By Lilly Knoepp
North Carolina boasts a number of firsts: first in flight, the nation’s first public university and the first colony to officially sanction independence in 1776.
And more than four decades ago, North Carolina added another first: the first state in the country to offer a tax credit to support land conservation efforts.
The credit was a tool used to incentivize the donation of land to an eligible nonprofit or state agency for preservation from 1983 to 2013. Now, under the Farm Bill signed into law this week, the credit, which was reinstated on a two-year basis in 2024 will extend through 2031.
“Agriculture is a key driver of North Carolina’s economy, and I appreciate the General Assembly’s collaboration on this law. I am grateful that it strengthens the preservation of North Carolina’s natural and agricultural lands by extending conservation tax credits until 2031,” Governor Josh Stein said in a press release.
The credit allows donors to receive a tax credit for up to 25% of the fair market value of the donated land. The credit can’t exceed $250,000 for a single person or $500,000 for a business.
In the three decades before the credit was revoked in 2013, the effort helped protect more than 260,000 acres of land in North Carolina, according to estimates from the N.C. Department of Natural & Cultural Resources.
“We're not against all development, but we feel like there are those special places that really give Western North Carolina and the community we work in a special character. These public lands that attract tourists, are great for the local economy, create these recreational healthy ways to get outside and do some healthy outdoor activities for our local residents, Conserving Carolina executive director Kieran Roe said. “So, we feel like that's a priority for us to protect those places and enhance them.”
One project in western North Carolina leveraged the credit last year: a 20-acre tract along the Green River in a Game Lands area.
The 14,000-acre Green River Game Lands are owned and managed by the State Wildlife Resources Commission on the Polk-Henderson County line. This easement will create a buffer between the game lands and nearby development, Roe explained.
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