| June 14, 2006 |
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Dear Friend,There has been a lot going on in Washington the last few months, and in particular with the Internal Revenue Service. We’ve made great progress educating the IRS about the important role of land trusts, and IRS Commissioner Stephen Miller recently said in a speech about conservation easements, “appropriately used, they bring real and enduring benefits to the American public… I want to do nothing at the IRS to hinder the continued and appropriate donation of conservation easements." But the IRS is also targeting abuse and will disqualify conservation easement deductions that do not comply with the law. The Service recently won one such a case in the U.S. Tax Court. LTA agrees with the court's decision, and applauds the IRS for taking action to drive bad actors out of the conservation arena. Though this is just one case, the IRS has opened 500 examinations of easement donations, so we all need to make sure that our work meets the highest standards. This and many other timely issues will be covered at the National Land Conservation Conference: Rally 2006 in Nashville. I hope you’ll join me there. Registration is now open.
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Tax Court Decision on EasementsThe U.S. Tax Court recently disqualified a donated conservation easement. This Virginia case made headlines in The Washington Post, and concerned an easement donated by a real estate company to the county government; no land trust was involved. This is an appropriate decision, and LTA is working with the IRS to help them understand the work of land trusts that have adopted comprehensive standards and practices to ensure that they meet the highest legal and ethical standards. New Faces at LTALTA is delighted to welcome Sylvia Bates as our new Director of Standards and Research and Lynne Sherrod as the Western Policy Manager. Sylvia is one of the national experts on Land Trust Standards and Practices and has almost 20 years of experience in land conservation. Lynne served as the Executive Director of the Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust for the past nine years, an organization that has partnered with more than 125 ranching families in the protection of 225,000 acres. Read more about Sylvia, Lynne and our new Northeast and Midwest Directors. You Can Help Us Raise $200,000 to Benefit Land Trusts!We’re thrilled to announce that an anonymous donor will match the first $100,000 in individual gifts we receive until July 15th! Our expenses have increased by over 30% this year in order to:
To advance this work, we need to secure the full $100,000 challenge. We only have one month to double the impact of your support! Please consider making the most generous gift possible before July 15th and help spread the word about this opportunity!
Win a Free Rally Registration!
Update on Land Trust Insurance IssuesConcerns have recently been voiced to LTA and on the land trust listserve about land trusts not being able to secure insurance for equestrian events or for community gardens. LTA intervened, and we are happy to report that our insurance provider will now provide this coverage at little or no extra cost. Urban lands, including community gardens, will continue to be covered under the current insurance program for land trusts. Land Trust Success Story
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Do you have 10 minutes to spare? That’s all it takes to help us improve Exchange. If you respond by Friday, June 30, you will be entered into a drawing for a FREE REGISTRATION to Rally 2006, taking place in Nashville from October 12-15! To be eligible, all you have to do is take a short online survey about LTA’s quarterly magazine, Exchange. Thank you!  |
Photo by Francesca Dalleo, Land Trust Alliance |
“What you see here you don't see in the rest of Hawaii. Or the rest of the world,” says John Replogle, Hawaiian native, Hawaii Island Land Trust board member, and field coordinator for The Nature Conservancy. Replogle loves to explain why Honu'apo Bay and its surrounding tidal wetlands are so special. When 225 shoreline acres were recently put up for sale, the community pulled together to protect this special place from the overdevelopment found along so many of Hawaii's coastal areas.
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.