Assed project work-group 8

         
                                Lalnd conservation strateg


A sharp distinction is often drawn between acquisition-based and regulation-based approaches to land conservation. Private nonprofit land trusts rely extensively on land acquisition to conserve private lands. Despite their largely separate spheres, acquisition and land-use planning affect each other by shaping development options, land values, conservation planning priorities, and conservation outcomes. We suggest that a more nuanced understanding of the interactive effects of acquisition and regulation can help explain conservation organizations’ behavior, and are necessary for a full examination of the effectiveness of conservation strategies in complex policy-making environments.
The trend toward an increasing importance of land trusts is most pronounced in the United States, although nonprofit land-conservation organizations acquiring land and conservation easements or covenants are increasingly common globally; Land trusts are by the Alliance as organizations that “actively work to conserve land by assisting in land or conservation easement acquisition, or by stewardship of such land. Land trusts have on acquisition because they consider land-use planning and environmental laws inadequate, prefer voluntary compensation-driven action, or desire to avoid debates around land-use law and planning.

This article highlights six conservation strategies which are essential to be discussed.


Fee-Simple Donation

A fee simple donation is the transfer of a property by deeding it directly to a charitable organization for conservation or other purposes. This method generally offers significant tax benefits.

Donation of Land with Life Estate

This is similar to a fee-simple donation with the exception that you retain the right to live on your property for the remainder of your life. This method also offers tax benefits although probably less than a fee-simple donation.

Bequest

You can donate your land or a conservation easement through your will allowing you to live on and      maintain control of your property during your lifetime. A bequest may significantly reduce your estate taxes.


Conservation Easement Donation

A conservation easement is a legally binding covenant between current and future property owners and an organization such as the conservancy which preserves significant natural areas (i.e. stream valleys, farmland, woodland, wildlife habitat, unique plant communities) and special natural features of the property by restricting selected uses.
                                            A conservation easement allows a property owner to retain ownership of his property, including the ability to pass the property on to his heirs or sell the property, while still providing for the site's protection. It assures that future use of a property will be consistent with conservation purposes through specific clauses in the easement document. The property remains in private ownership and does not need to be opened to the public.

Bargain Sale

A bargain sale is the sale of a property to a qualified tax exempt organization or government entity for less than the fair market value. A bargain sale provides a tax benefit to the property owner as the difference between the appraised value and the actual sale price.




Conservation-Based Development

         
             Conservation-based development is a process in which development is driven by the preservation of the ecological values of the property as well as the achievement of the economic goals of the owner. This is accomplished by limiting future uses and regulating changes that can be made to the land while providing a reasonable return on the property owner's investment in the land. This technique may use a combination of the above cited preservation tools to accomplish this goal.
                                 In this process the property remains in private hands. The right to sell or transfer in any way remains with the property owner, subject to an easement. This preserves a significant portion of the original tract as “open space” and may afford tax benefits if an easement is donated.







Benefits of Land Conservation strategies

Financial benefits– For specific properties, there is a potential that a local, state, or federal government program may be able to pay for the purchase of your land or conservation easement.

Estate planning– Many property owners have concerns as to how their land will be used after their death. A conservation easement ensures a property will not be developed in the future. It also provides relief from the estate tax.


Group members-

Chandresekera A.D.D.J                   162609x
Ferdinando K.P.M.D.A.S.M             162406x
Jayasinghe G.J.P.K                            162632K
Maturagini T                                     162652V
Tharshika S                                       162677C