The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners has given the green light to move forward with a request from Henry and Martha Miller of Constantine to accept an agricultural easement donation of 953 acres to the County Farmland Preservation Program.

Commissioners acted on the donation request last week (October 20th) in response to a presentation and report from Brad Neumann, Land Policy Educator with St. Joseph County/MSU Extension.  (Brad Neumann audio clip – 1:21)

According to a written report from Neumann, the Millers’ proposed donation consists of two tracts of land – one totaling 183 acres in Lockport Township, the other totaling 770 acres in Lockport Township and Florence Township.  Both properties fall within the ‘Farmland Preservation’ area of the Countywide Future Land Use Map.

Henry and Martha Miller were recognized for their donation of a conservation easement for property in Park Township to the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy during "A Salute to the American Farmer" at this year's St. Joseph County Grange Fair. With them is Brad Neumann, Land Policy Educator with St. Joseph County/MSU Extension.

Neumann noted that the Millers considered making this donation two years ago and, at that time, decided to donate an easement on a different property near Parkville to the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy.

Neumann explained that the Miller donation of the agricultural conservation easements is a charitable contribution and there are currently Federal income tax provisions that allow farmland owners to claim significant Federal income tax deductions with such a donation.  Currently, the provisions are set to expire on December 31, 2009.

Neumann wrote, “I ask you to consider accepting this donation to the County Farmland Preservation Program before the end of the year so that Henry and Martha Miller may take advantage of the current Federal income tax provisions.”  And he added, “These tracts of farmland would be the first to be preserved by the County Farmland Preservation Program and would constitute the largest agricultural conservation easement donation ever made in the State of Michigan.”

According to minutes from the County Board’s Executive Committee meeting on October 16th, “There is no cost to the County for the transaction.  The easement must be monitored annually by someone in the County to assure that the land is being used as agreed to.  The Millers will receive up to 16 years of Federal tax benefits for the value of (the) donation.  Should the property ever be sold the new owners would be bound by the easements.”

With last week’s action, easement documents will be drafted and presented for board approval “in a month or so.”