fact is that conservation in this country now depends greatly on the generosity of individuals. It is the individual rancher, farmer or forester, working the land in a way that is conservation-oriented, who will largely define our natural heritage in the future.’
Lead Organizations Supporting the Conservation Tax Incentive
American Bird Conservancy
American Farm Bureau Foundation
American Farmland Trust
American Fisheries Society
American Sportfishing Association
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
BASS/ESPN Outdoors
Boone and Crockett Club
Campfire Club of America
Civil War Preservation Trust
The Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation
Conservation Force
The Conservation Fund
Delta Waterfowl Foundation
Ducks Unlimited
Environmental Defense
Foundation for North American Wild Sheep
Izaak Walton League of America
Mule Deer Foundation
National Audubon Society
National Cattleman's Beef Association
National Shooting Sports Foundation
National Wild Turkey Foundation
The Nature Conservancy
North American Grouse Partnership
Partnership of Rangeland Trusts
Pheasants Forever
Piedmont Environmental Council
Quail Unlimited
Quality Deer Management Association
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Safari Club International
Scenic America
Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
Trout Unlimited
The Trust for Public Land
The Vital Ground Foundation
Wildlife Management Institute
The Wildlife Society
This list does not include hundreds of state and local land trusts who were also instrumental in passage of the incentive.
The Land Trust Alliance is a national conservation group that works to save the places people love by strengthening conservation throughout America. It works to increases the pace and quality of conservation by advocating favorable tax policies, training land trusts in best practices and working to ensure the permanence of conservation in the face of continuing threats. This year marks the Alliance’s 25th anniversary.
]]>For Immediate Release
March 6, 2008
Contact:
Jim Wyerman
Director, Communications & Development
Phone: 202-638-4725 x 310
E-mail: jwyerman@lta.org
Denver - House Majority Leader Alice Madden (D-Boulder), Rep. Bernie Buescher, (D-Grand Junction) and Rep. Kathleen Curry (D-Gunnison) will join Senator Jim Isgar (D-Hesperus) tomorrow in introducing legislation to add an extra layer of accountability for state conservation easement tax credits.
Scheduled to be introduced Friday as House Bill 1353, the measure will build upon changes enacted last year in HB07-1361, which increased the standards, transparency and accountability for the tax credits.
Conservation easements are sold or donated by private landowners to nonprofits or government agencies to guarantee that a parcel of land will never be developed. Property owners may continue using their land as it has been used but give up the rights to sell the land to developers in the future or to develop it themselves.
The drafting of HB 1353 was guided by the Colorado Conservation Easement Tax Credit Task Force, led by Rep. Madden. The 2007 task force included legislators, landowners, state officials and land trust representatives.
"Colorado has benefited from conservation easements in every corner of the state that protect farms, ranchland, wildlife habitat, scenic and historic landscapes and other unique natural lands. These are places that could have been lost forever to development without the state tax credits," said Rep. Madden. "Our goal is to make this successful program stronger."
"Conservation
easements are a cost-effective way to safeguard Colorado's agricultural
traditions and beautiful places. This bill will ensure that holders of
conservations easements are truly protecting property and accurately
assessing the value of conservation," said Rep. Buescher.
Attention TV news departments: extensive B-roll video of Colorado lands
preserved by conservation easements is available from Eric Anderson
(303-892-9100 ext. 12 or EA@publicpersuasion.com)
HB 1353 has five main components:
1. Increased easement appraisal accountability
The bill will require appraisers to file conservation easement
appraisals with the Colorado Division of Real Estate which will review
the information. If wrongdoing is found, the Board of Real Estate
Appraisers may impose suspensions or other penalties. These appraisers
also will face education and experience requirements.
2. Conservation easement holder certification
A
state certification program for groups that hold conservation easements
will be established by the Division of Real Estate and the Conservation
Easement Oversight Commission. This program will establish minimum
qualifications for these groups, looking at their process for approving
easements, their governance and their financial strength. Only
landowners who work with certified groups will qualify for the tax
credit.
3. More effective oversight
The
Department of Revenue will be allowed to share information with other
state agencies, and the Conservation Easement Oversight Commission, to
ensure it can address concerns about information contained in a tax
credit application.
4. Conservation Easement Oversight Commission
This new commission will advise the Division of Real Estate and Department of Revenue.
5. One-year holding requirement
The bill limits conservation contributions for properties held less than one year.
Additional photos are available; e-mail pressroom@lta.org
]]>