January 7, 2004
Dear Rural Landowner,
Every landowner in the Clark Fork and Pend Oreille River watershed knows that his or her piece of land is special. You value your land and your way of life and feel that your land and your lifestyle should be preserved. Many people would like to live in Sanders County, Montana or Bonner County, Idaho and both counties have experienced rapid growth in the last ten years. What can be done to make sure that we will always have clean water, scenic landscapes and abundant wildlife? Consider working with a land trust to permanently protect land that has scenic, cultural or natural resource values.
A land trust is a nonprofit, tax-exempt, organization that works in partnership with private landowners to protect land in perpetuity. You are receiving this letter because we want you to know that a new land trust has formed in your watershed. The Clark Fork-Pend Oreille Conservancy is a regional land trust, run by local people, who know and understand the unique resources of our area.
Land trusts typically use conservation easements to permanently protect land. A conservation easement is a legal contract between a landowner and an organization that restricts some land uses, while allowing others. The land stays in private ownership and the owner is compensated for giving up some land use rights by receiving a Federal tax deduction, or in some cases, a cash payment. A conservation easement can also significantly lower estate taxes, which allows heirs to keep land that they inherit, instead of being forced to sell. There are many ways to combine estate planning with land conservation and easements can be custom-tailored to meet your needs, while also protecting resources. Please consult your attorney or call us to learn more about conservation easements and land preservation.
Protecting land today, will improve our quality of life in the future.
Respectfully,
Suzanne Sawyer
Executive Director, Clark Fork-Pend Oreille Conservancy
208-263-9471 or toll free at 866-293-6706