Partners

The City of Colorado Springs has dedicated funding available for land conservation through the Trails, Open Space and Parks (TOPS) tax initiative that provides $5.5 to $6 million annually with approximately 60% going to open space preservation. The tax has funded such open space projects as the Stratton Open Space (308 acres), Big Johnson Reservoir (650 acres), Cheyenne Mountain State Park (1600 acres), Houck Estate (73 acres): High Chaparral (54 acres), Blodgett Peak (167 acres) and consideration of Red Rock Canyon. In addition, the TOPS program has funded dozens of trails and parks projects.

Landowners can preserve land without government participation through a variety of techniques. These include conservation easements, donations and bequests, sale of development rights, bargain sale of property, and limited development.

Another part of the partnership equation is the availability of private fundraising for land purchase. Citizen's advocacy groups have in the past been successful in raising money to purchase outright or combine with other partners. While adding to the total funds available in a land purchase, private fundraising is also a strong indication of the advocacy group's commitment to the project.

In the Pikes Peak Region, developers have the opportunity to support land preservation through the development process. Based on the size of their project, developers are required to provide either fees or land. In the case of land donation, properties usually end up as community parks or open space areas. Occasionally, flood plain, hillside and wildlife regulations make land unbuildable. When this happens, developers can sometimes include these areas in their donations.

Limited Development Options

There are many ways limited development may occur. Generally, in an effort to match community and financial resources with land prices, part of a piece of property is developed while part is purchased or donated for open space Sometimes there are situations where not all of a piece of land can be preserved or even should be saved. Often there is not enough money or community support to preserve all of a piece of property. In other cases, disturbance of the ground or environmental contamination may make only part of a piece of property appropriate for open space preservation.

Most landowners on the edge of growing metropolitan areas, especially ranchers and farmers, are aware of the financial planning issues posed by federal estate taxes. Land valued at one price for agriculture is often valued much higher for development. This can become an estate tax burden that can make further agricultural operations infeasible. Conservation easements are a voluntary agreement between a landowner and a land trust or government entity. The agreement allows the landowner to donate the future development rights to one of these organizations. The landowner benefits by receiving a charitable income tax deduction and a reduction in the value of the property for estate taxes. The landowner retains ownership of the land and does not have to provide public access to the land.

In the Pikes Peak Region, the major land trust organization providing assistance with conservation easements is the Palmer Land Trust. Property can be donated to a county or municipal park department to become public open space. Donors would receive a charitable deduction on their income taxes. Bargain Sale of Property Landowners can get a charitable deduction for selling their land for preservation at a reduced price. Landowners would get a tax deduction for the difference between the agricultural and development value. Landowners should consult their legal and tax professionals for advice on estate and taxes planning and land transactions.