Farm Bill
Extends
Conservation’s
Reach
Towns Edge Farm occupies 115
acres along the western edge
of Ligonier. Owner Bill Snyder
is a valued WPC partner who has
been working with Assistant
Director of Freshwater Conservation
Ben Wright to install conservation
measures that will improve the
overall operation of the farm and
reduce its impact on the environment.
As a result, fenced
woodlots, streambank fencing, a
cattle crossing and a rotational
grazing system are in place, with
other improvements on the way.
Thanks to programs like the
Environmental Quality Incentive
Program, or EQIP, which got a
significant boost in funding in the
2008 farm bill, projects like these
can continue. EQIP allows farmers
to offset a portion of qualified
conservation practice expenses
with federal funding.
Also, as a result of the farm bill,
landowners who put voluntary
restrictions on their property can
continue to take qualifying charitable
deductions of up to 50
percent of their adjusted gross
income in 2008 and 2009 (up from
30 percent), and, if most of their
income is from farming, ranching or
forestry, they can deduct up to an
amount equal to 100 percent of
adjusted gross income. In addition,
the number of years over which a
donor can take those deductions
has increased from six years to 15
years. A voluntary conservation
agreement is a permanent deed
restriction that limits future development
of a property to enhance
conservation value. These agreements
are tailored to specific
features of the property and the
interests of the landowner. The
agreements are perpetual and held
by qualified conservation organizations
or public agencies. For more
information about EQIP or conservation
easements, contact land@paconserve.org.