Land Trust Alliance Supports Congress Advancing Funding for Conservation in Reconciliation Bill

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19, 2021 /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 U.S. House of Representatives passage of the reconciliation bill and its significant new funding for conservation.

If agreed to in the Senate as it passed the House, the Build Back Better Act would provide critical funding for conservation programs that will protect natural and working lands while making our country more resilient to the impacts of climate change. The funding makes a $28 billion investment in Farm Bill conservation programs, including $1.7 billion in funding for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program and $7.5 billion in funding for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program. It also allocates more than $27 billion to help combat wildfire and contribute to forest health and resiliency, including $2.5 billion for Urban and Community Forestry Assistance program grants and $100 million for urban and community forestry acquisition through the U.S. Forest Service Community Forest and Open Space Program.

"The Build Back Better Act provides critical funding for conservation programs that will protect natural and working lands while making our country more resilient to the impacts of climate change," said Andrew Bowman, president & CEO of the Land Trust Alliance. "These historic investments are good for our environment, our communities, our health and our economy.

"At the same time, there is more that must be done. The House Ways and Means Committee and others previously made clear that Congress must pass the Charitable Conservation Easement Program Integrity Act in the reconciliation bill. To now omit the Integrity Act only hurts taxpayers and gives a green light for tax cheats to continue abusing the federal incentive for conservation easement donations.

"Congress must act strongly and consistently in support of land conservation. On behalf of the Land Trust Alliance and its nearly 1,000 members, I call on the Senate to restore the Integrity Act to this reconciliation bill to ensure new funding for conservation is spent as intended."

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 nearly 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.

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Media Contact

Joshua Lynsen, Land Trust Alliance, 202-800-2239, [email protected]

SOURCE Land Trust Alliance