top
 

Hudson Highlands Land Trust

January 2013

 greenback logo
 

Visit our website  

Support our work 


 Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter

Links to Articles
Conservation Easement Tax Incentive
Invest in the Hudson Highlands
Join a CSA


Coming Events

Jan 13
Winterfest 
Taconic Outdoor Education Center
Cold Spring, NY

Jan 20
Intro to Beekeeping
Hudson Highlands Nature Museum
Cornwall, NY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hudson Highlands Land Trust
P.O. Box 226
20 Nazareth Way
Garrison, NY  10524
845/424-3358

info@hhlt.org
Healy conserved fieldsCongress Renews Enhanced Conservation Easement Tax Incentive for 2013
Congress's "fiscal cliff" deal renewed the enhanced income tax deductions for conservation easements, or voluntary conservation agreements, through the end of 2013, and retroactively to the beginning of 2012. The Enhanced Easement Incentive has helped land trusts nationwide work with modest-income landowners to increase the pace of conservation since 2006, keeping our towns and villages healthy and attractive places to live, work and play.
  
The entire community wins when local landowners conserve their land with a voluntary conservation agreement, protecting clean drinking water, scenic landscapes, recreational spaces, wildlife habitat, and productive agricultural lands. The landowner maintains ownership and management of the land, which can be sold or passed on to heirs, while foregoing or limiting future development rights. And, since the property remains in private ownership, it remains on local tax rolls.
  
Visit http://hhlt.org/taxIncentives.html for more information, or contact info@hhlt.org for assistance. As with any charitable donation, there are certain restrictions and key requirements that apply to these Federal and State tax benefits. Landowners should always seek qualified independent financial and legal advice when making any charitable contribution, including the donation of a conservation easement.

Resolve to Invest in the Future of the Hudson Highlands

The New Year is here and with it the desire to start afresh--perhaps to exercise more, eat healthfully, or get organized.  If you are planning to revise your will as part of a resolution to manage your finances, please consider a legacy gift to the Hudson Highlands Land Trust.

  

By joining the dedicated group of supporters who make up our Legacy Circle, you can continue to be a vital contributor to our conservation work beyond your lifetime--protecting the natural resources, rural character and scenic beauty of the Hudson Highlands for future generations.

  

For more information on making a planned gift, or to notify us that you have done so, please contact MJ Martin at 845/424-3358x2 or mj.martin@hhlt.org.

 

(back to top)

CSA vegetablesConsider Joining a CSA this Year

While it may be hard to imagine fresh local produce while the ground is frozen solid, Hudson Valley farmers are planning their growing season now and a number of them offer Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs to connect more directly with their customers.

 

CSAs, through which farmers offer "shares" of their crops, have become a popular way to buy local, seasonal food directly from the source. A share typically consists of vegetables, but other farm products (like eggs, flowers or meat) may be included. The arrangement rewards both sides: Shareholders receive ultra-fresh food weekly and get exposed to new vegetables and new ways of cooking. Parents find that kids typically favor food from "their" farm--even veggies they've never been known to eat before. Farmers are able to spend time marketing early in the year, before their 16-hour days in the field begin, and receive payment early in the season, which helps with the farm's cash flow.

 

The close business relationship also allows the farmers to get to know the people who eat the food they grow, while consumers learn about the seasonal process, forging a sense of community among members, and between members and farmers.
 

To learn about CSAs in our area, follow these links:

 

Call for volunteers.

Whether our volunteers are helping with hikes, events or clerical projects, they are an invaluable component of HHLT's family. We are currently interested in hearing from avid hikers who'd like to share their favorite trek with our members, and photographers willing to let us publish their Hudson Highlands photos in our annual report. To become an HHLT volunteer, please contact Kathy Hamel at 845/424-3358x4 or kathy.hamel@hhlt.org.

The Hudson Highlands Land Trust is a community-based, non-profit land conservation organization dedicated to the protection of the natural resources, rural character and scenic beauty of the Hudson Highlands.