Contact: Kirsten Moore January 3, 2011 (608) 441-2677
Proposed DATCP Lapses Would Cause Further Under-Claiming of Farmland Preservation Tax Credits
Despite the recent discovery that there are a growing number of landowners under-claiming valuable Farmland Preservation Tax Credits, the Department of Administration (DOA) is proposing to slash funding for county conservation staff that assist landowners in obtaining these credits. In the attached press release issued on December 29, 2011, the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) acknowledges the problem of under-claimed credits and encourages landowners to contact their local Land Conservation Department for assistance.
“County Land and Water Conservation Departments work with farmers and landowners to ensure compliance with all the rules and regulations necessary to obtain Farmland Preservation Tax Credits,” said Kurt Calkins, President of the Wisconsin Association of Land Conservation Employees. “However, many county offices, especially those with high demand for the tax credits, simply do not have the resources needed to help landowners maneuver through the paperwork.”
“More than $1.5 million in tax credits that Wisconsin landowners are entitled to are going unclaimed, and the Department’s lapse proposal, which is currently being considered by the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee, would further exacerbate this problem,” Calkins added.
The proposed cut to county staffing grants, which would amount to over $1.1 million, comes in addition to the $1 million in reductions already approved over the next biennium. The Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association (WLWCA) and the Wisconsin Association of Land Conservation Employees (WALCE) are recommending that $1.1 million in nutrient management cost-sharing funds be used to backfill DATCP’s proposed $1.1 million lapse in county staffing grants.
WLWCA and WALCE conclude that reductions to cost-sharing funds would be easier to absorb within county conservation departments than staffing cuts. Further reductions in county staff grants would impact the ability of county staff to not only aid in the Farmland Preservation Tax Credit program, but also to implement the many other programs that are administered at the county level.
The Joint Finance Committee has until January 17, 2012 to object to the lapse proposal.
The Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association is an organization assisting County Land Conservation Committees and Departments to help farmers and landowners implement soil and water conservation practices. http://www.wlwca.org/
The Wisconsin Association of Land Conservation Employees is an organization of county staff that share similar responsibilities in the field of land and water conservation. http://www.walce.org/
