: 2046 | 402310 | 14683
617 | Adopt Legislation to Avoid Protected Lands During Siting of Utilities |
287 | Expand The Estate Tax Exclusion for Lands Protected With A Conservation EasementAnne Garnett - 04 Aug 2010 (4) Currently, Internal Revenue Code section 2031(c) provides an estate tax exclusion of 40% of the value of land protected by a conservation easement. Unfortunately, this exclusion is capped at $500,000. In the context of rising farm values this exclusion is woefully inadequate. The American Family Farm and Ranchland Protection Act, ... |
265 | Preserve Working Farms & Connect People to Their FoodAndy Bicking - 12 Aug 2010 (3) Farms in New York’s Hudson Valley are the primary source of fresh produce for New York City, representing 80 percent of the vendors at its GreenMarkets. They contribute $530 million in direct economic benefit while supporting a $4.7-billion tourism economy. Land trusts are leading efforts to ensure permanent protection of ... |
197 | Full & Dedicated Funding for the Land and Water Conservation FundMaddy Pope - 27 Jul 2010 (1) Our nation’s heritage of public lands is a national treasure. Ample funding to acquire and protect key inholdings and expansion areas throughout our national parks, forests, trails, refuges, wilderness and BLM areas as well as grant funding for state and local parks is necessary to protect the integrity of these ... |
194 | Make the Enhanced Tax Incentive for Conservation Easements PermanentSean Robertson - 23 Jul 2010 (2) Since 2006, an enhanced tax deduction for donations of development rights has helped farmers, ranchers and other modest-income landowners work with land trusts to increase the pace of conservation by about 250,000 acres a year. Despite support from 267 Representatives, 41 Senators and President Obama’s campaign pledge to sportsmen, that ... |
191 | Support Farm Bill Conservation Easement ProgramsStephanie Manes - 27 Jul 2010 (2) The Farm and Ranchland Protection Program (FRPP) and Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) provide conservation organizations with critical matching dollars toward the purchase of conservation easements. Without them, many land trusts can't afford to purchase the development rights on the most scenic and ecologically important landscapes in the country. ... |
189 | Connect People to Landscape, History & Culture through Partnerships with Land TrustsAndy Bicking - 12 Aug 2010 (1) Land Trusts around the country are great innovators when it comes to connecting people to landscape, history and culture. One success story in the making is in New York’s Hudson Valley. The region has one of America’s largest National Historic Districts and myriad breathtaking parks, all located in a state-designated ... |
187 | Civil War Battlefield ProtectionEmily Egel - 10 Aug 2010 (16) Preserved Civil War battlefields are cultural and historic landscapes that serve as a constant reminder of the sacrifices our ancestors endured to make our nation what it is today. These historic landscapes are true American treasures as well as the last tangible links to our country’s most tumultuous conflict. The ... |
176 | Defer Estate Taxes on Family Farms and RanchesEstate taxes can undermine important conservation values by forcing the break-up, sale and development of family-owned farm, ranch and forest lands, even when those lands provide important resources for the public, including open space, clean air and water, wildlife habitat, outdoor recreation, carbon sequestration and local food and fiber production. ... |
170 | Support Implementation of Watershed Management Plans that Engage the PublicAndy Bicking - 12 Aug 2010 (0) Watersheds define many geographies throughout the country and state-sponsored management plans often offer a myriad of ways the public to reconnect with the outdoors. New York’s Hudson River Estuary Program is one such example. It works to conserve the tidal portion of the Hudson from the Troy dam to the ... |
143 | Forest Legacy Program FundingMaddy Pope - 27 Jul 2010 (5) Forests are one of our greatest natural assets. They help clean the air, naturally filter the water that millions of Americans drink, provide ample opportunities for recreation, and protect fish and wildlife habitat. Working forests are also an integral part of the economic vitality of many local economies. Substantial funding ... |
138 | Link People to Green Spaces by Rails, Trails & Waterfront AccessAndy Bicking - 12 Aug 2010 (1) Residents in New York's Hudson Valley are reconnecting with nature in record numbers—for solitude, recreation, fitness and companionship. The most direct evidence of their thirst for the great outdoors is the popularity of Walkway Over the Hudson, which has attracted 600,000 visitors since its October 2009 opening. This adaptive reuse ... |
134 | New York’s Conservation Partnership Program—A National Model for Building Local Capacity |
