ConserveLand Newsletter
A Publication by the Pennsylvania Land Trust Association
Spring 2007 - Download Entire Newsletter
Act 154 of 2006 Facilitates Government and Land Trust Partnership
Land Protected by Land Trusts
New Outreach Publication for Land Trusts
Special Thanks to In Their Own Words Sponsors
Federal Tax Incentives
Legacy Property Fund
PLCC Reminder
Act 154 of 2006 Facilitates Government and Land Trust Partnership
The Governor signed Act 154 into law on 11/29/2006. The Act, a Pennsylvania Land Trust Association (PALTA) legislative priority, empowers local government units to:
- Appropriate money to a land trust “for the acquisition or conservation and preservation of interests in real property for the purpose of achieving open space benefits…”
- Transfer open space property interests to a land trust with or without consideration.
- Create a “Local Land Trust” subject to various accountability measures.
While a number of land trusts and local governments have formed relationships over the years, many—concerned about the lack of statutory authorization or balking at cumbersome workarounds—chose not to. Act 154 of 2006 establishes clear authorization for government-land trust partnerships including the key elements listed above.
Representative Chris Ross (R) of Chester County introduced and championed the bill in the General Assembly. Although achieving passage was challenging, the bill ultimately passed the Senate 49-0 and the House 196-0. Thanks to everyone who helped make it happen, especially Rep. Ross!
To view or download the Act, visit conserveland.org/pp/act154of2006.
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Land Protected by Land Trusts
Land Trusts in Pennsylvania
The Land Trust Alliance recognizes 95 land trusts in Pennsylvania. Seventy-seven of these organizations have reported protecting land through one or more means.
- Eight-three percent (83%) of PA land trusts were founded in the last 25 years.
- Fifty-four percent (54%) of PA land trusts were founded since 1990.
- Seventy-three percent (73%) of land trusts in Pennsylvania are small or very small and have three employees or less.
- Thirty-seven percent (37%) of land trusts are entirely volunteer-based.
- Eighteen land trusts operate with one part-time staff person; seventeen land trusts employ 1 - 3.5 staff persons; and fifty-three land trusts employ 4 or more staff persons.
- Eighty-three percent (83%) of land trusts reported 100 or more financial supporters.
- 89,391 Pennsylvanians are members or supporters of a Pennsylvania land trust.
Land Protection in Pennsylvania
As of 12/31/05, 433,473 acres have been protected by Pennsylvania land trusts. Fifty-five percent (55%) of this land was protected through reconveyance to government; 35% protected through easements; and 10% protected through acquiring and holding land.
Conservation Easements- A total of 1748 easements are held among land trusts in PA; 162 conservation easements were executed in 2005 alone, a 46% increase from 2003’s execution rate.
- Fifty-five land trusts hold conservation easements - this has increased from 44 in 2003, a 20% increase.
- Thirty land trusts reported conservation easement transactions in 2005.
- Large land trusts hold 47% of all easements and 59% of the easement acreage.
- Small and very small land trusts are making significant gains in land protection and hold a total of 550 easements.
- In 2005 alone, these small/very small land trusts executed 61 easements, making up for nearly 38% of the total number of easements acquired in that year.
- A total of thirty-six amendments have been granted over the years on easements currently held by land trusts.
Acquisition
- 44,927 acres are owned by 55 land trusts.
- Seventy-three percent (73%) of land protected through acquisitions was completed by large land trusts.
- Thirty-eight properties were acquired by land trusts in 2005 by a total of 14 land trusts.
- Land trusts increased their land holdings by 6,539 acres between 2003 and 2005.
- Small and very small land trusts acquired thirteen properties in 2005 or 29% of the year’s acquisition transactions.
Reconveyance
- 24,079 acres have been reconveyed to government between 2003 and 2005.
- Historically, large land trusts account for 92% of the acreage reconveyed.
