ch 15 land conservation

8/3/2019 Ch 15 Land Conservation

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Part I: Context Environmental Planning

Part II: Environmental Land Analysis

Part III: Environmental Land Use Managementn Land Conservationn Design with Nature for Peoplen Smart Growth: Local Government &

Environmental Land Usen Regional, State, Federal Environmental Land Use


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Land ConservationThe permanent protection of land areas by

withdrawing them from development.


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Land Conservation Objectives

n protection of the natural-resource-based workinglandscapes: agriculture, forestry, fisheries, eco-tourism;

n preservation of open space and natural character,

n provision of outdoor recreation opportunities,n protection and restoration of ecological functions and

wildlife habitat,n mitigation of natural hazards and protection of water

supplies


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Why Land Conservation?Land Development Trends in the U.S.

National Resources Inventory, NRCS, 2009


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City ofAtlanta DeKalb

County

Urban CoreCo.

GwinnettCounty

SuburbanCo.

MetropolitanAtlanta


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Land conservation by various parties in U.S.


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Percent of Land in Federal Ownership


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Federal Programs affecting Private Land Conservation

n Incentivesn Tax Laws governing charitable contributions

n Agriculture Conservation Programsn National Flood Insurance Program

n Regulationsn Endangered Species Actn Wetlands permitting under Clean Water Actn Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act


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Federal Agricultural Conservation Programs

n

Land Retirement Programsn Conservation Reserve Program (CRP + CREP)

n Retire highly erodible land from farm production

n 2010: 3.1 million acres, $1.9 billion, $53 per acre

n Wetland Reserve Program (WRP)n Retire wetlands from farm production

n 2010: 2.2 million acres, 90% under permanent retirement

n Disincentives: disqualifies from farm benefitsn Sodbuster, Swampbuster, Conservation compliance

n Other programs: EQIP, FPP, WHIP, Tech assist


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CRP % of cropland enrolled


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Action has turned to the States:

Trends in Land Protection Effortsn Between 2000 and 2009

n Total annual number of voter-approved land

protection initiatives ranged from 25 to 171n Total annual voter approved dollars ranged

from $600 million to $8 billion

n Total dollars approved by voters

$36 billion

LandVote, Trust for Public Lands, 2010


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Total Voter-Approved Land ConservationExpenditures by Jurisdiction, 2000 - 2009

LandVote, Trust for Public Lands, 2010


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What was Primary Source

of Revenue for Land Conservation?


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What Tools Are Used to Protect

Open Space?

0

00

00

00

00

000

Urban Rural

Percent(%

Flood plain ord.

Farmland prot. ord

Conserv. esmnts

Trans dev. rights

Purchase dev. rights

Density bonuses


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State Purchase of Conservation Easements Programs,2000-2010


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NGOs: the Role of Land Trusts

Own about 14% fee simpleAccept conservation easements on about 53%Acquire, then re-convey to public agencies about 33%


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Rights and Interest in Propertyn Fee-simple ownership

n Conservation easement/development rights

n Purchase of land with lease back

n Undivided interest


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Techniques for Acquiring Land Rights

n Fair market value sale

n Bargain sale

n Outright donation

n Bequest

n Donation with reserved life estate

n Land exchange

n Eminent domain


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Conservation Easementn A less-than-fee-simple interest in land that is voluntarily donated or

sold by a land owner to a unit of government or an IRS-recognized,nonprofit conservation organization for the purpose of protectingopen space, recreation, ecological, agricultural or historic resources.

n Most easements are granted in perpetuity.

n Land use restrictions are clearly defined in the deed and arenegotiated between the property owner and the easement receiver

based on the land owners needs and an analysis of the property.

n The conveyed easement serves as a jointly held and legally bindingplan for how the land will be used.


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Virginia Land Preserved, 2000-09

Fiscal YearTotal StatewideAcreage Preserved

Annual AcreagePreserved

2000 2,988,981

2001 3,026,276 37,295

2002 3,083,596 57,320

2003 3,131,116 47,520

2004 3,190,744 59,628

2005 3,236,383 45,6392006 3,301,642 65,259

2007 3,394,278 92,636

2008 3,566,668 172,390

2009 3,697,402 130,734

Source: Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation's Conservation Lands Database


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Virginia Land Preserved by RegionRegion

Preserved Land(in sq. miles)

Preserved Land asPercent of Total

Central 1,827 19.2%

Eastern 325 8.5%

Northern 471 7.4%Southside 262 7.3%

Southwest 479 9.8%

Hampton Roads 691 14.3%

Valley 530 9.9%

West Central 828 25.7%

Virginia 5,414 13.0%

http://www.vaconservedlands.org/gis.aspxhttp://www.dcr.virginia.gov/land_conservation/index.shtml
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Tax Incentives for Land Conservation

n Federal Tax Deduction for donation of landor conservation easements to charitable

organizations, e.g., land trustn State Tax Credits and Deductions for

donation of conservation easements

n Tax Law changes in 2006

St t L d C ti T C dit
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State Land Conservation Tax Credits

