With a favorable federal tax incentive, more and more people are donating land in the form of conservation easements -- agreements that set aside the land and prevent future development.
"Donations of conservation easements - essentially, promises to limit development on the 'donated' land - are up 148 percent since 2000, according to the Land Trust Alliance, a national organization that represents some 1,700 local and state land trusts."
"A federal tax incentive passed last year that expires at the end of 2007 is spurring this wave of donations (although there is a bill in Congress that would extend the deductions permanently)."
"These are designed to compensate owners for the profits they would have realized had the property been developed. Before 2006, homeowners were restricted to a 30 percent deduction off of their adjusted gross income, but the new tax rule allows for a deduction of up to 50 percent. Also, the deduction can be applied every year for up to 15 years, to cover the full amount of the donation (the limit of the previous law was five years)."
Read the full story: Preserving the Land
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