In all the hoopla surrounding the current stimulus package, it's easy to forget that other stimulus bill -- the one in 2008 that resulted in a good-sized check for many U.S. taxpayers.  Forgetting about that earlier stimulus, and any of the other major tax changes in 2008, could mean missing out on some much-needed cash when you file your tax return this year.  There were six "pretty significant pieces of tax legislation" in 2008, said Mark Luscombe, a principal analyst with CCH, Inc., a Riverwoods, Ill., tax publisher, including bills related to housing, farming, the military, pensions, and two on the economy.  Read full story >>

Contact:
Sandy Stuart Perry
Communications Manager
Phone: (908) 234-1225 x 104
E-mail: sandy@njconservation.org

Retiring Congressman Saxton honored by environmentalists

Tuckerton, NJ - Calling Jim Saxton “a champion for conservation,” New Jersey environmental leaders lauded the retiring congressman on Friday, Oct. 24, at a luncheon at the Jacques Cousteau Education Center.

More than 50 people attended the luncheon to honor Saxton, who is retiring from the House of Representatives after 24 years representing New Jersey’s Third District. To thank Saxton for his work, the environmental groups presented him with a plaque and a framed photograph by New Jersey nature photographer Dwight Hiscano. A conference room at the Cousteau Center was also named in his honor.

“Today is a topper,” said Saxton after accepting the awards. “It’s been one of the highlights of my life, to be here with you.”

Speaker after speaker at the luncheon praised Saxton for his conservation legacy.

"Jim Saxton has worked tirelessly to protect New Jersey's environment. His work on the 2008 Farm Bill, the conservation easement tax incentive and the recent passing of his bipartisan Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program Act in the House will help us protect more precious lands and natural resources," said Michele S. Byers, Executive Director, New Jersey Conservation Foundation. "His voice and impact in the U.S. Congress will be missed."

During his tenure, Saxton established a reputation as a leading conservationist in Congress, working for clean water, clean air, open space, and coastal and wildlife protection. His diverse district reaches from the banks of the Delaware River to the shores of Long Beach Island, including nearly half of the federally protected, 1.1 million-acre Pinelands National Reserve, vast farmlands, over 35 miles of shoreline, barrier islands, three bays and estuaries.

Saxton was chairman of the House Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans Subcommittee from 1994-2000, and was the Vice Chairman of the House Fish and Oceans Subcommittee from 2001-2006. He currently serves as the No. 2 Ranking Member of the Natural Resources Committee.

“Congressman Jim Saxton has been a champion for conservation during his distinguished career in Congress. His record of improving conservation here in New Jersey and across the nation is remarkable," said Barbara Brummer, Executive Director, The Nature Conservancy, New Jersey Chapter. “On behalf of The Nature Conservancy, I wish to convey our deepest thanks to Congressman Saxton for all he has done to protect and restore our nation's natural treasures."

“Few elected officials have the courage of leadership to simply do the right thing,” added Eric Stiles, Vice President for Conservation and Stewardship, New Jersey Audubon Society. “Congressman Jim Saxton has distinguished himself as a national hero in championing wildlife and open space conservation. We hope others follow his non-partisan path of bravery for future generations.”

“Congressman Saxton is a long standing supporter of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge and the entire 96-million acre National Wildlife Refuge System and has an outstanding conservation record,” said Steve Atzert, project leader, Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge. “The Congressman sponsored the National Wildlife Refuge System Volunteer and Partnership Enhancement Act of 1998, which allowed the Service to take giant steps in three very important areas: recruitment and use of volunteers, expansion and use of partnerships, and simplifying the rules governing financial donations to specific refuges.”

“From his early days as a state legislator through his long tenure in Congress, Jim Saxton has been a staunch advocate for our natural resources.  Thanks to his leadership, future generations will have the opportunity to enjoy clean water, natural areas and wildlife. He will be sorely missed,” said Michael Catania, President of Conservation Resources Inc.

