Federal Priorities

As a close partner and affiliate member of the national Land Trusts Alliance, the Washington Association of Land Trusts connects and leverages the work of its 34 member organizations to engage our congressional delegation on important federal conservation issues and programs.

 

We are always responding to new policy opportunities and challenges at the federal level, so make sure to check back on a regular basis to stay up to date on our priorities!
The federal conservation easement tax incentive is an important tool for land conservation through allowing landowners to take a charitable deduction based on the fair market value of the easement. Unfortunately, a small number of bad actors have been exploiting this incentive for financial gain.
The IRS has issued a notice of several bad actors, but this activity will continue unless Congress takes action. The Charitable Conservation Easement Program Integrity Act, which has been re-introduced to the 2021 session (S. 2256 / H.R. 4164) enacts a highly-targeted and simple solution to this problem.
WALT is an active member of the LWCF Coalition, a national group of organizations working together to help ensure robust funding and administration of our nation’s longest running conservation program. Created by Congress in 1964, LWCF was not allocated a full and permanent funding source until August 4th, 2020. It is now permanently, fully funded at $900 million every year. A portion of oil and gas revenues goes to fund diverse projects for agencies and local governments.
You can learn more about places funded by LWCF with this interactive map. In Washington state Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve, and Columbia National Wildlife Refuge are just a few of the places funded by LWCF.
  • Community Forest Program (CFP)
  • Forest Legacy Program (FLP)
  • US Department of the Interior
  • US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS)
  • Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund (Section 6)
  • National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program (NCWC)
  • North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA)
  • Wildlife & Sport Fish Restoration Program (WSFR): Wildlife Restoration Program
  • WSFR: Landowner Incentive Program (LIP)
  • National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
  • Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP)
  • Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF)
  • Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
  • Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP)
  • Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HRFP)
  • Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)
  • US Forest Service
  • US Department of Defense Readiness & Environmental Protection Integration Program (REPI)
  • US Department of Transportation
  • National Recreational Trails Program (RTP)