From: alra@governance.net Subject: Nature Conservancy on the Defensive! Land Rights Network American Land Rights Association PO Box 400 – Battle Ground, WA 98604 Phone: 360-687-3087 – Fax: 360-687-2973 – E-mail: alra@landrights.org Web Address: http://www.landrights.org Legislative Office: 507 Seward Square SE – Washington, DC 20003 Phone: 202-210-2357 – Fax: 202-543-7126 – E-mail: landrightsnet@aol.com HUGE GRASSROOTS WIN !!! ( but it is NOT over yet!!! ) Nature Conservancy Tax Favoritism NOT in House bill!!!!! A gigantic tax advantage for The Nature Conservancy was approved by The United States Senate several weeks ago. It is part of S. 476, called the "Faith Based Initiative." It hands over to The Nature Conservancy and other massive Land Trusts a special tax break when buying land - and advantage NOT available to churches, private schools, orphanages or any private property owner. HOWEVER, the House of Representatives version of the Faith Based Initiative, HR 7, DOES NOT contain Tax Favoritism for multi-billion dollar monsters like the Nature Conservancy and other Land Trusts, which already enjoy special tax advantages over private land owners. The Nature Conservancy has over THREE BILLION dollars in assets and annual revenues of over seven hundred million dollars - and yet it claims special status as a "non-profit" Land Trust!!! Would you like to be a "non-profit" billionaire? Sounds like a pretty good deal! Rep. Roy Blunt - CHAMPION for private property rights Congressman Roy Blunt of Missouri, a long-time Champion for private property rights, is the sponsor of HR 7, the House version of the Faith Based Initiative, and the one responsible for keeping The Nature Conservancy and it's massive team of lobbyists at bay. BUT he needs your help!! The Nature Conservancy has powerful allies! The Nature Conservancy's board of directors includes many very influential corporate CEOs who make massive campaign contributions to both political parties. As The Nature Conservancy insiders, many of them have been able to purchase beautiful properties at discount prices not available on the general real estate market. This is because of the insider trading policies available only to board members that have been recently exposed by the Washington Post newspaper. These Nature Conservancy CEO big shots will not give up easily on their grab for even more special tax treatment for themselves. They are already pressuring Congressman Blunt and the rest of the House Republican leadership to put the Senate approved Tax Favoritism into the House version of the Faith Based Initiative. HERE IS THE ACTION ITEM: Tell Congressman Roy Blunt he is a HERO for standing up to The Nature Conservancy and its powerful self-serving Board members!!! Tell Congressman Roy Blunt THANK YOU for listening and acting in support of responsible tax policy by just saying NO to Tax Favoritism for The Nature Conservancy and other massive, multi-billion dollar Land Trusts! Tell Congressman Roy Blunt to keep up the GREAT WORK and HANG IN THERE!!! You are with him. This is important for everyone - but especially if you live in Missouri, Mr. Blunt's home state. Majority Whip Roy Blunt Capitol Building, H-107 Washington, DC 20515 Phn 202-225-0197 Fax 202-225-5604 Blunt@mail.house.gov HERE is more details - CALL TO ACTION - tell Roy Blunt you support him 100%!!! JUST SAY NO to The Nature Conservancy! On April 9, the United States Senate voted in favor of a huge new special interest tax break to benefit multi-billion dollar Land Trusts such as The Nature Conservancy. The Nature Conservancy had $3 Billion in assets, and $721 Million in annual revenue in 2001. This Tax Favoritism places private parties at a disadvantage when competing against Land Trusts and other environmental groups to purchase land. INCREDIBLY, it also places churches, private schools, charities and orphanages at a disadvantage as well - and yet it is a part of the "Faith Based Initiative," which is supposed to help these very same faith-based institutions! HOWEVER, the House of Representatives is a different story. Many House members, including many in the Republican leadership led by Rep. Roy Blunt, DO NOT support Tax Favoritism for multi-billion dollar Land Trusts and will keep them out, IF YOU SPEAK OUT! This battle will continue to be fought throughout the summer. The tax favoritism is a 25% tax cut on capital gains of land sales - but only if the land is sold to an environmental group or to a government agency! Private parties, or non-environmentalist charities such as churches, orphanages, private schools and social service centers are left in the dust! AND, it includes sales of WATER RIGHTS! Even though it is technically a tax break for the SELLER of the land, all it will benefit is the BUYER - if it is a Land Trust or government agency! The land trusts will be able to reduce their offers for land purchases because of their favored tax status compared to other potential buyers. They will be able to lower their offer by the amount of the tax break to the seller, thus eliminating nearly all of the benefit for the seller. ***** AGAIN - ACTION ITEM: The House sponsor of the Faith Based Initiative, HR 7, is House Majority Whip Roy Blunt, a Republican from Missouri. Blunt is a strong conservative and very supportive of private property rights - but he is under pressure. The big Land Trusts are pushing hard for this Tax Favoritism, and their lobbyists are crawling all over Capitol Hill. The Nature Conservancy, the Trust for Public Land and the Land Trust Alliance are using their billions in assets to hire lobbyists so they can continue corrupting the tax code in their favor, at the expense of everyone else - from schools and churches to private land owners. Congressman Blunt needs to hear from you! He needs to know that he has backing from conservatives across the country in order to keep this special interest provision - Land Trust Tax Favoritism - out of the legislation, and carry the battle all the way to the end. If he hears from enough of us, then he will keep up the fight - no Tax Favoritism for The Nature Conservancy! TELL Roy Blunt - NO Land Trust Tax Favoritism in the Faith Based Initiative! Majority Whip Roy Blunt Capitol Building, H-107 Washington, DC 20515 Phn 202-225-0197 Fax 202-225-5604 Blunt@mail.house.gov PLEASE FORWARD TO YOUR LIST. -- To unsubscribe from this mailing list; please visit http://governance.net and enter your email address.