A national coalition of conservation and historic preservation organizations is trying to block a congressional plan to roll back income-tax breaks available to donors of conservation easements, the Washington Post reports.

Led by the Washington, D.C.-based Land Trust Alliance, the group, which also includes the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the American Farmland Trust, Ducks Unlimited, the Trust for Public Land, and the Conservation Fund, is trying to persuade Congress to reject changes proposed by the Joint Committee on Taxation meant to stem growing abuses by donors of conservation easements.

At issue is the committee's recommendation to do away with income-tax breaks originally intended to prevent developers from marring historic streets and scenic vistas but which have become popular with property owners as a way of limiting changes to personal residences or surrounding land. For open land and historic buildings not used as residences, the committee recommends reducing the amount that may be written off from 100 percent to 33 percent of the easement's estimated cash value. In addition, the plan would cap tax deductions at 5 percent of a donated building's total market value.

According to a report released by the committee, the changes would put an end to a variety of abuses and excessive deductions claimed in connection with easements, as well as end self-dealing by conservation groups.

"We are really taking the battle to the street, and it is battle stations," said Land Trust Alliance president Rand Wentworth. "We have to find land trust board members, donors, friends who are close friends with members of Congress — [on a] first-name basis, friends from childhood, campaign donors — who would be willing at the very least to place a phone call, but ideally to come to Washington and meet with those members of Congress and advance this important message."