Land Protected by Land Trusts in Pennsylvania
These figures are based on Land Trust Alliance 2005 census data with additions and corrections by the Pennsylvania Land Trust Association. The data includes only Pennsylvania land transactions that have been completed through December 31, 2005. Astericked (*) land trusts have also protected substantial acreage outside Pennsylvania, which is not included in totals.
Source: Based on LTA Census data, 2003/2005 with additions and corrections by PALTA.
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New Outreach Publication for Land Trusts
Recently, Pennsylvania land trusts received boxes of "> In Their Own Words, a 48-page, full color booklet. The Pennsylvania Land Trust Association developed the publication to help landowners make conservation decisions. 20,000 copies are being distributed free-of-charge to land trusts and other interested parties for use in their landowner outreach programs.
Pennsylvania landowners who have protected their lands wrote the 15 essays that make up the publication. Who better to make the case for conservation than those who have done it? The publication focuses on these landowners and their conservation choices rather than any particular land trust.
Steve Fries, Manager of Human Resources Communications and Development for the Alcoa North America Rolled Products and a representative for the Foundation explained the Foundation’s reason for sponsoring the outreach effort: “The stories that are told will inspire others to care for the land.”
Landowners and others interested in obtaining a copy of In Their Own Words should contact their local land trust. (Use the “Find a Land Trust” feature at conserveland.org to find an organization working in your community.) An online version of In Their Own Words is available at conserveland.org.
For more information, email nfaraguna@conserveland.org.
Special Thanks to In Their Own Words Sponsors
PALTA would also like to thank:
Mr. & Mrs. Louis J. Appell, Jr.
Gerard Kipp
Faye & Carl Oberheim
as well as the In Their Own Words authors for sharing their stories.
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Federal Tax Incentives
 U. S. Senators Baucus (D-MT) and Grassley (R-IA) have introduced S. 469 to make the recently expanded tax incentive for conservation easement donations permanent. Congressmen Dave Camp (R-MI) and Mike Thompson (D-CA) have introduced a similar bill, H.R. 1576 in the U.S. House. President Bush’s budget includes a provision to make the incentive permanent.
The Pennsylvania Land Trust Association played a lead role in the 2006 expansion of the tax incentive and seeks to make the incentive permanent. In the months ahead, PALTA will coordinate calls for action with the Land Trust Alliance. For breaking news on the tax incentive, visit www.lta.org/publicpolicy.
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Legacy Property Fund
 Would you like to be able to convert a donor’s home into cash for conservation? What if you could help your donors place their home or property under a perpetual conservation easement and retain cash from the property for your land trust? What if the donor needed some cash out of the sale, needed to continue living on the property for a period of time, or had an interest in giving a portion of the proceeds to multiple conservation projects across Pennsylvania? What if you could help them accomplish all of these things with no cost, liability or hassle to your organization?
Appreciated property can help land trusts protect land by converting some of that property value into cash for conservation. When property has appreciated significantly, a landowner may gain substantial capital gains relief and an income tax deduction from a tool developed by the Keystone Conservation Trust (KCT) called the Legacy Property Fund (LPF).
A recent transaction illustrates how the LPF works. This summer, a landowner decided to donate his home to KCT through its LPF in order to fund a gift to his favorite non-profit. Using the LPF saved him 16% on his tax bill, enabling him to increase his charitable gift substantially. KCT handled all aspects of the transaction for both donor and the recipient nonprofit. The gift of nearly $300,000 not only provides the non-profit with a substantial contribution, but also provides the donor with future income through a charitable gift annuity. This donation provided a significantly increased gift to the organization, a tax benefit to the donor, and a simple transaction for all parties.
For more information, call Keystone Conservation Trust at 610-688-3151 or visit KCT’s website at www.keystoneconservation.org .
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2007 Pennsylvania Land Conservation Conference
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ConserveLand is a publication of the Pennsylvania Land Trust Association
Nicole Faraguna, ConserveLand Editor
717.230.8560
nfaraguna@conserveland.org
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