Chadds Ford, PA - October 22, 2008 - Standing against the idyllic backdrop of the Walker family's 164-acre farm in West Marlborough Township, Congressman Joe Pitts pledged to continue to champion legislation that will help family farmers conserve their lands for future generations.

As a co-chair of the Land Conservation Caucus and a co-sponsor of H.R. 1576, Congressman Pitts helped ensure that important tax incentives for donations of conservation easements were renewed in the Farm Bill. Each year, farmers and other private landowners use this important conservation tool to permanently protect more than a million acres across the nation.

Today, the Brandywine Conservancy recognized Congressman Pitts for his leadership in supporting the tax incentives for conservation easements. Wendell Fenton, President of the Conservancy's Board of Trustees, and Sherri Evans-Stanton, Director of the Conservancy's Environmental Management Center presented Congressman Pitts with an award on behalf of America's land trusts and the conservation community.

The Walker family was able to protect its land from development thanks to a 2006 tax incentive that has helped thousands of farmers, ranchers and other landowners to conserve their land. Voluntary conservation easements are used to permanently protect working farms as well as natural resources.

"This legislation has been vital because it encourages landowners to donate conservation easements that will permanently protect and conserve land and water, including natural, cultural and scenic resources," noted Fenton. "We are grateful to Joe Pitts for his help in passing this legislation. The legislation will expire at the end of 2009, so we're counting on the Congressman to help make it permanent."

The incentive, which applies to a landowner's federal income tax:

• Raises the deduction a donor can take for donating a voluntary conservation agreement from 30% of their income in any year to 50%;
• Allows farmers and ranchers to deduct up to 100% of their income; and
• Increases the number of years over which a donor can take deductions from 6 to 16 years.

The Brandywine Conservancy (www.brandywineconservancy.org) was founded in 1967. Currently, it holds more than 400 conservation easements and has protected over 43,000 acres in Chester and Delaware counties in Pennsylvania, as well as New Castle County in Delaware. The Environmental Management Center provides conservation services to landowners, farmers, municipalities and developers. The staff of professional planners and natural resource managers offers technical assistance and expertise for conservation and comprehensive land use planning. Conservation easements, assistance to local governments and water protection efforts are the key elements of these programs.

Media Contact: Hillary K. Holland, 610-388-8336 or Lora Englehart, 610-388-8227