Western Bluebird Reintroduction Project	Turtleback Mountain Preserve	Guemes Mountain Campaign
Conserve Your Land	A Place in the Islands	Recent Newsletter

September 10th, 2010 News and Events

Federal Law Extends Tax Benefits for Conservation Easements

Posted: Fri, May 1, 2009

Generous landowners who donate voluntary conservation agreements, also known as conservation easements, to the San Juan Preservation Trust are inspired by many things: they love the San Juans, they feel connected to their land, and they wish to leave a legacy for future generations. This inspiration is at the heart of the Preservation Trust's work to permanently protect the most important natural areas in our islands.

For most island landowners, donating a conservation easement can be a major financial decision. The considerable federal income tax deduction that comes with a conservation easement donation can often serve as a compelling incentive for landowners considering conserving their land. READ MORE >>

In 2007, the Preservation Trust received a record number of conservation easement donations, due in large part to a generous 2-year tax incentive that expired at the end of that year. In 2008, Congress passed a new law that extended these tax incentives for two more years. This legislation, which will expire at the end of 2009, improves the tax incentive for conservation easements by allowing conservation easement donors to:

* Deduct up to 50% of their adjusted gross income in any year (up from 30%);

* Deduct up to 100% of their adjusted gross income if the majority of that income came from farming, ranching or forestry; and

* Continue to take deductions for as long as 16 years (up from 6 years).

Each day we are touched by the generous and inspired landowners who work with us. We have received over 220 conservation easement donations since the Preservation Trust was founded 30 years ago, and we know that this new law will make it easier for others in our community to build on their love of the land and permanently protect our islands.

To learn more about conservation easements, visit: www.sjpt.org/conserve or call Debby Clausen, SJPT's Director of Conservation, at (360) 378-2461.

Posted: Mon, Aug 23, 2010
Guemes Mountain Trail Building To Begin in September

Posted: Mon, Jul 19, 2010
San Juan Preservation Trust Conveys Marine Shoreline to Moran State Park

Posted: Wed, Jun 16, 2010
Preservation Trust Seeks Director of Philanthropy

Posted: Mon, May 24, 2010
Your Dream for the Islands: Results from our Online Survey

Posted: Thu, Apr 1, 2010
Join Us For Our 3rd Annual Summer Social, Saturday, July 31

Posted: Mon, Feb 8, 2010
SJPT Loses Giant of Conservation: Remembering Fred Ellis, Sr.

Posted: Thu, Feb 4, 2010
Western Bluebirds Have Returned to San Juan Island

Posted: Wed, Feb 3, 2010
SJPT Members Encouraged to Nominate Candidates for Board of Trustees

Posted: Mon, Jan 4, 2010
A Year of Connections

Posted: Thu, Oct 1, 2009
Guemes Mountain: WE DID IT!

Posted: Tue, Sep 29, 2009
Local Legends of Land Conservation