Section 180 and Conservation
How Section 180 Supports Private Land Conservation and Hunting Access

How Section 180 Supports Private Land Conservation and Hunting Access
Section 180 isn’t just about environmental preservation—it also plays a pivotal role in enhancing hunting and fishing opportunities on private lands. Landowners can utilize this tax incentive to conserve their land and make it more accessible to hunters and anglers, all while benefiting financially from tax deductions.
By engaging in conservation efforts under Section 180, landowners can enhance habitat quality, create more sustainable wildlife populations, and preserve natural ecosystems, all of which lead to improved hunting and fishing experiences.

How Section 180 Supports Hunting and Fishing:
- Preservation of Wildlife Habitats: Section 180 incentivizes landowners to preserve natural habitats, creating healthier environments for game animals and fish population
- Section 180 Ripple Effect: A landowner leveraging Section 180 to deduct fertilizer costs might improve a field’s productivity, creating better foraging grounds for wildlife.
- Improved soil quality supports robust plant growth, which provides food and cover for wildlife such as deer, quail, or waterfowl—species often targeted by hunters.
- Well-maintained farmland near waterways can reduce erosion and nutrient runoff, improving water quality and benefiting fish populations that anglers rely on.
- Improved Access to Private Land: With Section 180, landowners can choose to provide access to hunting and fishing enthusiasts while preserving the land for future generations.
- Tax Benefits for Sustainable Practices: Landowners can benefit from tax deductions when they implement sustainable practices like habitat restoration and responsible wildlife management.

This provision not only helps landowners protect their properties but also plays a crucial role in ensuring continued hunting and fishing access. In short, Section 180 supports hunting and fishing indirectly by fostering conditions that can sustain wildlife, but it’s primarily a financial incentive for farmers. For landowners looking to combine conservation with recreational opportunities, Section 180 is an invaluable resource.
Read More...

If you’ve ever spent much time around farmers or landowners, you know the land carries a story. For John King, a landowner in Tennessee, that story runs deep. He even proposed to his wife on his property — the same land where he now raises hay, enjoys the wildlife, and hosts big dove hunts every opening weekend in the fall.

Meghan Brodnax never planned to run a 10,000-square-foot luxury lodge. “I was just trying to get out of my refinery job,” she says. But when her husband, Capt. Storm, kept hearing clients ask for more than just fishing — lodging, meals, the full experience — Meghan jumped in.She left her 9–5, launched La Pesca, and for three years, hosted guests in a patchwork of Airbnbs. “We realized we were paying out so much money,” she says. “That’s when we thought — let’s buy our own place.”