“Congressman Saxton's dedication and commitment to conservation has advanced understanding, management and protection of the nation's coasts and estuaries,” stated Mike DeLuca, senior associate director, Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University. “His passionate stewardship, legislative acumen, and devotion to protecting coastal resources will enable future generations to enjoy these wonderful treasures.  He is truly a champion of the coast.”

Carleton Montgomery, executive director, Pinelands Preservation Alliance, said, "In championing the Pinelands Limited Practical Use program, Congressman Saxton creatively combined his commitment to open space preservation with his concern for the impacts of environmental regulations on individual landowners.” Montgomery added, “The program has benefited hundreds of landowners and protected more than a thousand of acres of Pinelands forests and wetlands."

“Congressman Saxon has been a steadfast champion for the oceans and coast,” said Tim Dillingham, executive director, American Littoral Society. “His leadership, vision and commitment will be hard to replace.”

Cosponsoring the event were the Institute of Marine & Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University; New Jersey Conservation Foundation; The Nature Conservancy, New Jersey Chapter; American Littoral Society; Pinelands Preservation Alliance; Conservation Resources, Inc.; New Jersey Audubon Society; The Trust for Public Land and the Barnegat Bay National Estuary Program.

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WHAT IS THE CONSERVATION COMMUNITY SAYING ABOUT JIM SAXTON?

"Jim Saxton has worked tirelessly to protect New Jersey's environment. His work on the 2008 Farm Bill, the conservation easement tax incentive and the recent passing of his bipartisan Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program Act in the House will help us protect more precious lands and natural resources. His voice and impact in the U.S. Congress will be missed."
- Michele Byers, executive director, New Jersey Conservation Foundation

“Congressman Saxton is a long standing supporter of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge and the entire 96-million acre National Wildlife Refuge System and has an outstanding conservation record. The Congressman co-founded the bipartisan House Wildlife Refuge Caucus in 2006 and is its co-chair. There are now 146 members representing 42 States in the caucus. The Congressman sponsored the National Wildlife Refuge System Volunteer and Partnership Enhancement Act of 1998. The Act allowed the Service to take giant steps in three very important areas: recruitment and use of volunteers, expansion and use of partnerships, and simplifying the rules governing financial donations to specific refuges. Congressman Saxton understood that there are areas in New Jersey essential to safeguarding this Nation's fish and wildlife and plant community treasures for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans and he supported appropriations to protect those areas.”
- Steve Atzert, project leader, Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge

"The Trust for Public Land salutes Congressman Saxton for his tremendous support of conservation in the Barnegat Bay watershed, the New Jersey Pinelands, and across the nation throughout his 24-year career in Congress. His leadership was key in establishing the Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program, which has enabled communities in New Jersey to protect critical shoreline areas and ensure greater public access to the coast. Congressman Saxton's strong commitment to protecting these special places has left a lasting legacy for future generations and we wish him the best of luck in his retirement."
- Anthony Cucchi, New Jersey field office director of the Trust for Public Land

“People living in coastal communities anywhere owe Jim Saxton their gratitude for his decades of steadfast commitment to protect the environment and its natural resources. Congressman Saxton has always recognized that clean water and air and healthy coastal ecosystems are the foundations that sustain the economies and quality of life in our Nation’s coastal communities.  Without his support, the many successes of the National Estuary Program in tackling tough environmental issues, using sound science to achieve consensus, leveraging funding to restore wetlands, improving public education about estuaries, and engaging the public would not have been possible.”
- Stanton Hales, program director of the Barnegat Bay National Estuary Program

"In championing the Pinelands Limited Practical Use program, Congressman Saxton creatively combined his commitment to open space preservation with his concern for the impacts of environmental regulations on individual landowners. The program compensates people who own very small, unbuildable lots in the Pinelands in exchange for preserving these parcels.  It has benefited hundreds of landowners and protected more than a thousand of acres of Pinelands forests and wetlands."
- Carleton Montgomery, executive director, Pinelands Preservation Alliance

