Landowners Learned About Land Conservation at MMRG Workshop

At a free workshop offered by MMRG, approximately 25 landowners from Alton, Wolfeboro, New Durham, Tuftonboro, Middleton, Milton, and Farmington learned about the process of placing a conservation easement on their land. Keith Fletcher, Director of Land Conservation, began the workshop by describing what an easement does and why people go to the trouble of creating an easement deed. Explained Fletcher, “If you love your land, you may desire to keep it just like it is forever. A conservation easement is the best choice to legally protect your land in perpetuity. With an easement, you may maintain ownership or you may sell. Either way, the land will be preserved according to your specifications, allowing only nature’s own changes or certain uses such as agriculture or forestry.”

Fletcher went on to highlight the role of the organization that holds the easement, which might be a local land trust or a town Conservation Commission. “The easement holder has the job of making sure that your wishes, as expressed legally in the easement deed, are followed. Each year, a representative of the easement holder will walk your property boundaries with you to confirm that it is properly preserved.” For emphasis, Fletcher walked back and forth across the hall, the audience eyes on him. “Choose your easement holder carefully,” he advised. “You may spend many hours working out your easement and walking your land with them. This may sound onerous but really, these are almost always great folks you will enjoy seeing every year.”

Workshop participants were interested in the recently extended federal tax incentives for landowners who donate a conservation easement. The value of a donated easement is essentially the value of the forfeited development rights on the land. If the easement is donated in 2011, a landowner may deduct up to half of his or her taxable income, for up to 16 years in a row, until the full easement value has been deducted. Farmers may deduct up to 100% of their income and thus pay no taxes for as many as 16 years. For more information about the renewed tax incentive, visit www.lta.org/easementincentive. To learn more about conservation options for your property, contact Keith Fletcher at (603) 817-8260 or email info@mmrg.info.