WASHINGTON, March 27, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Land Trust Alliance, a national land conservation organization working to save the places people need and love by strengthening land conservation across America, today welcomed a U.S. Senate probe of conservation tax benefit abuse. The following statement can be attributed to Andrew Bowman, president & CEO of the Land Trust Alliance:
The Land Trust Alliance and our 1,000 member land trusts welcome the U.S. Senate Finance Committee's thoughtful and timely probe of conservation tax benefit abuse. This investigation led by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) is the right step toward permanently ending this abuse. It shines a bright light on transactions that disguise a profitable tax shelter as a charitable donation.
Also, we are especially grateful for the committee's appreciation of the very legitimate purposes conservation easements continue to serve. Only a handful of the more than 2,000 conservation easements completed annually are the work of bad actors abusing the system. But these actors must be stopped.
This is why the Alliance has endorsed the Charitable Conservation Easement Program Integrity Act. It allows honest conservation donations to move ahead, unimpeded. It preserves the good reputation of our nation's land appraisers and conservationists. It stops bad actors from profiting. It safeguards taxpayers. And it provides Congress a concise and sensible solution that's ready for passage.
More information about this issue is available on the Alliance website at http://www.landtrustalliance.org.
About the Land Trust Alliance
Founded in 1982, the Land Trust Alliance is a national land conservation organization that works to save the places people need and love by strengthening land conservation across America. The Alliance represents 1,000 member land trusts supported by more than 200,000 volunteers and 4.6 million members nationwide. The Alliance is based in Washington, D.C., and operates several regional offices. More information about the Alliance is available at http://www.landtrustalliance.org.
SOURCE Land Trust Alliance
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