Daily Democrat - Ag Conservation May Be Permanent

News Article

Congressmen Mike Thompson and Jim Gerlach have introduced the Conservation Easement Incentive Act, landmark legislation that would provide family farmers, ranchers, and other moderate-income landowners with a permanent incentive to donate development rights to their land.

By providing tax benefits to landowners who choose conservation, the bill would help preserve our nation's cherished farm lands and open spaces for future generations. The bill has received broad bipartisan support in the House of Representatives, with 251 original co-sponsors.

Under Thompson and Gerlach's bill, landowners who donate a conservation easement would maintain ownership and management of the land, but forgo their rights to develop the land in the future.

The Conservation Easement Incentive Act would make permanent a tax incentive for donating development rights that will otherwise expire at the end of 2011. Eliminating this ever-changing deadline will give more farmers, ranchers, and forest owners the assurance they need to choose land conservation over development.

"Tax incentives can be a powerful tool to help green our economy and protect our natural resources," said Thompson, D-Napa. "Conservation easements have been particularly effective, encouraging landowners to conserve millions of acres of farm lands and scenic open spaces. By making this important conservation tool permanent, my bill would help preserve even more land for future generations."

"Yolo Land Trust applauds the leadership of Congressman Thompson in the effort to make this important conservation tool permanent," said Michele Clark, Executive Director of the Yolo Land Trust. "This tax incentive will help landowners permanently conserve farmland, wildlife habitat, and open space in Yolo County."

"This is an important means of preserving our precious and rapidly disappearing farm land which will be needed to feed a rapidly increasing population in the near future," said Chuck Dudley, President of the Yolo County Farm Bureau. "Making these tax incentives permanent is a win-win for the country."

Specifically, the Conservation Easement Incentive Act would help landowners of modest means choose conservation by:

- Raising the maximum deduction a donor can take for donating a conservation easement from 30% of their adjusted gross income (AGI) in any year to 50 percent;

- Allowing qualified farmers and ranchers to deduct up to 100% of their AGI; and

- Increasing the number of years over which a donor can take deductions from 6 to 16 years.

The Conservation Easement Incentive Act has been endorsed by the Land Trust Alliance, Ducks Unlimited, National Wildlife Federation, National Cattleman's Beef Association, American Forest Foundation, Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation, and more than 50 other groups.

The bill is also strongly supported by the Yolo Land Trust, a nonprofit corporation dedicated to protecting Yolo County's land resources.

The Yolo Land Trust has helped landowners place over 50 conservation easements on 9,000 acres throughout Yolo County, permanently conserving it for future generations.

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