“Congressman Saxon has been a steadfast champion for the oceans and coast. His leadership, vision and commitment will be hard to replace.”
- Tim Dillingham, executive director, American Littoral Society

“From his early days as a state legislator through his long tenure in Congress, Jim Saxton has been a staunch advocate for our natural resources.  Thanks to his leadership, future generations will have the opportunity to enjoy clean water, natural areas and wildlife. He will be sorely missed.”
- Michael Catania, President of Conservation Resources Inc.

“Congressman Saxton's dedication and commitment to conservation has advanced understanding, management and protection of the nation's coasts and estuaries. His passionate stewardship, legislative acumen, and devotion to protecting coastal resources will enable future generations to enjoy these wonderful treasures. He is truly a champion of the coast.”
- Mike DeLuca, senior associate director, Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University

“Few elected officials have the courage of leadership to simply do the right thing. Congressman Jim Saxton has distinguished himself as a national hero in championing wildlife and open space conservation. We hope others follow his non-partisan path of bravery for future generations.”
- Eric Stiles, Vice President for Conservation and Stewardship, New Jersey Audubon Society

"Congressman Jim Saxton has been a champion for conservation during his distinguished career in Congress. His record of improving conservation here in New Jersey and across the nation is remarkable. On behalf of The Nature Conservancy, I wish to convey our deepest thanks to Congressman Saxton for all he has done to protect and restore our nation's natural treasures."
- Barbara Brummer, Executive Director, The Nature Conservancy, New Jersey Chapter

Contact: Rob Aldrich
Director of Communications
202.800.2225 | raldrich@lta.org

Training and Other Resources Provided to Enhance Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program Projects

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is partnering with the Land Trust Alliance to ensure the success of the public’s investment in conservation easements under the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP). This formal agreement will make the Alliance’s integrated suite of online and in-person information and training resources available to all NRCS partners through the FRPP, building their capacity and ensuring the long-term stewardship of conservation easements. 

“I welcome this partnership as a way to share the collective wisdom of the private land conservation community gained over the past 30 years,” said Land Trust Alliance President Rand Wentworth.  “We offer efficient and effective delivery of authoritative information and training that is the best in the land conservation community.”

With the collaboration of the land trust community, the Alliance first created Land Trust Standards and Practices in 1989.  These are the guidelines for the responsible operation of a land trust which is run legally, ethically and in the public interest, and which conducts a sound program of land transactions and stewardship.  It also created the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, to recognize land trusts that meet national quality standards, uphold the public trust and ensure that conservation efforts are permanent.

A key aspect of the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program is the public-private partnership. The NRCS and Land Trust Alliance partnership provides training and other resources to entities applying for FRPP funding, which will foster stronger conservation partnerships on individual FRPP projects.

The Alliance will provide NRCS\FRPP partners with two services: 1) a voucher worth $250 to be used for training opportunities, and 2) access to its online Learning Center.

The online Learning Center provides authoritative, current and accurate information for and about land conservation; the Standards and Practices Curriculum; forums to ask questions of experts; a searchable library; and the Conservation Defense Clearinghouse, a collection of legal information on voluntary land conservation.

Training opportunities include on-line training through webinars, while in-person training will be delivered at the National Land Conservation Conference – Rally and regional workshops.

To request these services, NRCS/FRPP partners should complete an application form and submit that to the Alliance.  The form can be found on the Alliance website or USDA website or contact Bart Zerfas at bzerfas@lta.org or 202-800-2211.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service's (NRCS) Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP) is a voluntary easement program that protects productive agricultural land by providing funds for the purchase of conservation easements to limit conversion of farm and ranch lands to non-agricultural uses. NRCS partners with state, tribal or local governments, and non-governmental organizations to fund the acquisition of conservation easements or other interests in land from private landowners.

