HB1470 has been tabled. Thank you for contacting your elected officials in defense of land conservation!
2017 Virginia General Assembly Session
Land Preservation Tax Credit Under Attack Again--Contact Your Delegate TODAY!
It’s General Assembly season, and once again there is a bill in the House of Delegates that would harm Virginia’s wildly successful Land Preservation Tax Credit (LPTC). The LPTC is the single most effective tool Virginia has to protect farm and forest land, clean air and water, historic and scenic landscapes, and important natural communities and ecosystems. So, once again, we're asking your help in defeating this bill by contacting your local delegate.
The bill is HB1470 (see full text of the bill) and it’s been introduced by Del. Lee Ware. Del. Ware has been a friend of land conservation and says this bill is a “compromise” which would fend off attacks from other legislators who wish to see the Land Preservation Credit either drastically cut or done away with altogether. But in the absence of other bills aimed at getting rid of the tax credit, we don't see a need to erode Virginia's most powerful tool for land conservation.
The key components of Del. Ware’s bill:
Thanks in part to the Land Preservation Tax Credit, BRLC completed four more conservation easements with local landowners in 2016! Demand is high going into 2017 as well.
The bill is HB1470 (see full text of the bill) and it’s been introduced by Del. Lee Ware. Del. Ware has been a friend of land conservation and says this bill is a “compromise” which would fend off attacks from other legislators who wish to see the Land Preservation Credit either drastically cut or done away with altogether. But in the absence of other bills aimed at getting rid of the tax credit, we don't see a need to erode Virginia's most powerful tool for land conservation.
The key components of Del. Ware’s bill:
- Lowers the total amount of Land Preservation Credits that can be issued in any year from $75 million to $50 million
- Imposes a $2 million per easement cap (discouraging easements on very valuable or very large tracts of land)
- Keeps the amount of credits a taxpayer can use at $20,000 annually. This was scheduled to go to $50,000 in 2017. This a bait-and-switch, as easement donors were promised one thing and would be given another.
- Increases the transfer fee from 2 percent to 2.5 percent, discouraging the transfer of the credits, a major feature of the program
Thanks in part to the Land Preservation Tax Credit, BRLC completed four more conservation easements with local landowners in 2016! Demand is high going into 2017 as well.
What you can do: Contact your local delegate TODAY, either at their home office through Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, or their Richmond office on or after Monday, Jan. 9, 2017. Look up your delegate here. Tell them:
Not sure who your delegate is? Look them up here. Enter your home address in the upper right corner.
- The Land Preservation Tax Credit is vital for southwest Virginia. It supports our local farmers, our local ag economy, and our tourism industry.
- The LPTC conserves land and water for hunters and fishermen. It has saved or created thousands of jobs by keeping farmers farming, supporting agriculture-related industries and keeping tourists visiting destinations like the Blue Ridge Parkway.
- The LPTC is a small investment that pays immeasurable dividends by keeping our air and water clean, preventing costly cleanups and more government regulations down the road.
- And most importantly, please stop any efforts to erode the Land Preservation Tax Credit Program by opposing House Bill 1470.
Not sure who your delegate is? Look them up here. Enter your home address in the upper right corner.
