Conservation Advocate

Just another WordPress site

Donate | Updates | Contact   

Act Now: Land Trust Farm Preservation

Posted on Leave a Comment

PA Representative Cutler of Lancaster County soon will introduce legislation that would direct a portion of PA farm preservation funding to land trusts for purchase of agricultural conservation easements.

Please ask your representative to co-sponsor Rep. Cutler’s bill.

Rep. Cutler’s memorandum asking for co-sponsors is provided below.

Land trusts would be expected to use the state funds to leverage private contributions on a 50-50 basis in order to increase the effectiveness of state investments in farm preservation. The current proposal would dedicate $2,500,000 a year to this initiative as well as $500,000 to land trusts for reimbursement of transaction expenses of up to $10,000 for each qualifying ag easement project (up from the present $5,000 limit). Land trusts would apply directly to the state board for funding but would have to coordinate purchase activities with their county agricultural land preservation board.

The Pennsylvania Land Trust Association supports Rep. Cutler’s effort as does the PA Farmland Preservation Association (which is made up of county agricultural land preservation administrators).

Please take a moment to support farmland preservation and the land trust community. Call or email your representative as soon as possible.

 

Conservation Easement Incentive Act Introduced

Posted on

2/3/15

Representatives Mike Kelly (R-PA) and Mike Thompson (D-CA) just introduced the Conservation Easement Incentive Act, H.R. 641. It now goes immediately to a vote in the House Ways and Means Committee! The committee has scheduled a markup of this and other charitable incentives, which include incentives for donations of food to food banks, and provisions for tax-free charitable donations from IRAs tomorrow, February 4.

Then it goes to the House floor for a vote of the full House, as early as Wednesday, February 11th, most likely packaged with the other charitable provisions (similar to the packages voted on the floor in July and December of last year).

This is stunningly fast – which is possible because of all the work accomplished last year! We need you to call your representative and ask that they vote for the conservation easement incentive, and for the package of charitable incentives in which it will travel. The enhanced incentive is identical to that voted on last December.

  • Here is the Dear Colleague Reps. Kelly and Thompson just sent out to their colleagues – asking them to co-sponsor. It’s too late for that now – what we really need is their vote next week!
  • See Land Trust Alliance’s spreadsheet that shows how every House member voted on December’s charities bill (H.R. 5806), last July’s bill (H.R 4719) and whether they had co-sponsored H.R. 2807.
  • If your representative didn’t vote for those bills, or is a freshman, see LTA’s new talking points to get your representative informed and on board.

Extended through Dec. 31: Conservation Easement Donation Enhanced Tax Incentive

Posted on

As its final act before adjourning for the holidays, the Senate voted Tuesday night to extend dozens of expired tax incentives through the end of 2014. This includes the enhanced deduction for conservation easement donations. The president is expected to sign the bill.

The incentive has three components:

  • raising the deduction a landowner can take for donating a conservation easement from 30 percent of his or her income in any year to 50 percent;
  • allowing qualifying farmers and ranchers to deduct up to 100 percent of their income;
  • extending the carry-forward period for a donor to take tax deductions for a voluntary conservation agreement from five to 15 years.

It is important to note that the incentive only applies to easements donated as early as 2006 and as late as Dec. 31, 2014. The Land Trust Alliance will continue to work to make this enhanced deduction permanent, but as it stands it will expire at the end of this year.

Easement Incentive Expired

Posted on

The enhanced deduction for conservation easement donations expired Dec. 31, 2014. Advocacy will continue to in an effort to make this enhanced deduction permanent.

The incentive raised the deduction a landowner can take for donating a conservation easement from 30 percent of his or her income in any year to 50 percent. It allowed qualifying farmers and ranchers to deduct up to 100 percent of their income. And it extended the carry-forward period for a donor to take tax deductions for a voluntary conservation agreement from five to 15 years.

About Us | Archive