The Land Trust Alliance is a national conservation organization that leads a national network of 1,700 land trusts – local, nonprofit organizations working to protect clean water, local food, and places to play in their communities.  We increase the pace of conservation, so more land and natural resources get protected. We enhance the quality of conservation, so the most important lands get protected using best practices. And we ensure the permanence of conservation by creating the laws and resources needed to defend protected land over time.

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If you think this new filing requirement may apply to your organization, go to http://www.irs.gov/charities/index.html for complete details.

Yesterday, Congress overrode a Presidential veto to pass the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008. Although there was a clerical error in the process, it largely concerns a 34-page segment of the bill that was not in the copy of the bill the President vetoed (and is unrelated to the conservation provisions we have focused on).*

In addition to renewing the easement incentive, this bill:

• Provides a total of $733 million over 5 years for the Farmland Protection Program. It also clarifies the eligibility of land trusts to participate directly and specifies the following funding levels: $97M in FY08, $121M in FY09, $150M in FY10, $175M in FY11 and $200M in FY12.
• Re-establishes the Grassland Reserve Program with a goal of 1.22 million acres, funded with an estimated $300 million.

Click here for the exact language.

Thank you for adding your voice to the hundreds of land trusts and dozens of conservation, wildlife, sportsmen's and agricultural organizations that helped make this victory possible. We have powerful champions in Senators Max Baucus (D-MT) and Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Representatives Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Dave Camp (R-MI), but champions alone have failed to extend dozens of other popular tax provisions that expired this year. Your passion, and those many urgent phone calls made all the difference!

How You Can Help

Pat yourself on the back!  Soon, we'll be releasing a new "grassroots toolkit" full of templates to spread the news about this important conservation tool in your community, and to re-launch our campaign to make the incentive permanent. But today is all about saying thank you:

• Send thank-you emails to all the board members, partners and individual supporters who you've asked to contact Congress throughout this process.
• Fax thank you letters to each Senator and Representative who did anything to support the easement incentive, from cosponsoring S.469 or H.R. 1576 to voting for the final Farm Bill. Click here for a sample letter including links to those lists.
• Send a brief personal email or handwritten note to any Congressional staff members who were particularly helpful.
• Thank any reporters who covered your work with the easement incentive. Consider forwarding a copy of our press release with a personal note.

Of course, we're disappointed the conservation tax incentive wasn't made permanent, but this two-year extension has the potential to help us conserve an area twice the size of Rhode Island--forever. That's a legacy for future generations we can truly be proud of! 

Thank you!

Russ Shay                          
Director of Public Policy   
Land Trust Alliance                
rshay@lta.org           
202-638-4725

Sign up to be a Land Trust ADVOCATE
Land Trust Alliance ~ 1660 L St. NW, Suite 1100 ~ Washington DC, 20036 ~ 202-638-4725

Our Mission: To save the places people love by strengthening land conservation across America.

* Interested in the controversy over how the veto was done?  In short, House and Senate parliamentary experts believe that all parts of the Farm Bill except the 34-page international trade section that wasn't in the package that the President vetoed are now law.

Here are excerpts from the Washington Post account:

With an overwhelming 82 to 13 vote, the Senate yesterday completed the override of President Bush's veto of a comprehensive farm bill, shrugging off Republican concerns about an embarrassing legislative glitch to make the $307 billion bill the law of the land.

House GOP leaders continued to grumble that Democrats had violated the Constitution by pressing forward with the veto override after they discovered that a whole section of the bill on trade policy had been inadvertently dropped from the version vetoed Wednesday.

But Democratic leaders said they had court precedent and constitutional scholars on their side. "The veto override will have the force of law," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

Senate Republican leaders appeared unconcerned. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and Senate Republican Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander (Tenn.) were among the 35 Republicans who joined in the most significant legislative rebuff of Bush's presidency.

