Assemblymember Pellerin seeks five-year extension of open-space tax exemption for land trusts

Assemblymember Pellerin introduced AB 1668 to extend the welfare tax exemption that benefits land-trust stewardship, arguing that letting the current exemption sunset on Jan. 1, 2027, would increase costs and could jeopardize protection of conserved lands.

Caroline Godkin, executive director of the California Council of Land Trusts, told the committee that land trusts have protected nearly 5.7 million acres and that the exemption has freed funds for stewardship since its creation. "This exemption has worked really well," Godkin said, urging the committee to continue the program.

Multiple land-trust representatives registered support during the hearing and no opposition was presented. Members asked a technical question about compliance with committee policies on tax expenditures; the author confirmed intent to add a Section 41 provision if needed. Chair Gibson referred AB 1668 to the committee's suspense file for further consideration.