Make a Pledge

The South Amherst Conservation Association is collecting money pledges with the goal of purchasing the parcel of land on South East St. at the junction of Mill Lane, and completing this portion of the Amherst Greenway. Please help by making a pledge.

Click Here to Make a Pledge

Questions and Answers About Pledging

What does it mean to make a pledge?

Making a Pledge means stating how much you would be willing to contribute to the purchase of this land for conservation purposes if we are able to raise enough money to make the purchase possible. No money would be collected from you or anyone else unless sufficient funds have been collected.

What information do I give in order to make a pledge?

We would like to know the amount of your pledge, your full name, a way to contact you (address and phone or email), and the number of people that your pledge is from. (For example, if you are part of a couple, could your pledge be from the both of you? It would be helpful to have as many people participating in the pledging process as possible. This may help in grant writing and other fundraising.)

When would I have to give the money that I pledge?

We have been told that the purchase process can take anywhere from six months to a year or two, since it may involve the town applying for grants from the state and other such fundraising that can take some time. There could also be a intermediate purchase (e.g., from a land conservation group) which could hold the land while the grant process by the town and other fundraising is being completed.

Would my donation be tax deductible?

If we are successful in raising a sufficient amount of money to purchase, the you would be asked to write a check to cover your pledge. We are hopeful that we will have a formal partnership with a land trust organization (such as the Kestrel Trust) which would mean that checks would be written to them and earmarked for this land acquisition. This would make your donation tax deductible. (Fyi: Our organization, the South Amherst Conservation Association, is not a “for profit” group, but it is also not registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit group, therefore donations to our group would not be tax deductible.) We should be able to confirm in the near future whether we have a formal partnership with Kestrel Trust or another land trust organization. If you need to know this information before you make a pledge, please let us know and we would be happy to contact you when we have a formal arrangement confirmed.

What is the purchase price of this land and how much land is it?

This parcel of land is 6.69 acres and it was purchased by the current landowner (developer, Scott Nielsen), in 2004 for $750,000. When we last spoke to Mr. Nielsen, he said that he had put $250,000 into the development application process so far, implying that the purchase price might be $1,000,000. While this number may seem high for this amount of land, in fact, that is pretty close to market value in South Amherst for frontage land. A parcel less than ½ mile away (1+ acres), bordering the K.C. trail across from the entrance to Valley View, recently sold for $200,000.

How will the purchase price be met?

We are hoping to raise between $50,000 and $100,000 in pledges. We have also submitted a proposal to the Community Preservation Act Committee requesting $100,000 to $150,000. We will also be looking into grant prospects, such as the possibility of the Town applying for a self-help grant to the state, which could pay up to 50% of a purchase price (up to a maximum amount of $500,000). Finally, there is the possibility that the land owner could take advantage of a special tax deduction passed by Congress in August 2006 which allows those who donate a conservation restriction in 2006 or 2007 to deduct up to 50% of their adjusted gross income in the year of the donation with the balance of the deduction carried forward for 14 additional years. Qualifying landowners could deduct up to 100% of their adjusted gross income for 15 years. We hoping that a conservation restriction tax deduction could make up the difference between the fair market value of the land and a ‘bargain sale’.

Is my pledge confidential?

Yes. Only the treasurer of the South Amherst Conservation Association and the people directly coordinating the pledge drive would know about your pledge. We do not provide any mailing lists or names of pledgers to any other individuals or organizations. When we do fundraising and grant requests, we report only the number of pledges received and total money collected in the pledge drive.