Deduct up to 50% of their adjusted gross income in any year (up from 30%); Deduct up to 100% of their adjusted gross income if the majority of that income came from farming, ranching or forestry; and Continue to take deductions for as long as 15 years (up from 5 years) after the initial deduction.

Are you a Southeast Alaskan landowner thinking about placing conservation protections on a property that you cherish? Your vision, as landowner, and the conservation values of the property are the key ingredients for design a conservation easement that is unique to your property. The federal income tax deduction that comes with that conservation donation helps to make the easements financially viable.

In 2006, after lengthy debates about the public benefits of private land conservation efforts, Congress made favorable changes to the tax incentives for conservation donations. They passed a new law that will enhance the tax benefits of donating conservation easements on private land during 2006 and 2007. The legislation improves the tax incentive for conservation easements by allowing conservation easement donors to increase the deduction for the donation, and increase the numbers of years for which that deduction can be claimed. Landowners can now deduct up to 50%, and in certain cases 100% of their adjusted gross income, and continue taking that deduction for up to 16 years, depending on the appraised value of their donation.

The timing is important. The house and senate proposed making these changes permanent, but needs to resolve language differences in their proposals. Final Legislation will be retroactive to Jan, 1 2008.

The Southeast Alaska Land Trust is a member of The Land Trust Alliance (LTA). This organization led the effort to work in Congress to approve this new law. LTA is a national organization that sets standards for all the land trust in the country, provides training and networking opportunities, and represents the land trust community in Washington, DC. SEALTrust has been a member of LTA for 10 years.

Whether you need help preserving land that you cherish beyond your lifetime, desire to realize tax-benefits through charitable giving, or simply wish to make a contribution to support our work, we can help you achieve your specific plans while protecting important natural and cultural lands.

Each day we are encouraged by the generous and willing landowners who work with us. The new law will make it easier for others in Southeast Alaska to insure that vital natural areas they care about will remain in place for their grandchildren to enjoy.

To learn more about these new developments, visit www.southeastalaskalandtrust.org or www.LTA.org.