Land Trust Alliance

The success of private land conservation depends on the willingness and ability of landowners to consider conservation options. Their choices are influenced by government incentives and policies. Tax incentives are an especially important tool to conserve ecologically important private land in the West. Current law allows landowners to deduct the value of an easement against taxes over a 15 year period. However, the law is set to expire soon. The Land Trust Alliance, which represents over 1,000 land trusts, would use this grant to educate policy makers on the importance of maintaining the current 15 year deduction period and provide the media with analyses and examples of how effective the current policy is.