| January 17, 2007 |
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Dear Friend,We got great news just before the holidays about a tax case that had been pending in a federal appeals court. The decision is an important one, as it rejects arguments the IRS made that could have restricted deductions for conservation easements to only those properties with endangered species. Special thanks to attorney Steve Small for helping us win this case. Read more about it below. The IRS was also using this argument in many audits, causing concern for hundreds of easement donors in Colorado. I attended an emergency meeting in late December with Commissioner Steven Miller, who agreed to issue a Guidance Letter that clarifies the IRS position.
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Favorable Ruling in Glass CaseIn December, the 6th Circuit US Court of Appeals rejected the IRS’s arguments for a new and extremely narrow interpretation of what habitat qualifies for protection with a tax-deductible conservation easement donation. Their decision closely followed the arguments the Alliance presented to the court in an amicus brief. View a copy of the decision here. Thank-you letter from Tom Bailey, Executive Director of Little Traverse Conservancy Alliance Seeks IRS Guidance on New Conservation Tax IncentiveThe Alliance recently asked the IRS to help clarify the rules for the new tax incentive for conservation donations enacted last year. We invite you to give us feedback on our comments, and to give your own comments and questions to the IRS, to help them provide donors and donees with guidance needed to put this new incentive to use. Salaries and Benefits SurveyDo you ever wonder what other land trust executive directors make, or how many paid holidays their staff get a year? Since the last Land Trust Salaries and Benefits Survey was done in 2002, it’s time for an update. Help out the land trust community and become eligible to win a free iPod by taking the survey. All responses are anonymous and confidential. Please respond only once per organization! Free Google Earth Course
Google Earth allows users to explore any landscape using 3D aerial images - and custom applications for it can be created by anyone with basic web and GIS skills. GreenInfo Network is presenting a Land Trust GIS Learning Session on Wednesday Jan. 31 on how land trusts can make use of Google Earth. The session will provide a basic introduction and move through three increasingly demanding example applications for land trusts. Participation is limited to 30 people, so sign up now! New Research on Stewardship CapacityThis just-released report provides more specific guidance to land trusts to evaluate their stewardship capacity and funding, and meet the requirements of several practices of Land Trust Standards and Practices. It will also assist land trusts in determining how well they meet 26 CFR §1.170A-14(c)(1) Eligible Donee, “To be considered an eligible donee under this section, an organization must be a qualified organization, have a commitment to protect the conservation purposes of the donation, and have the resources to enforce the restrictions.” Access this report on LTAnet, our members-only digital library
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The Land Trust Alliance promotes voluntary land conservation and strengthens the land trust movement by providing the leadership, information, skills and resources land trusts need to conserve land for the benefit of communities and natural systems. |
