Tax Incentives Update

Last November, the U.S. Senate passed a tax bill with an expansion of the federal tax incentive for conservation easement donors, and with reforms to prevent abusive appraisals and limit so-called "façade" easements. The House of Representatives passed a companion bill which did not include the conservation incentive, leaving its ultimate fate to be decided by a House-Senate Conference. The House and Senate appointed the conferees who will craft the final bill by sometime in March.

The conferees are: Representatives Bill Thomas (R-CA), Jim McCrery (R-LA), Dave Camp (R-MI), Charles Rangel (D-NY), and Pete Stark (D-CA); and Senators Charles Grassley (R-AI), Jon Kyl (R-AZ), and Max Baucus (D-MT). Visit the LTA website and keep an eye on your e-mail inbox for more updates!

LCLP Course Announcement

The 2006 Land Conservation Leadership Program (LCLP) courses, offering intensive training opportunities for land conservationists, have been announced and registration is open! The 2006 courses are:

• Visions and Values with Peter Forbes
  March 19-21 | Shepherdstown, WV
• Organizational Management: Taking Your Land Trust to the Next Level
  April 9-12 | Flat Rock, NC
• Conservation Options: The Land Protection Toolbox
  April 17-20 | San Diego, CA
• Conserving Land with Conservation Easements
  July 31-August 3 | Houston, TX

Coming Soon - Census 2005

The Land Trust Alliance has reported on the status and successes of land trusts since its founding in 1982, and we are once again gearing up to conduct the next National Land Trust Census. Prompt land trust participation in the Census is important! Look for an e-mail with a link to the census form in the next two weeks.

As the land trust movement continues to grow and attract greater attention from the media and the general public, tracking and reporting on the impact of land trusts is critical for gaining even more public support for land trusts and land conservation. Your hard work counts, so make sure it's counted!

Land Trust Success Story

A healthy Live Oak. Photo by Jim Kelly, Eco-Logic Restoration.

Judy Steckler, Executive Director of the Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain, was surrounded by so much destruction on the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina that she knew as much as it was needed, business could not go on as usual within her organization.

Last November, the land trust was presented with an opportunity to stay involved in the community through the Live Oak Rescue Mission. Though the resilient trees withstood wind and rain that was strong enough to topple houses, storm surges caused erosion, exposing their roots and depositing salt around their bases.

You Oughta be in Pictures

LTA Editor Chris Soto is collecting photos for the covers of Exchange or to go in the LTA Annual Report. If you have photos to submit, please look over the specifications, learn how to send in your photos and about additional information needed (captions, credits, etc.). Thank you!