This small cost to the public is greatly outweighed by the land conservation benefits to be derived. Finally, the American Farm and Ranch Protection Act's effectiveness would be substantially improved if the financial limitations on its use were removed. With the caps in place, the provision has a limited ability to serve as a conservation incentive on large landholdings that may have values inflated by nearby development. These are the very resources that the original legislation intended to reach. Conclusion Land conservation is a growing national need.
Private landowners hold the future of biodiversity in their hands.
The tax incentives the Conservancy recommends would provide interested landowners with the tools to conserve their land and contribute to the public interest in the preservation of the diversity of life. We appreciate the leadership of Congressmen Portman and Congresswomen Johnson and Dunn and encourage the other members of Congress to support the innovative, voluntary tax proposals that we are discussing today. Chairman Houghton, as the House sponsor of the American Farm and Ranch Protection Act, deserves our thanks for this and other advances in land conservation legislation. The Conservancy is eager to work with the Chairman and other members of this committee in support of new tax incentives for conservation. Thank you for the opportunity to present testimony before you today.