Members of Congress Thanked for Support of Conservation Tax Incentive

To celebrate the recent victory for land conservation, the Land Trust Alliance hosted a reception in early September, honoring members of Congress who helped enact the new conservation tax incentive. This was also an opportunity for Land Trust Alliance to recognize many of the conservation, sportsmen’s, and agricultural organizations and land trusts who helped pass this legislation.

Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA), Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Senator Craig Thomas (R-WY), Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY), Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO), Representative Nancy Johnson (R-CT), Representative Mike Thompson (D-CA), and James Connaughton, chair of President Bush’s Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), were presented awards for their help in moving the new conservation tax incentive through Congress.  Land Trust Alliance President Rand Wentworth presented awards to each of them along with Don Young of Ducks Unlimited, Ralph Grossi of the American Farmland Trust, Paul Hansen of the Izaak Walton League of America, Jim Range of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, and representatives of other national and regional conservation organizations.

Special recognition was given to Senator Baucus, who wrote the original version of the new incentive and led the advocacy for it in the final negotiations. Senator Baucus’s award was presented to him by Rock Ringling of the Montana Land Reliance, who first asked the Senator for his help in making this happen six years ago.

Rand Wentworth (Land Trust Alliance), Don Young (Ducks Unlimited), and Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY)

Congresswoman Nancy Johnson (R-CT)

L-R: Rand Wentworth (Land Trust Alliance), Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA), Doug Wheeler (Hogan & Hartson LLP and American Farmland Trust Board Chairman), Don Young (Ducks Unlimited), Marsha Runningen (Trust for Public Land), and Catherine Scott (Piedmont Environmental Trust)

Rand Wenworth and Senator Max Baucus (D-MT)

L-R: Russ Shay (Land Trust Alliance), Mary Pope Hutson (Land Trust Alliance), Rand Wentworth (Land Trust Alliance), Senator Craig Thomas (R-WY), Mrs. Susan Thomas

Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA)

Rand Wentworth (Land Trust Alliance), Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO), and Will Shafroth (Colorado Conservation Trust and Land Trust Alliance Board Chairman)

Dean Zerbe (Senate Finance Committee)

Larry Schweiger (National Wildlife Federation and Former President of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy), Jim Range (Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership), and James Connaughton (Council on Environmental Quality)

Rand Wentworth (Land Trust Alliance), Doug Wheeler (Hogan & Hartson LLP and American Farmland Trust Board Chairman), Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA), and Ralph Grossi (American Farmland Trust)

Russ Shay (Land Trust Alliance), Mary Pope Hutson (Land Trust Alliance), Jim Range (Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership), Rand Wentworth (Land Trust Alliance), James Connaughton (Council on Environmental Quality), and Don Young (Ducks Unlimited)

updated 9/28/06