Cost: $50.00 | Registration will close at noon ET on June 3.

For more than four decades, historic preservation easements have been a valuable tool for assuring that the best of our past is preserved for future generations. Savvy developers and preservation easement recipients have long recognized that a historic preservation easement can be combined with federal and state tax credits to enhance the feasibility of rehabilitation of a historic income property.

In recent years, however, increasing concerns about IRS reviews and potential over-valuation penalties have unfortunately meant that fewer historic rehabilitation projects have considered the bottom-line benefits that donation of a preservation easement can provide.

This program will explore the common causes of those concerns in many of the appraisal reports accompanying recent donations involving syndicated conservation easements on income producing historic structures. This session will provide an overview of the "before and after" valuation method and how to spot a faulty appraisal that relies on unrealistic assumptions about additions to a historic building or on unsupported assumptions in a Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) analysis. The cautionary tale of Corning Place Ohio, LLC vs. Commissioner, a Tax Court decision denying a multimillion-dollar deduction, will be used as an example.

Understanding the lessons that can be learned from the recent IRS challenges to syndicated preservation easement appraisals can give preservation organizations the renewed confidence necessary to actively encourage use of easement donations as an important preservation tool.

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Climate action in the built environment often focuses on new technologies and new construction—but most of the opportunity for impact lies in the buildings, places, and knowledge we already have. This webinar introduces Heritage Now!—a global campaign advancing heritage-informed decarbonization strategies that connect climate action, cultural heritage, and community resilience. Learn how building reuse, retrofit, and traditional building practices can help reduce carbon emissions while supporting sustainable communities. Participants will learn about the scope and purpose of this international campaign and how they can join and contribute.

This is the first in a three part series.

Communities worldwide are developing innovative programs and policies that reduce carbon emissions through building reuse, retrofit, and traditional practices. Drawing from the new Decarbonizing the Built Environment through Heritage Toolkit, this webinar highlights practical examples and case studies demonstrating how preservation and climate goals can work together. Participants will explore policies supporting adaptive reuse, embodied carbon reduction, and traditional low-carbon building practices. Learn how heritage-informed approaches help communities create more sustainable, resilient, and climate-positive futures.

This is the second in a three part series. Learn more about the Heritage Now Campaign.

Effective climate action requires practical strategies for implementation and advocacy. This webinar explores how communities and organizations can advance heritage-informed decarbonization policies that support building reuse, retrofit, and low-carbon building practices. Participants will hear lessons learned from successful advocacy campaigns to integrate heritage-based decarbonization strategies into local climate policy. The session will also include strategies and tools for communicating the environmental benefits of reusing and retrofitting older and historic buildings.

This is the third in a three part series. Learn more about the Heritage Now Campaign.

This National Preservation Summit will bring together leaders from the preservation community—in-person and online—alongside national, civic, business, and community figures from across the nation. With a theme of All People Are Created Equal, this convening will explore community revitalization, the interpretation of the past to foster a shared future, and unity through historic places.

Location: Washington, D.C. and online.

Join us in D.C. and online for the 2026 National Preservation Law Conference. Sign up for updates to learn about details as they’re developed!