PRESS RELEASE

722 First St., SW, Suite L

Roanoke, VA 24016-4120

Phone/fax (540) 985-0000

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Roger Holnback, Executive Director

Western Virginia Land Trust, Bedford Citizens for Land Preservation Plan Workshops for Attorneys and CPAs

The Western Virginia Land Trust and the Bedford Citizens for Land Preservation are sponsoring two workshops for area attorneys and CPAs on the legal and financial aspects of conservation easements. Martin, Hopkins & Lemon, PC, is helping to underwrite the event. Conservation easements—permanent legal agreements that limit development on large parcels of land—are increasingly popular tools with Southwest and Central Virginia landowners.

Local attorneys and CPAs need to understand the ins and outs of these complex agreements, whether their clients are “land rich and cash poor” farmers or wealthy investors. Workshop dates and times are as follows:

April 30, 2008, 9 am – 12 pm, Claytor Center for Nature Study, Bedford

May 1, 2008, 9 am -12 pm, Roanoke Higher Education Center, Roanoke

Presenters include Stephen W. Lemon, with Martin, Hopkins & Lemon, PC, of Roanoke; F. Fulton Galer, CPA, with McLeod & Company in Roanoke; Samuel B. Long, MAI, SRA, with Miller, Long & Associates in Roanoke; and Robert B. Lambeth, Jr., a practicing attorney in Bedford. Topics include the legal aspects of conservation easements, the conservation easement appraisal process, and the financial benefits of conservation easements.

The course fee of just $25 includes a binder with course materials, a course certificate, a free informational DVD, and refreshments. The sponsors have applied for MCLE credits through the Virginia State Bar. To register, download a form from the Western Virginia Land Trust website at westernvirginialandtrust.org and mail with your payment.

For more information, contact the Western Virginia Land Trust at (540) 985-0000 or e-mail dperry@westernvirginialandtrust.org.