Letter to the Editor

For Immediate Release

September 5, 2006

Good News From Washington: Tax Cut for Conservation on Private Land

Dear Editor:

Those of us concerned with land conservation received some good news recently.
H.R. 4, a pension bill containing an expanded tax incentive for conservation easement donations was passed into law on August 17th. A key figure in making this happen was the Land Trust Alliance, a national organization and strategist that represents more than 1500 land trusts across the country, including the Genesee Land Trust. Additionally this bill’s passing is a culmination of a lot of hard work on behalf of many groups including individual land trusts, sportsmen groups, farmers, ranchers and many others in the conservation community.

This tax law constitutes a great victory for all that care about land conservation as it will help us to protect more clean water, natural areas and family farms. The law enhances the federal tax benefits for landowners who donate voluntary conservation agreements. These agreements can provide a win-win solution for protecting resources important to our community while keeping land in productive private ownership.

What Congress did in passing this tax law was make conservation more beneficial for many modest income landowners who, under the old rules, only got credit for a small portion of the value of their donation. Now, a conservation donor can deduct up to 50 percent of their adjusted gross income in any year (up to 30%), and, if most of their income is from farming, ranching or forestry, they can deduct all of their income. Even more important is that if the value of their donation is larger than this, they can continue to use the deduction for up to 15 years (up from five) after the initial year.

These agreements, often referred to as conservation easements, are permanent donations to a land trust, like Genesee Land Trust, of a landowner’s development rights to their land or portions of their land, in order to protect specific natural, scenic, or historic property. The landowner continues to own and mange their land, and continues to pay local taxes. The public gets protection of these natural resources that are an important heritage for our community, a legacy left for generations to come.

Genesee Land Trust, Rochester’s local land trust, currently protects 466 of its more than 2500 acres in conservation easements. This change in the law will enable us to help many more landowners to protect their property, in perpetuity, for their children, enhancing our community and enriching its future.

Protecting privately owned lands through conservation agreements has been a prominent component of our not-for-profit throughout all of its 17 year existence. From “Amy’s Woods” in Ontario to “Crowfields” in Arcadia to “Big Woods” in Webster, to mention just a few of our named easements, it’s clearly understood that the public benefits greatly when privately owned resources are saved.

Genesee Land Trust appreciates the leadership of the Land Trust Alliance and others who encouraged Congress to pass this important bill which strengthens our resolve as we continue our work for the greater Rochester area. We are delighted to share this news with the public.

Gay Mills, Executive Director
Genesee Land Trust

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Contact:
Margaret Potter, Assistant Director
Genesee Land Trust
500 East Ave., Suite 200
Rochester NY 14607
256-2130
info@geneseelandtrust.org