Sunday Hunting in Maryland–Yes or No?

Bill SP45 (click bill name to view) was just introduced into the Maryland State Legislature. If passed, this bill would allow Sunday hunting on private property in Montgomery County from October through January. Please complete this simple poll to let us know YOUR view.

There will be a hearing January 26, 2011. We encourage you to convey your view to the Montgomery County delegation: www.mdarchives.us/msa/mdmanual/07leg/html/gacomo.html. (Find your legislative district HERE.)

[polldaddy poll=4422540]

How the Enhanced Tax Incentive for Conservation Easements Benefits You

By Rand Wentworth, President, Land Trust Alliance

After a year-long lapse that left many important conservation donations in limbo, Congress has renewed the enhanced tax incentive for conservation easements! As soon as President Obama signs H.R. 4853 (http://www.rules.house.gov/111/LegText/111_satohr4853_txt.pdf), the incentive will be in effect through December 31, 2011 and be retroactive to January 1, 2010.

We’d like to say a big “Thank you!” to each and every person who made a phone call, visited their member of Congress, financially supported our work, or otherwise played their part at the local, state or national level. This has been a true community effort which would not have been possible without our national coalition and the help of many land trusts. Your hard work made renewal of the incentive possible and has laid the groundwork for bipartisan legislation to make it permanent.

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Let’s Make the Most of This News!

We must act quickly to ensure that landowners in your land trust’s priority areas hear about this incentive. Here are 4 steps you can take immediately:

- Alert local media using our sample press release (http://www.landtrustalliance.org/policy/documents/9-Press%20Release%20Template.doc) or letter to the editor (http://www.landtrustalliance.org/policy/documents/2-ltr-to-editor)

- Spread the word to landowners with the Grassroots Toolkit (http://www.landtrustalliance.org/policy/policy-toolkit)
- Thank Congress – and urge them to make this incentive permanent! (http://www.landtrustalliance.org/policy/policy-toolkit)

- Forward this alert to your board, staff, members and supporters

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Details on What Was Extended

The incentive, which now applies to donations in 2010 and 2011:

- Raises the income tax deduction a landowner can take for donating a conservation easement from 30% of their income in any year to 50%;

- Allows farmers and ranchers to deduct up to 100% of their income; and

- Increases the number of years over which a donor can take deductions from 6 to 16 years.

This package also extends the S Corporation donation incentive (http://www.landtrustalliance.org/policy/tax-matters/conservation-donation-rules) and the IRA Charitable Rollover (http://independentsector.org/ira_rollover) through 2011.

Although the estate tax incentives (http://www.landtrustalliance.org/policy/tax-matters/estate-tax-reform-and-land-conservation) for land conservation we championed did not make it in, this package does extend the 2001 law that removed the geographic limitations from the section 2031(c) estate tax exclusion for land protected by a conservation easement, through December 31, 2012. That means, even with a $5 million unified credit and 35% rate, landowners may still realize up to a $175,000 estate tax benefit for donating a conservation easement.

For complete details please see our Frequently Asked Questions (http://www.landtrustalliance.org/policy/tax-matters/incentive-faqs) and Conservation Donation Rules (http://www.landtrustalliance.org/policy/tax-matters/conservation-donation-rules) pages.

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Working to Make the Incentive Permanent Next Year

While this extension is good news, it’s also important to convey the message that land conservation projects can take many years to put together and the uncertainty that comes from renewing the enhanced incentive year to year prevents it from reaching its full potential. Working together with land trusts across the country, and our coalition of 65 agricultural, sporting and conservation organizations, we’ll be working hard to make the incentive permanent next year.

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Get a Head Start Today

You can help lay the ground work for next year by thanking your members of Congress for providing this extension today! Regardless of how your Senators and Representatives came down on H.R. 4853 (http://www.rules.house.gov/111/LegText/111_satohr4853_txt.pdf) , the important thing for us is to thank the 274 House and 41 Senate co-sponsors of H.R. 1831 and S. 812 (http://www.landtrustalliance.org/policy/tax-matters/cosponsors) — bills to make this incentive permanent. Their support helped ensure that our extension was included today and your thanks will remind them that we’ll need their help next year.

