Donated Conservation Easements Protect 21,000 Acres Along Critical State Waterways
Press Release
Today Governor Sonny Perdue announced 13 conservation easement donations from private landowners to the state of Georgia as part of the Georgia Land Conservation Program (GLCP). The protected properties, totaling more than 21,000 acres, fall along key waterways that serve as drinking water sources and habitat for high-priority wildlife. In each case, the conservation value of the property will be permanently protected and monitored by the state while the land remains in private ownership and stewardship.
"Georgia has developed an outstanding culture of conservation," said Governor Perdue. "We are blessed to live in a state with abundant natural beauty and to have landowners committed to protecting our resources for future generations. Their generosity and stewardship is exactly what I envisioned when we created the Land Conservation Program."
Conservation easements are voluntary agreements that permanently restrict how land can be used. Landowners maintain ownership of their properties, but they forfeit some development and other rights. The state of Georgia encourages conservation easements by offering income tax credits to donors of qualifying easements to state agencies, local governments and private non-profit land trusts. Federal tax incentives and other financial benefits are also available.
The GLCP is managed by the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority (GEFA). The program works with public and private sector partners to permanently protect lands with high conservation value. Governor Perdue introduced the Georgia Land Conservation Act, which created the GLCP, during the 2005 session of the General Assembly to encourage the long-term conservation and protection of the state's natural, cultural and historic resources. The Georgia Land Conservation Act passed with broad bipartisan support and Governor Perdue signed it into law on April 14, 2005. Since the program's inception, the GLCP has played a role in 203 land conservation transactions that have permanently protected a total of 141,972 acres. For more information on the GLCP, please visit www.glcp.ga.gov.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source