Since 1974, The North Salem Open Land Foundation (NSOLF), a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) land trust, has been preserving land in North Salem, New York and the surrounding community. NSOLF is dedicated to protecting open space in North Salem. These open spaces provide refuge for wildlife and educational and recreational opportunities for the community at large. We work with public agencies, communities, and above all, private landowners.

We can help you make long term conservation plans for your property. There are a number of options are available, all of which can be tailored to fit your unique circumstances. Your choice of which to pursue will depend on the natural characteristics of the land, your family's financial objectives, your sense of stewardship, and personal issues concerning tax and estate planning. The following descriptions briefly explain some of these options. More detailed fact sheets are also available.

Gift

Giving your land to NSOLF is the most direct way to protect it, and will bear the name of your choice.
Lands given to NSOLF for permanent ownership are managed for multiple conservation benefits, including wildlife habitat, watershed protection, recreation, scenery, and natural area preservation.
A gift of land can be tailored to allow you to live on the land for the rest of your life.

 

Bequest

Leaving land to NSOLF through your will allows you to own and manage the property during your lifetime, while assuring permanent protection for the future. We will be pleased to provide you with more detailed information.

Sale and Bargain Sale

In specific circumstances, NSOLF may use available funds to purchase land. If the purchase price is less than the appraised value, tax benefits accrue to the seller.

 

Conservation Easement

Conservation easements are the most popular vehicle for land preservation. A conservation easement permanently limits the uses of a parcel of land for the purpose of conserving its natural features. Conservation easement donors continue to own and control their property; can sell or mortgage their property, and can pass the land on to their heirs, although the easement will remain in effect in perpetuity. NSOLF is responsible for ensuring that donors adhere to the terms of the easement. An easement may apply to just a portion of a property. Easements do not require that the public is granted access to the property.

Qualified conservation easements are considered tax-deductible contributions by the IRS. The value of the deduction relates to the difference in the value of the property before and after the easement is established.  New York State also offers an annual tax credit up to $5000 to conservation easement donors.

An NSOLF representative would be happy to discuss these options with you in further detail, but NSOLF recommends that you consult your own advisors regarding legal and tax issues.

Please contact us at info@nsolf.org or call our Administrator, Gloria Stein at 914-669-5860 for more information on any of these land conservation options.