|
Be an ADVOCATE News and Updates on the Conservation Tax Incentive
Tax
Incentive Home| Q&A | Resources | Media
Coverage | Background
4/30/2008 Farm Bill Update
Last-minute negotiations continue on the Farm Bill, but there are very positive rumors about both the tax incentive for conservation easement donations, and about funding for key easement programs.
Press reports indicate that the conferees have agreed to a two-year extension of the conservation easement incentive, and that they have agreed to allocate five year totals of more than $1 billion to Farm and Ranchland Protection Program (nearly twice the funding in the 2002 Farm Bill), and $300 million for the Grassland Reserve Program (about $50 million more than in the 2002 Bill). We expect good policy changes – including multi-year cooperative agreements for FRPP that will preclude precipitous rules changes for program participants. More
4/25/2008: Promising News on the Easement Incentive in the Farm Bill
Your efforts to persuade the House of Representatives to include the conservation tax incentive in the Farm Bill are working! We still need your help to seal the deal as House-Senate negotiations continue under a new one-week extension. Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) was quoted yesterday as saying that a two-year extension of the conservation easement incentive was among the items the conferees on tax items have “agreed to,” but "agreed to" has some wrinkles… More.
See other recent updates on the tax incentive
Letters of support for the conservation easement tax incentive in the Farm Bill:
L-R: Russ Shay, Wendy Ninteman, Lynne Sherrod, and Senator Max Baucus
|
Senator Baucus Meets with Land Trust Alliance Leaders on Capitol Hill
Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) has been a major champion in getting the tax incentive passed in the Senate (which is now in the Farm Bill awaiting conference), and he was one of original co-sponsors of S 469. Thank you Senator! (posted 1/31/08)
Senate Finance Committee Approves Tax Incentive
On August 21, 2007, the Senate Finance Committee reported out the "Habitat and Land Conservation Act of 2007” by unanimous voice vote. This bill includes the provisions of S. 496 -- permanent extension of the conservation easement incentive!
|
Senator
Max Baucus (D-MT) who was honored at our September 2006 reception introduced legislation to make the new tax incentive permanent.
Story
and more photos.
|
On August
3, 2006,
Congress approved a tremendous expansion of the federal
conservation tax incentive for conservation easement donations. On
August 17, the President signed it into law. This
was a great victory for conservation!
Efforts are now under way to make these changes a permanent part of the tax code. Senate bill S. 469 has been introduced by Senators Max Baucus (D-MT) and Charles Grassley (R-IA) that would make the new tax incentive permanent. Representatives Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Dave Camp (R-MI) introduced H.R. 1576 which parallels the Senate bill. See current cosponsors here! Updated 2/14/2008!
President Bush has also endorsed making the new tax incentive permanent in his fiscal year 2008 budget.
If these expanded tax incentives are made permanent family farmers, ranchers, and other moderate-income landowners will be able to conserve the land they love while obtaining a significant tax benefit for making the charitable donation of a conservation easement.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?
Ask your Senators and Representatives to become cosponsors of the senate bill S.469 or house bill H.R. 1576. Let them know how much this means to your land trust and land conservation in America. Contact your members of Congress and tell them:
- If your Senator or Congressman DOES cosponsor the bill, be sure to thank them! See sample letter here
- NEW! Newsletter article template and sample press release to use to thank your congressperson TODAY for cosponsoring the bill! Public recognition for support of conservation initiatives works!
For an example, read the press release sent by Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy thanking Congressman Schuler for co-sponsoring Bill HR 1576 Supporting Local Land Conservation
- How important this tax incentive is to land conservation in your local community and to your conservation work.
- How the tax incentive helps the local family farmers, ranchers, and moderate-income level families protect their land.
- If any landowners in your area have donated a conservation easement in 2006 or 2007 and been able to take advantage of the new tax incentive, tell your members of Congress about them! If you have specific examples, that is even better!
- Tell them you
look forward to working with them if they need any information about conservation easements or land conservation efforts in your local area.
- Ask them to cosponsor the bill to make this new incentive permanent. See current co-sponsors here!
Not sure whether you should contact your Senator or Representative? Learn more here (Sample letter available!)
See a list of key Senators and Representatives!
Phone numbers for your Senators' and Representatives' Washington DC offices can be found at www.senate.gov and www.house.gov. You should speak to the staff person that handles tax or natural resource issues, and make sure that you tell the staff of any prior relationship your land trust has had with the office.
Your congressional office wants to hear from you, and there couldn't be a more important time to ask them for their help!
Questions? Call the Alliance at 202-638-4725, or e-mail policy@lta.org
|
Numerous land trusts supported this legislation.
A variety of sportsmen’s and conservation organizations supported extension of the new tax incentive, including:
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
Campfire Club of America
Civil War Preservation Trust
Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation The Conservation Fund
Conservation Force
Delta Waterfowl Foundation
Ducks Unlimited
Izaak Walton League of America
Land Trust Alliance
National Audubon Society
National Cattleman's Beef Association
National Wild Turkey Foundation
The Nature Conservancy
North American Grouse Partnership
|
North American Wild Sheep
Mississippi Land Trust
Mississippi River Trust
Mule Deer Foundation
Partnership of Rangeland Trusts
Pheasants Forever
Piedmont Environmental Council
Quail Unlimited
Quality Deer Management Association
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Safari Club International
Texas Wildlife Association
The Conservation Fund
Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
Trout Unlimited
Trust for Public Land
The Vital Ground Foundation
The Wildlife Society
Wildlife Management Institute |
The American Farm Bureau has sent letters to the co-sponsors of the House and Senate legislation in support of their efforts. See the letters here (pdf).
Be sure to visit Conservation Tax Incentive Resources page.
Background information on the new tax incentive is available!
updated 2/18/08
back to top
Privacy Policy
|
