Preserve Your Land

The benefits of land preservation and wise land use tie directly to health, sustainability and quality of life. Trees and plants help clean the air as they process carbon dioxide wastes and produce oxygen. They also provide food and cover for animal life. The riverine environment is a vital source of water, fish and animal life. The entire open space area nourishes our mental health and our recreation opportunities. The cultural and historic site preservation ground us as a people who have used this land in antiquity.  Not only can we use our open space for health and recreation, but for economic benefit through ranching, farming and wine grape growing. Help VVLPI preserve your/our land.

There are many ways to preserve our land in the Verde Valley:

• Through careful management of our National Forest and National Park sites with sensitive urban interface
• Through careful management of the riverine environment and support of the Verde River Greenway http://www.pr.state.az.us/Parks/VERI/index.html
• Through active management of ranch lands and growing space for food stuffs and wine vineyards
• Through conservation easements to preserve the current activity in perpetuity
• Through purchase and acquisition of critical and vetted land parcels

What is a Conservation Easement?

Conservation Easements (CE) - "conservation use of private property through donation or purchase of those rights"

What are CEs? - Protection of privately owned land; the property remains in private ownership but the uses are protected in perpetuity.

CEs can fulfill multiple goals of land protection and management, such as passive recreation and protection of water resources along with traditonal use of the land.

Kinds of Easements:

Historic preservation                 Agricultural and grazing preservation

Scenic preservation                  Open Space preservation

Forever wild                              Working forest

The CEs are held by a 501-c-3 non-profit organization whose responsibility it is to monitor the property to make sure agreements sre kept by the property owner.

What does it mean to "donate a a conservation easement" or "place your land in an easement"?

When you donate a CE, you voluntarily agree to permanently limit uses on your land in order to protect and preserve the land as is for future generations. A voluntary conservation agreement is a legal agreement between a land owner and a non-profit land trust or government agency. It allows you to continue to own and use your land and to sell it or pass it on to heirs. However, it ensures that it's natural value and heritage will be preserved. In exchange for donating a CE, qualified landowners may receive a tax benefit in the form of a deduction.

Acquisition may also be by purchase of the land. An appraisal is made. The final number is arrived at by the difference between the appraisal of the land as open land or ranch land; and, the appraisal of the land as developed land. So the final appraisal is higher than with no new activity and lower than full development. The purchase may come from a non-profit organization, a grant, a private financier, a government program, or any combination of these.

When you enter into a voluntary CE agreement with a land trust, you give up some of the rights associated with the land: For example. You might give up the right to subdivide your land to build additional houses, while retaining the full right to grow crops. Future owners will also be bound by the agreement's terms. An agreement to protect rare wildlife habitat might prohibit any development there, for example, while another part of the farm or ranch might allow continued farming or ranching and the building of additional agricultural structures. Any agreement may apply to just a portion of the property, and need not require public access. The CE agreement with the non-profit partner often provides for a stewardship endowment for the annual monitoring requirement by the non-profit organization.

Who Qualifies for Tax Incentives

Federal tax incentives help family farmers, ranchers and other moderate income landowners. The recent increase in the tax deduction will allow more working family farmers and ranchers to receive an economic incentive for preserving and protecting the land. Voluntary CEs range from just a few acres to thousands of acres. If you own land that has any natural or historic value, you may be able to take advantage of these significant new economic benefits as follows:

·
• Raises the maximum deduction you can take for donating a voluntary conservation agreement from 30% of your adjusted gross income (AGI) to 50%;·
• Allows you to deduct up to 100% of your AGI if you qualify as a farmer or rancher; and
• Increases the number of years over which you can take the qualifying deductions from 6 years to 16 years.

For expert advice contact a tax attorney as the methods are variable. The decision to qualify for federal tax benefits rests solely with the IRS. Tax advantages for local property taxes are the responsibility of the County Tax Assessor. VVLPI does not give tax advice.

Contact VVLPI

Verde Valley Land Preservation Institute welcomes you to contact us about the possibility of a CE on your property. To do so print this contact form and mail it to VVLPI at the address shown. VVLPI  will be happy to meet with you to discuss your property. We welcome the opportunity to do that.

If you have questions, please email VVLPI at verdevalleylpi@aol.com