Conservation Corner: April 3, 2000

Thompson Praised For Conservation Work
by James L. Cummins

Last week, Congressman Bennie Thompson introduced a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives to compensate local governments for a revenue loss if cropland is converted back to hardwoods - the same hardwoods that Holt Collier and President Roosevelt saw on the famous bear hunt. Thompson's bill would authorize the federal government to make up for loss of tax revenue from the conversion. Cropland is taxed at $5/acre and woodland is taxed at $2/acre.

However, two bills in the Mississippi Legislature, House Bill 1350 and Senate Bill 2158, would result in a landowner having the pay the high cropland tax rate, although their land is not in that use - it has been restored to bottomland hardwoods.

Conservation groups are strongly against both bills in the state legislature, but support the solution offered by Congressman Thompson. The state bills to increase the tax on lands used for conservation would be a devastating blow to the restoration of bottomland hardwoods in Mississippi. And every hunter, angler and bird watcher should be deeply concerned. The state legislation could very well result in deer hunting leases tripling in cost.

The source of revenue of these state bills would be devastating to family farms and landowners who realize that agricultural prices are low and they are trying to get out of farming - put their lands like they used to be. According to many farmers, this marginal farmland is best suited for trees.

And Congressman Thompson, an avid duck hunter, knows the importance of restoring habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife as well as trying to help county governments that could lose ad valorem tax as a result of a federal effort. The Congressman's solution is simple. Thompson, said spokesman Ed Jackson, "doesn't see why the federal government can't pick up the tab." After all, the tax loss could occur because of a federal effort.

The conservation effort, specifically the purchasing of conservation easements on approximately 100,000 acres, will not begin until, at the earliest, 2002. Although funding has to be obtained to purchase easements, it is important to work on the legislation so it is in place before easements are purchased.

Congressman Thompson is respected not only for helping local governments, but for his dedication to conservation. He has co-sponsored conservation legislation, including that to expand the Conservation Reserve Program, reform the Superfund Program and fund the Conservation and Reinvestment Act. Congressman Thompson has further demonstrated his leadership in the area of private lands conservation and conservation easements by co-sponsoring a bill to exclude the value of a conservation easement from estate tax.

James L. Cummins is Executive Director of the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation in Stoneville, Mississippi. Known as "Wildlife Mississippi," the Foundation is a non-profit, conservation organization founded to conserve, restore and enhance fish, wildlife and plant resources throughout Mississippi.