As a national land conservation organization that represents approximately 950-member land trusts supported by more than 250,000 volunteers and 6.3 million members nationwide, the Land Trust Alliance works passionately to advance federal policies and secure resources that support land trusts. Our policy agenda for 2022 reflects the need to accelerate the pace of voluntary private land conservation while recognizing the important economic contribution of our community.
Download this agenda as a PDF.2022 Policy Agenda
Response to national emergencies: Seek resources to assist land trusts
Land trusts can be impacted by national emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The Alliance will continue to monitor and analyze emergency response legislation and advocate for policies and resources that bolster our community in times of crisis.
Federal agency capacity: Enhance land trust access to federal conservation funds
To get federal funds for conservation on the ground more efficiently, we will advocate for increased staffing levels at federal agencies as well as reduced administrative barriers to federal conservation programs, particularly for historically underserved groups.
CONSERVATION FUNDING
Farm Bill: Lead the charge on reauthorization, rulemaking and implementation
The Farm Bill is the single largest source of federal funding for private land conservation and a top priority for the Alliance. We will continue to lead our members through the ongoing 2018 Farm Bill implementation process and prepare strong recommendations for the upcoming 2023 Farm Bill reauthorization cycle.
Additional conservation programs: Advocate for robust national and regional funding
The Alliance will advocate for sustained and new funding for key federal conservation programs, advancing our work with the North American Wetlands Conservation Act and with regional programs such as the Great Lakes and Chesapeake Bay.
Expand access: Pursue opportunities for third-party holders in new and existing programs
Land trusts are equipped to increase the rate of conservation if the right tools are available. The Alliance will pursue legislation to increase opportunities for third parties to hold easements under new and existing conservation programs.
TAX ISSUES
Tax shelters: Put an end to abusive conservation easement tax shelters
Abusive conservation easement tax shelters continue to cost taxpayers billions of dollars while putting at risk our public goodwill along with the critical federal policy and funding programs it helped us secure. The Alliance will continue to advocate in support of legislative and administrative actions to halt the abuse.
IRS reform: Inoculate conservation donations and tax credits from harm
The IRS continues to focus on innocent donor documentation mistakes (often called “foot faults”) that result in disqualification of truly charitable donations. The Alliance is working to safeguard these donations by pursuing legislation that reorients the IRS from focusing on such minor mistakes. Additionally, the Alliance is actively working with Congress to exempt conservation donations from the State and Local Tax limitation.
ENERGY AND CLIMATE SOLUTIONS
Natural climate solutions: Drive funding to land trusts to protect resilient lands
Land trusts can lead the way in addressing the impacts of climate change. Our goal is to promote policies and funding that advance natural climate solutions while supporting the protection, restoration and stewardship of open and working lands that increase climate resilience. The Alliance recognizes that proper forest management and responsible grassland management, including proper ruminant animal grazing techniques, can support these goals.
30x30: Protect 30% of America’s lands and waters by 2030
In light of growing calls to adopt policies that will accelerate conservation, the federal government has established targets to protect 30% of America’s lands and waters by 2030. The Alliance will advocate for ambitious national land conservation targets and strategies that drive resources to land trusts, which are uniquely equipped to work with private landowners to protect more land to achieve this goal.
Energy siting solutions: Advance conservation-compatible energy infrastructure
Increasing pressure to site energy infrastructure, including renewable energy projects, on conserved lands is putting our community’s land conservation work in jeopardy. The Alliance is coordinating with our members to educate decision-makers on the importance of the sustainable location of energy infrastructure as guided by regional perspectives and without undermining the essential conservation values the land trust community works hard to protect.
CONSERVATION AND JOB CREATION
Civilian Conservation Corps: Creating good jobs that bolster conservation
The unprecedented challenges of our era call for large-scale solutions. A reimagined nationwide conservation corps modeled after the Civilian Conservation Corps of a century ago would provide much-needed opportunities for underemployed Americans and address the growing backlog of park maintenance, habitat restoration and hands-on stewardship needs across the country. The Alliance will advocate for the creation of a new corps that fosters opportunities for land trusts to partner with corps programs to address stewardship needs, enhance recreational access and build capacity for habitat restoration on private lands.