Lawmakers said they would take up the farm law's trade section as a separate bill and pass it after their Memorial Day break.

An enrolling clerk dropped the section, which includes international food aid programs, as the measure was being sent to the White House.

House Democratic leaders did push the entire farm bill back through the House again yesterday, in case they decide to start the process over again. But that appeared doubtful after the Senate's action.

Citing the Supreme Court's 1892 decision in Field v. Clark, House parliamentarian John Sullivan released a statement yesterday saying that "the law that would result from a bicameral override of the President's veto on H.R. 2419 would be the text that was presented to the President on parchment, notwithstanding its omission of the congressionally intended [trade] title."

Lastly, from Congress Daily:  "White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said the administration is treating the bill as law, although he continued to criticize its provisions."

Contact:
Allison Mitchell
Policy Director
Phone: (908) 234-1225 x 107
E-mail: alison@njconservation.org

Menendez honored for land conservation efforts

Nework, NJ – U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) was honored by conservationists yesterday for his help in securing a two-year extension of a federal income tax incentive for preserving land. Alison Mitchell, policy director for New Jersey Conservation Foundation, presented Menendez with an award on behalf of New Jersey Conservation Foundation and America’s land trust and conservation community.

“Senator Menendez continues to be a staunch advocate for land preservation and environmental protection,” said Mitchell, who visited the senator’s office in Newark. “His assistance was critical in extending the conservation easement tax incentive in the 2008 Farm Bill, an important measure that helps New Jersey’s and America’s land trusts increase the pace of land conservation. The easement incentive is particularly important now in New Jersey, given that state preservation funding has not been renewed.”

“Protecting clean water and air, preserving recreational open spaces, and combating urban sprawl are important to ensuring a better quality of life for our communities, families, and children,” said Menendez. "The federal conservation easement tax incentive is a valuable tool in our fight to save open space."

A conservation easement is a legally enforceable agreement that preserves privately held open space to protect a variety of natural resources, including wildlife habitat, water, farmland and scenic viewsheds.
 
Conservation easements can be donated to qualified non-profit land trusts and government agencies that agree to monitor the land to ensure that the easement is not violated. Easement donors continue to own their land and control access to it; some conservation easements provide limited public access.

Landowners can receive a federal tax break for donating conservation easements or selling easements at a “bargain sale” (less than market value) price. Landowners receive a tax deduction for making what can amount to a substantial charitable gift, in addition to the knowledge that they are protecting lands that have significant benefits to their community.

The extended tax incentive raises the maximum deduction a donor can take for donating a conservation easement from 30 percent of their adjusted gross income (AGI) in any year to 50 percent; allows qualified farmers and ranchers to deduct up to 100 percent of their AGI; and increases the number of years over which a donor can take deductions from 6 to 16 years.

Many important properties in New Jersey have been donated or sold at prices significantly below their market value by landowners who value the preservation of our state’s natural heritage.

"Throughout my tenure in Congress," Senator Menendez added, "I have strongly supported programs that would protect our open spaces and trails, such as the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the National Park Service's Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program, which help to ensure that all of our outdoor spaces are adequately protected for years to come.”
 
The national Land Trust Alliance has worked with local land trusts across the country to help secure and build awareness of the conservation tax incentive among landowners, attorneys and tax advisors. For more information on how to donate a conservation easement, contact New Jersey Conservation Foundation at 908-234-1225.

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PHOTO CAPTION:
Senator Robert Menendez receives award from Alison Mitchell, left,
and Amy Hansen of the New Jersey Conservation Foundation

For Immediate Release
March 6, 2008

Contact:
Jim Wyerman
Director, Communications & Development
Phone: 202-638-4725 x 310
E-mail: jwyerman@lta.org

Legislators call for more accountability in Colorado's conservation easement tax credit
Vow to "make a successful program stronger"

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.

Additional photos are available; e-mail pressroom@lta.org