120 | Educate & Inspire People in ParksAndy Bicking - 12 Aug 2010 (2) New York's Hudson Valley is primed to reinvigorate children’s connection to nature. The state Department of Environmental Conservation’s Hudson River Estuary Program has developed K-6 curriculum that encourages and supports teachers to use the Hudson River as a learning tool. Citizen science projects span the estuary’s length, using its ecosystem ... |
113 | Expand Use of LWCF for Private Lands Conservation and Third-party AdministrationPamela Dewell - 04 Aug 2010 (4) A far better bang for limited conservation bucks – and greater support for fully funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund – could be had if we allowed its dollars to be used for private land conservation through qualified conservation organizations. Four reasons why: 1. The ... |
100 | Enhance Tourism and Recreation Partnerships |
96 | Expand the Land + Water Conservation Fund to allow 3rd parties, as defined by IRC section 170(h) to access LWCF funds to complete, hold and administer conservation easements on private lands.Anne Garnett - 04 Aug 2010 (6) In addition to the other good uses of a fully funded Land and Water Conservation Fund, expanding the program to allow 3rd party entities, like land trusts, as defined by the IRC section 170h, to access LWCF funds to complete, hold and administer conservation easements on private lands is vitally ... |
92 | Great Outdoors Colorado—A National Model for Supporting Private Lands Conservation. |
74 | Community Forestry Bonds - leveraging private markets for working forest conservationDan Stonington - 04 Aug 2010 (7) Community Forestry Conservation Act of 2009: Financing the Conservation of America's Working Forests The Setting The US Forest Service estimates that 23 million acres of forestland will be lost by 2050. With economic conditions encouraging such forest loss, the long-term viability of rural mills ... |
67 | Protect and restore fish populations and the habitats that support themAndy Bicking - 20 Aug 2010 (1) Preserving and restoring historic fisheries, such as American shad and striped bass in New York’s Hudson River, would reconnect American’s with wildlife and the habitats that support these species. Success depends on collaborative action to restore critical river and shoreline habitat and improving regulation of offshore commercial fisheries. ... |
15 | Multi-agency and public/private collaboration supports outdoor awareness and environmental literacy for youthAndy Bicking - 08 Sep 2010 (3) Too often teachers lack time or resources to integrate lesson plans and student experiences with environmental education, and resource providers lack the forum to promote their programs to the schools and children that can benefit. A model for effective collaboration between educators and resource providers that ... |
14 | Greater Flexibility for Forest Legacy and LWCF GrantsGarret Johnson - 29 Sep 2010 (3) As many individuals and organizations have pointed out during the America’s Great Outdoors listening sessions, the key to empowering communities that are struggling to protect their lands, their waters and their quality of life is fostering innovative public-private partnerships. Two programs that have been instrumental in ... |
-12 | Reauthorize the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act (FLTFA)Kelly Cotter - 27 Jul 2010 (1) Reauthorize FLTFA, a "land for land" conservation program that generates revenue through the sale of BLM lands identified for disposal to help federal agencies purchase critically important tracts of land from private willing sellers for fish and wildlife conservation, cultural and historic preservation and outdoor recreation in the 11 western ... |
America’s Great Outdoors
Americans have a proud tradition of working together - from the ground-up - to protect rivers from pollution, set aside open spaces for hiking and biking, preserve wildlife habitat for fishing and hunting, and restore the cultural and historic sites that tell America’s story. That’s why President Obama has launched a national dialogue about conservation in America.
We Want to Hear from You
We want to hear about the places you love, your community’s efforts to protect them, and how we can better support modern-day land conservation efforts happening in communities across the country.
To get started, check out our topics of discussion and them submit your ideas and vote or comment on others ideas.
 | SharePost your idea about ways Americans can reconnect with our great outdoors and how we can better conserve our public and private lands. |
 | VoteCheck out other people's ideas and vote on the ones you like best. |
 | DiscussStart or join a dialogue that will help shape the future of American conservation. |
Thank you for your participation. If you’re having trouble using our system, you can contact us at ago@ios.doi.gov.