The updated Grassroots toolkit includes a sample thank you letter (http://www.landtrustalliance.org/policy/documents/11-Sample%20Thank%20You%20Letter%20to%20Your%20Representatives.doc) , but it’s even more important to thank them publicly! All press materials in the toolkit include sample language for thanking your delegation and you might also consider inviting your Rep. and the media to visit a conserved property in the spring (http://www.landtrustalliance.org/policy/advocacy-tips/meet) .

By helping modest income landowners deduct the full value of their contributions, this enhanced tax incentive has increased the pace of private, voluntary land conservation by about 250,000 acres a year nationwide, and is especially important now that the latest reports show that America is losing land to development at the rate of 1.5 million acres per year. Today’s renewal will create a permanent legacy of conserved land across America, and your work made it possible.

Help Shape the Future of Equestrian Activities in Montgomery County!

SEPTEMBER 7, 2010, BOYDS, MD — You have an opportunity to speak up for and help shape the future of equestrian activities in Montgomery County, Maryland!

Montgomery Parks, M-NCPPC and the Montgomery County Department of Recreation are currently participating in a process to develop a vision and strategic plan for park and recreation services in Montgomery County. The project is being coordinated across both departments by GreenPlay, LLC and will take up to 18 months to complete.

Montgomery Parks, M-NCPPC and the Montgomery County Recreation Department are hosting two public meetings this month.

They’re seeking feedback from the public on which types of activities and programs they should be offering, which should recover all costs through user fees and which services should be primarily covered by your tax dollars. Your input will help guide the long-term planning for our county’s parks and recreation services, facilities and programs.

• Public Meeting #5
  Monday September 13, from 7:00 PM- 8:30 PM
  Gwendolyn Coffield Community Center
  2450 Lyttonsville Rd., Silver Spring, MD 20910
• Public Meeting #6
  Tuesday September 14, from 7:00- 8:30 PM
  UpCounty Regional Services Center
  Meeting Room A
  12900 Middlebrook Road, Germantown, Maryland 20874

Past meeting information and links have been posted on the project calendar. Focus Group meeting notes are also available for you to review here.

Please plan to attend a meeting and make your voice heard. If YOU don’t speak up for the future of equestrian activities in our county, YOU risk losing them!

Support HR 1912 the “Complete America’s Great Trails Act”

Contact your Representative and encourage them to support HR 1912, the “Complete America’s Great Trails Act” -

The Complete America’s Great Trails Act would provide a tax credit to private landowners who grant conservation easements to National Scenic Trails. Private landowners would have a new incentive to allow trail users to pass through their property, and establish a guaranteed corridor that protects the continuity of the trails. (Read more)

Proposed House Energy Bill Fully Funds LWCF

The House of Representatives’ Natural Resources Committee is preparing energy legislation and strongly considering full and dedicated funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) at the authorized annual level of $900 million. The funding amounts to $450 million for state and local matching grants to acquire and develop recreation parks, forests, and recreation facilities and $450 million to expand and protect national parks, national forests, national wildlife refuges as well as other federally managed public lands. The bill will be introduced upon legislators’ return in September after the August Recess.

Your support is needed NOW to let your members of Congress know how much you care about the LWCF and the special places that it protects such as parks, refuges, trails, cultural and historic places, public lands, and access to close to home recreation areas in your community. It is important for parks and recreation advocates to connect with legislators during the August recess, through meet and greet events and arranged meetings with district offices. Tell your Representatives that their support is needed to ensure that an LWCF full funding provision is a top priority in the Energy Bill and that you will be counting on them to help get this provision enacted into law. The link below is a briefing paper with key message points on the Land and Water Conservation Fund to bring up while you meet with legislators .

Copyright 2009, National Recreation and Park Association. All Rights Reserved.
22377 Belmont Ridge Road, Ashburn, VA 20148-4150, Phone 703.858.0784 Fax 703.858.0794

Council OKs $750K for Woodstock fixes

From Gazette.net, Maryland Community Newspapers Online

“The County Council unanimously approved $750,000 in improvements to Woodstock Equestrian Park in Beallsville on Tuesday.

The special appropriation will fully fund the design of the second phase of development at the 872-acre park, according to Mike Riley, deputy director of the county parks department…”

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