Turning my land into a conservation area

[tallyho8]

I was watching TV and saw a commercial for some group that encouraged you to sign up your property to be used for some type of conservation area so that it would be protected from encroachment and to lower your property taxes. But I forgot the name of their website.

I have a couple of acres that I leave wooded and do not use for pasture because it is too low and floods frequently but it is heavily taxed and I am in an area where the politicians and the residents of the surrounding area are always thinking of ways to improve their property by using mine. I would like to dedicate this portion of my property to some type of conservation area so that my taxes on it would be lowered and so that others couldn't take it away from me to serve their own greedy purposes.

I enjoy just having the land for the animals and as a nature retreat and do not wish to see it developed during my lifetime. Does anyone know the conservation group I saw on TV or any other alternatives I may have?

 

[DieselPower]

In PA you can put your land in the "Clean and Green" category. It restricts how much you can build on your property but also lowers your property tax's. I have had mine in it for years. You might check with your local property tax representative.

 

[SnowRidge]

DieselPower gives good advice. Check with your taxing authority. They should be aware of all legitimate ways to change your property status. I would be wary of any group that can afford to advertise so that they can "give" you something.

The ad you saw may have been from The Nature Conservancy. They seem to be somewhat controversial. In particular, look at this article. We were actually solicited to place some of our land in their hands by an attorney we had hired to do some work for us. He is no longer our attorney.

 

[MossRoad]

In Indiana they have a classified forest program that allows you to put land into that program, keep it, maintain control of it, and pay very little taxes on it. The only stipulation is, if you take it out of the program, you have to pay back taxes on the property. However, you can manage it for wildlife, forestry (harvest the timber if you like), etc... good program. We are not currently in it because the annual taxes on the 20 acres is under $200.00. But if we put a house on it, YIKES! the taxes will go up. So, we will most likely put most of the land into the program but keep a few acres out of it for our homesite and possibly two other home sites for our children, if they want them. Got to plan that stuff ahead.

Check with your state and look into any programs they may offer.

 

[SnowRidge]

In Indiana they have a classified forest program that allows you to put land into that program, keep it, maintain control of it, and pay very little taxes on it. The only stipulation is, if you take it out of the program, you have to pay back taxes on the property. However, you can manage it for wildlife, forestry (harvest the timber if you like), etc... good program. We are not currently in it because the annual taxes on the 20 acres is under $200.00. But if we put a house on it, YIKES! the taxes will go up. So, we will most likely put most of the land into the program but keep a few acres out of it for our homesite and possibly two other home sites for our children, if they want them. Got to plan that stuff ahead.

Check with your state and look into any programs they may offer.

Tennessee offers three programs, farm, forest, and public access, which is as undesirable as it sounds. We have had land in the farm program, and now we have some in the forest program. The taxes are extremely low. If you put a house on the property, 1/2 acre is withdrawn and taxed at regular rates.

If the land is taken out of the program, roll back taxes are due for the last three years only, one of which is the current year. This is an absolute boondoggle for developers, who park land in the program until they get ready to build. Worst case is they get to pay the taxes later when the roll back comes due. Since there is no actual monetary penalty for withdrawing land from the program, it amounts to an interest free loan. Best case, they hold the land for more than three years before developing, and they actually save money on taxes, plus get the interest free loan for the roll back period. They usually also make money by leasing it out for grazing or haying during the holding period.

Bottom line: The Tennessee greenbelt law actually results in more open land lost than preserved, and the developers are subsidized to boot.

 

[2manyrocks]

As a whole, I can't say if more tax dollars are saved overall by legitimate Tennessee landowners than by developers. The problem is that urban development pushes up land values and a lot of farms are lost because some elderly farmer with not much income gets stuck with higher property taxes because the city has moved out to him. But then developers and speculators have bought up so many farms that your point is well taken.

I think every farmer should put deed restrictions in that say, "if this land is ever used for retail or commercial development, it shall revert to my heirs."

 

[SnowRidge]

As a whole, I can't say if more tax dollars are saved overall by legitimate Tennessee landowners than by developers. The problem is that urban development pushes up land values and a lot of farms are lost because some elderly farmer with not much income gets stuck with higher property taxes because the city has moved out to him. But then developers and speculators have bought up so many farms that your point is well taken.

I think every farmer should put deed restrictions in that say, "if this land is ever used for retail or commercial development, it shall revert to my heirs."

A family I know was run off of their Knoxville area family farm by an industrial development agency. They had eminent domain authority and wanted the land for an industrial park (to be built by their favored connected developer, according to the family). The family did end up with a ton of money and bought a much larger farm elsewhere, but the whole thing tore up the family, causing major rifts within that may never heal.

 

[Thumper & Buttercup]

Up here in ND they have the same kind of programs, the only problem is you open the property to the public when you do this. Up here that means hunters also.

 

[Flatheadyoungin]

that's not right.....schools, etc. is one thing but, at one time, our country valued the family farm......i believe it is something sacred that no one can touch.......

i thought we left england for these exact reasons....land, taxes and religious freedoms......look what we have now; a government that essentially discourages land ownership, major taxation and a looking down your nose at religion attitude.....

i'm done...

that's a good idea depending on the details......i believe we should conserve wilderness areas...

A family I know was run off of their Knoxville area family farm by an industrial development agency. They had eminent domain authority and wanted the land for an industrial park (to be built by their favored connected developer, according to the family). The family did end up with a ton of money and bought a much larger farm elsewhere, but the whole thing tore up the family, causing major rifts within that may never heal.

 

[HappyCPE]

Many states have conservation programs. In NJ you can sell your development rights to the state, in the "Green Acres" program. You have to have 40 acres minimum, though, and it takes several years to get your money, and if they change the zoning [make it more exclusionary] before you get paid then you get paid less. There are other temporary programs that involve property tax abatement, and you also get tax breaks for actively farming and/or maintaining your woodlands to certain standards.

There are local organizations that some people feel better about. My local one is here:
Hunterdon Land Trust Alliance - Questions & Answers
Actually that page discusses the tax breaks you can get from Uncle Sam, which you "may" be able to take advantage of. An outright donation of property or property development rights may be something to consider.