The Chattooga Conservancy protects special lands by accepting outright donations and/or conservation easements from willing landowners. Conservation easements currently held by our organization effectively conserve over 550 acres of working farms, open spaces and ecologically significant landscapes throughout the Southern Appalachian Mountain Bioregion. We entertain inquiries from private landowners seeking to place conservation easements on properties that possess significant conservation values, and accept the donation of conservation easements in compliance with the Internal Revenue Service regulations, and the Land Trust Alliance’s Standards & Practices. Our land trust service area is the tri-state Chattooga River watershed, and nearby areas in the Southern Appalachian Mountain Bioregion.
The Chattooga Conservancy is recognized as a nationally accredited land trust by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. We are also a “Qualified Organization” under the Georgia Conservation Tax Credit program, a “Qualified Entity” with the South Carolina Conservation Bank, and as a “Qualified Recipient” by the North Carolina Conservation Tax Credit program.
Please contact our office if you are interested in placing a conservation easement on your property.
A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust (or government agency) that permanently limits certain uses of the land to protect its conservation values. Landowners decide to retain many of their rights including the right to own and use the land, sell it, and/or pass land on to their heirs. Conservation values include clean water, clean air, undeveloped open spaces, native forests, wildlife habitat, scenic landscapes, working farms and ranches, historic preservation, and other qualified values.
Conservation easements allow people to protect the land they love and use. Conservation easements are the number one tool available for protecting privately owned land. All conservation easements must provide public benefits such as preserving clean water, farm and ranch land, clean air, scenic views, plant and wildlife habitats, native forests, outdoor recreation, as well as historic preservation.
A conservation easement donation can result in significant tax benefits, if it meets the requirements of federal law. It may lower your federal income tax, because you can claim the value of the easement as a tax-deductible charitable donation. It may also lower your state income tax, depending on your state laws.
If you own land with important natural, agricultural or historic resources, donating a voluntary conservation easement is one of the best, most effective ways to conserve the land you love and use, while maintaining your private property rights and possibly realizing significant federal tax benefits. The Conservation Easement Federal Tax Incentive:
- Allows a donor to take a tax deduction for donating a conservation easement. The allowed deduction is based
on the appraised value for the easement and is up to 50% of the donor’s adjusted gross income in any year. - Allows qualifying farmers and ranchers to deduct up to 100% of their adjusted gross income in any year.
- The carry-forward period for a donor to take all tax deductions for a conservation easement is 15 years.
In addition, we can assist in identifying state and federal funding sources which would compensate the landowner for conservation easement expenses and/or incentivize the preservation of many types of land.
When placing land under conservation easement, you can work with a land trust to decide on the terms that are right for the land to protect its conservation values—and that are right for you.
We work with landowners to establish the terms of the conservation easement agreement and ensure that the agreement meets land trust legal standards and practices. We also are responsible for seeing that the terms described in the easement are carried out, by monitoring the property typically once yearly. We will work with you and all future landowners to ensure activities on the land are consistent with the conservation easement.
The Chattooga Conservancy is an accredited land trust, a mark of distinction awarded by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, which affirms national quality standards are met for sound finances, ethical conduct, responsible governance, and lasting stewardship of our land trust transactions.