In December 2021, the America the Beautiful Interagency Working Group provided the first annual report on the America the Beautiful campaign (Year One Report). The report highlights efforts undertaken across the key areas identified in the original America the Beautiful report and identifies next steps in each of these areas to further the
Colorado Open Lands and San Isabel Land Protection Trust announced a merger of operations effective December 31, 2021. The two land trusts have collaborated on a number of projects in the past, and the collaboration is taken to a new level with the merger. Colorado Open Lands has protected more than 600,000 acres of land
The Metzler Property in Castle Rock, Colorado was preserved today through the generous donation by the Estate of Robert F. Metzler of 60 acres of land to the Town of Castle Rock and a conservation easement to Douglas Land Conservancy (DLC) on 49 of those acres. The Metzler Property is located along Founders Parkway and
Today the Colorado legislature passed HB21-1233, the Conservation Easement Enhancement and Rural Stimulus Act. The Act was proposed and shepherded by Keep It Colorado, and will now proceed to the Governor’s desk to be signed.
The Act modifies the Colorado conservation easement tax credit program by increasing the amount of tax credits that
Today the Biden Administration released a preliminary report to the National Climate Task Force titled Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful. The report provides a vision and plan to preserve at least 30% of the country’s land and waters by 2030 with a locally led America the Beautiful campaign.
Continue Reading America the Beautiful Campaign: The Next Step for the 30×30 Goal
In a previous post, we noted that the Colorado Department of Revenue (CDOR) was considering revisions to conservation easement tax credit regulations, and on March 17, 2021, those revisions were adopted. Rule 39-22-104(3)(g), Rule 39-22-304(2)(f) and Rule 39-22-522 will become effective on April 30, 2021. As a reminder, the amendments are intended to conform the regulations to House Bill 19-1264 signed into law on June 3, 2019, which included a number of substantive revisions to the conservation easement enabling statute (C.R.S. § 38-30.5-101, et seq.) and the conservation easement tax credit program in Colorado.
Continue Reading Colorado Department of Revenue Adopts Revised Conservation Easement Tax Credit Regulations
Bloomberg reported today about the criminal prosecutions of two promoters of syndicated conservation easements. The article details the guilty pleas of two brothers, Stein Agee and Corey Agee, to federal tax-fraud conspiracy charges. Their scheme involved classic syndication collaboration with lawyers, accountants and appraisers to sell shares in entities donating conservations easements and then overvaluing
On February 17, 2021, Douglas Land Conservancy (DLC) and Douglas County partnered to protect 2,558 acres with perpetual conservation easements on two Douglas County open space properties. Sandstone Ranch (2,038 acres) and the Schmidt Construction Open Space (520 acres) were both acquired by Douglas County in cooperation with the Chatfield Reservoir Mitigation Company to provide mitigation for the Preble’s meadow jumping mouse as part of the Chatfield Storage Reallocation Project. The purchase of Sandstone Ranch was also completed with funding from Great Outdoors Colorado.
Continue Reading Douglas Land Conservancy Protects 2,558 Acres in Douglas County
On December 7, 2020, the Colorado Department of Revenue (CDOR) issued a general information letter [Colo. Dep’t of Revenue, Gen. Info. Letter GIL-20-003, 12/07/20] regarding the eligibility of a mutual ditch company to claim a Colorado conservation easement tax credit, except when a state governmental entity is a shareholder. CDOR determined that a mutual ditch
Keep it Colorado announces its breathtaking new video “”Keep It Colorado: Creating a Colorado Where People, Lands, Waters and Wildlife Thrive.” The video was a collaboration of Keep It Colorado and its member land trusts and includes footage of properties preserved with conservation easements across the state. Bravo to Keep It Colorado and all of