Transferable2008
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Summary of

Virginia Tax Credit
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Vi i i L d P i T C di
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Virginia Land Preservation Tax Credit

n Fair market value (FMV) of conservation easement =

Appraised value without CE minus appraised value with CE($1,000,000 - $400,000 = $600,000)

n Tax credit = 40% FMV of conservation easement (Credit =0.40 x $600,000 = $240,000)

n Credit reduces tax liability by $240,000n Unused Credit can be carried over for 10 years (if

$10,000/yr liability, claim $10K 1st year and for ten years or$110,000 total)

n Unused credit can be transferred (sold) to other taxpayers(claim $10K 1st year, sell $230K credits for ~80/$ = $230Kx 0.80 = $184,000, for $194,000 financial benefit)
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Federal Tax Deduction

n Can deduct donated CE FMV from adjusted grossincome (AGI,) limit 50% of AGI in 1 year (100% iffarmer), but can carry over residual for 15 years

(if $100,000 AGI & FMV CE $600,000, can deduct$50,000 1st yr ($100,000 if farmer) and do thesame for 11 more years)

n Deduction lowers taxable income (if federal taxbracket is 25%, deduction of $600,000 saves taxpayer $150,000)
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http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/land_conservation/index.shtml


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Impact of Tax Credit on #donationsand acres donated2007: 254 donations, 59,000 acres


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Use of conservation easement incollaborative conservation and development


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Collaborative Development


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Boulder, Colorado, Greenway

System


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Green Infrastructure

An interconnected network of green space that conserves naturalecosystem values and functions and provides associated benefits tohuman populations.

The network consists of waterways, wetlands, woodlands, wildlifehabitats, and other natural areas; greenways, parks, and otherconservation lands; and working farms, ranches and forests.

GI differs from conventional approaches to open space planningbecause, rather than looking at land conservation in isolation or inopposition to development, it aims to work in concert with landdevelopment, growth management, and built infrastructure

planning.
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Green Infrastructure

n Integrates environmental land objectives

n Watersheds, habitats, open space, workinglandscapes, recreation, forest canopy cover,

n Network of conserved land includingn Cores orhubs, such as habitat reserves, native

landscapes, working lands, regional andcommunity parks

n Corridors orlinks, such as riparian floodplains,landscape linkages, conservation corridors,greenways, and greenbelts
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Network of Landscape Cores and Connecting Corridors

Green Infrastructure Center,

Charlottesville


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Benefits of Green Infrastructuren GI is science-based. It is analysis the land, soils, habitat, ownership, and

development trends to identify critical core hubs (that may be habitatreserves, large farms, or regional parks) and connecting corridor links (thatmay be riparian streamways or forests tracts) to define an interconnected

network of green space that can work for people and wildlife.n GI is integrative. It both prioritizes land for conservation and informs land

development planning so that green infrastructure is not planned in isolationbut at the same time as gray infrastructure.

n GI builds on existing land conservation. Through Gap analysis, it startsexisting protected lands and identified gaps in protection and priorities for

critical cores and corridors.

n GI is proactive not reactive, systematic not haphazard, holistic not piecemeal,multijurisdictional not single jurisdictional, multi-functional not singlepurpose, and multi-scale not single scale
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County Green Infrastructure Process1. Map County natural assets with best data, GIS analysis, and public

involvement: ecological integrity, existing protected core/riparian lands,water resources, heritage and natural resource-based recreation, workinglandscape farms and forests, land use change,

2. Map large, intact, and connected natural lands and assess by level ofprotection. GIC used innovative techniques to assess:

1. Recent land use change impact on VNLA year 2000 database by mapping 100 foot buffersaround new developments to determine impact of ecological cores, and

2. Future level of protection by assessing parcel-size data and possible future impact oncontiguous forest blocks.

3. Map Natural Asset Networkand highlight protected areas, working lands,cultural heritage and recreation lands

4. Map high-value-asset connected intact landscapes5. Compare high value GI assets with County Comprehensive plan and zoning

ordinance

6. Engage the community in identifying protection priorities and conservationopportunities

N K t C t (VA) GI I t
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New Kent County (VA) GI Inventory


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M t C t


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Montgomery County,MDGreen Infrastructure


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Tools to Conserve the Working Landscape

n Exclusive agricultural zoningn Nonexclusive agricultural zoning

n Cluster or conservation zoning

n Agricultural Conservation Easements/Purchase of Development Rights (PDR)

n Transfer of Development Rights (TDR)

n

Agricultural districtingn Differential (use-value) taxation
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Land Stewardshipn Private Property owners conserving their

lands for open space, habitat, watershedprotection, recreation

n Master Gardeners

n NRCS promotes Backyard Conservation

n Users of Nature
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Users of nature, be they farmers, foresters, fishermen, or other producers andrecreaters, are important conservation stewards and advocates of theworking landscape, and promote its economic, social and environmental benefits.
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ch 15 land conservation

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