Curry Management Plan Draft
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Your input needed
Management plans for Heritage Trust nature preserves address objectives, stewardship tasks, and monitoring protocols related to ecological resources and public use of the preserves. The Land Protection Committee has completed a draft of a Curry Preserve Management Plan.
The management plan is available for public comment until February 29, 2012. Written comments may be submitted by mail or email until March 5.
Thank you for helping care for the lands that we protect together!
Management plans for Heritage Trust nature preserves address objectives, stewardship tasks, and monitoring protocols related to ecological resources and public use of the preserves. The Land Protection Committee has completed a draft of a Curry Preserve Management Plan.
The management plan is available for public comment until February 29, 2012. Written comments may be submitted by mail or email until March 5.
Thank you for helping care for the lands that we protect together!
Lummi Island Heritage Trust is applying for National Accreditation
The Land Trust Alliance is a national organization that represents and educates more than 1,600 conservation land trusts across America, including Lummi Island Heritage Trust. In 2006, the Alliance established an independent Land Trust Accreditation Commission to award accreditation to land trusts that meet national quality standards in their work to protect land for the public’s benefit. By providing our constituents with the assurance of quality and permanence, accreditation will publicly recognize our organization’s ability to protect important natural places in perpetuity.
Lummi Island Heritage Trust is pleased to announce we are preparing to apply for accreditation.
The Land Trust Accreditation Commission will perform an extensive review of our policies and programs to ensure organizational operations are conducted in the most responsible manner possible at all times. The Heritage Trust has chosen to apply for accreditation because our staff and board are committed to ensuring that our conservation work and this organization are sustainable for the future. Preparation for accreditation began last April with a day-long retreat where the board assessed all of the Heritage Trust’s policies and procedures against Land Trust Alliance standards. Since then the Heritage Trust board and staff have committed a significant amount of time updating old policies, adopting new policies, reorganizing records, and reviewing procedures. With 13 years of history and over 28 properties under our protection, the Heritage Trust’s limited human resources have been stretched as we remain on target to submit our application in September 2012. We are already seeing how this process will allow us to make our operations more efficient and improve the effectiveness of our conservation work.
To learn more about land conservation nationwide, please visit the Land Trust Alliance. To learn more about the land trust accreditation program, please visit the Land Trust Accreditation Commission.
Lummi Island Heritage Trust is pleased to announce we are preparing to apply for accreditation.
The Land Trust Accreditation Commission will perform an extensive review of our policies and programs to ensure organizational operations are conducted in the most responsible manner possible at all times. The Heritage Trust has chosen to apply for accreditation because our staff and board are committed to ensuring that our conservation work and this organization are sustainable for the future. Preparation for accreditation began last April with a day-long retreat where the board assessed all of the Heritage Trust’s policies and procedures against Land Trust Alliance standards. Since then the Heritage Trust board and staff have committed a significant amount of time updating old policies, adopting new policies, reorganizing records, and reviewing procedures. With 13 years of history and over 28 properties under our protection, the Heritage Trust’s limited human resources have been stretched as we remain on target to submit our application in September 2012. We are already seeing how this process will allow us to make our operations more efficient and improve the effectiveness of our conservation work.
To learn more about land conservation nationwide, please visit the Land Trust Alliance. To learn more about the land trust accreditation program, please visit the Land Trust Accreditation Commission.
Congress Extends Conservation Easement Tax Incentive Through 2011
Congress recently renewed a 2006 tax incentive that enables moderate-income landowners to get a significant tax benefit for donating a conservation easement on their land. The legislation allows easement donors to:
Landowners who act quickly to conserve their land can now enjoy these benefits, but they’re currently set to expire December 31, 2011. Please contact us if you are considering placing a conservation easement on your land.
- Deduct up to 50% of their adjusted gross income in any year (up from 30%)
- Deduct up to 100% of their adjusted gross income if the majority of that income came from farming, ranching or forestry
- Continue to take deductions for as long as 16 year (previously 6 years).
Landowners who act quickly to conserve their land can now enjoy these benefits, but they’re currently set to expire December 31, 2011. Please contact us if you are considering placing a conservation easement on your land.
Make a Gift from your IRA and get a Tax Benefit
The IRA Rollover was first enacted in 2006 as part of the Pension Protection Act. If you are 70½ years of age or older, the provision allows you to make direct contributions from your traditional Individual Retirement Account or Roth IRA to a charitable organization of your choice –– up to $100,000 per year.
These direct charitable IRA distributions are not counted as taxable income!
A direct transfer IRA gift does not generate taxable income or a tax deduction, so you will receive the benefit even if you do not itemize your tax deductions, it may count against your unsatisfied required minimum distributions, and it is a terrific way to support Lummi Island Heritage Trust and land conservation on Lummi Island.
One essential detail: your IRA administrator must issue the check directly to the Heritage Trust. Since your contribution is not taxable income, you cannot claim an additional charitable deduction. Examples show, however, that gifting funds directly from your IRA is one of the most tax beneficial means of charitable giving.
This unique tax benefit is set to expire at the end on 2011. To take advantage of this opportunity, donors must complete the IRA gift transfer by December 31, 2011. Check with your IRA administrator or financial advisor to determine if this charitable gift opportunity makes sense for you.
We hope you will consider taking advantage of this special opportunity to impact conservation on Lummi Island by making an IRA Rollover gift to the Heritage Trust. Please contact us for more information.
These direct charitable IRA distributions are not counted as taxable income!
A direct transfer IRA gift does not generate taxable income or a tax deduction, so you will receive the benefit even if you do not itemize your tax deductions, it may count against your unsatisfied required minimum distributions, and it is a terrific way to support Lummi Island Heritage Trust and land conservation on Lummi Island.
One essential detail: your IRA administrator must issue the check directly to the Heritage Trust. Since your contribution is not taxable income, you cannot claim an additional charitable deduction. Examples show, however, that gifting funds directly from your IRA is one of the most tax beneficial means of charitable giving.
This unique tax benefit is set to expire at the end on 2011. To take advantage of this opportunity, donors must complete the IRA gift transfer by December 31, 2011. Check with your IRA administrator or financial advisor to determine if this charitable gift opportunity makes sense for you.
We hope you will consider taking advantage of this special opportunity to impact conservation on Lummi Island by making an IRA Rollover gift to the Heritage Trust. Please contact us for more information.