FEDERAL TAX POLICY DEVELOPMENTS AFFECTING THE CONSERVATION OF CRITICAL LANDS: GROWING RESTRAINTS ON LOCAL INITIATIVES

This commentary touches upon certain aspects of federal tax policy that impact on land conservation in the United States. The focus is on the development and use of tax incentives to encourage private or non-governmental efforts to protect unique wildlife specie habitat, farmlands, historic areas, scenic landscapes, and recreational resources. In recent years tax incentives favored private conservation initiatives; recent legislative and administrative developments introduced a high degree of federal supervision.