Ducks Will Benefit from Tax Saving Program

Ducks Unlimited
Thursday, 21 March 2002

One of the most effective conservation programs today is being fueled by an incentive that comes around once a year: April 15th. Tax day is motivating property owners to enroll in conservation easements.

A conservation easement is a legal agreement that restricts building and development on land once the owner signs on the dotted line. The conservation stipulations are perpetual and can never be reversed, even if the landowner dies or sells the land. "By giving up those rights and the dollar value associated with development, the owner may become eligible for significant tax savings," says Dave Marrone, the director of land protection programs at Ducks Unlimited. Marrone, who is also an attorney, draws up documents detailing the donation of easements to Ducks Unlimited. The donation is considered a charitable gift and subsequently entitles the donor to income tax deductions. Estate taxes can also be reduced since easements decrease the value of the land.

Ducks Unlimited has signed over 30,000 acres of land into the conservation easement program in the last twelve months. "We've had a great deal of success this year. It is one of our best years," said Marrone. The most significant area of growth for Ducks Unlimited is in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley, a region of the country identified by Ducks Unlimited as an area of critical importance to waterfowl. An easement must have a valid conservation purpose, as a general rule, says Marrone. "We look at land that has significant resources and conservation value pertinent to our mission of waterfowl and wetlands conservation," adds Marrone.

One of the most recent easements includes island properties adjacent to downtown Memphis, Tennessee. "One of the owners was contemplating a development consisting of 300 residential plots. A subdivision of this magnitude would have been extremely profitable. However, in the end, he made the decision to forego the development in order to protect the property forever," said Marrone. The decision reflects a family tradition that values the land, says Marrone. The easement will enable the family to perpetuate that tradition. "The incentive is the peace of mind that comes with knowing the land will remain untouched and that your children will have something of their own that isn't a parking lot. Landowners also enjoy the satisfaction of leaving something the way you found it," said Marrone.

DU's plans for the future include an ambitious 20 year goal of 100,000 acres in donated easements in the Missouri Coteau, where ninety five percent of the land is privately owned. The coteau, French for "hills of the prairie," is a landform created when the glaciers receded over 10,000 years ago. The area represents the most important waterfowl breeding area in the U.S. Other long-term goals include the development of a carbon trading system in which Ducks Unlimited will sell credits to corporations in exchange for land conservation and restoration. "That's a goal that's not too far away," said Marrone.

For more information, or to contact Ducks Unlimited, see their website at: www.ducks.org