Representative Pizzulli Announces Agreement for Conservation Organization to Pay Property Taxes

COLUMBUS – State Representative Justin Pizzulli (R-Scioto County) is pleased to announce that the Nature Conservancy has agreed to a 10-year contract, with renewal options, to pay property taxes on the land it owns in Adams County. 

The Nature Conservancy owns more than 20,000 acres of land in Adams County, representing nearly $10.9 million in unimproved property, yet currently pays very little, if any, property tax. This shifts the property tax burden onto other property and landowners.

Under this agreement, local governments will receive additional revenue to maintain and pave roads and provide essential services, including fire protection and EMS.

“This issue has gone on for far too long and I’m proud of the people of Adams County who brought the issue forward and spoke up,” said Pizzulli. “When nonprofits hold vast amounts of land, they have a responsibility to play their part to sustain the very communities that surround and support them.”

Pizzulli has been a champion for this issue at the Statehouse by sponsoring House Bill 540. This legislation would require conservation organizations that own over 15,000 acres in a single county to pay back 2.5 percent of unimproved land value to local governments, aligning with standards under which the Ohio Department of Natural Resources operates with state parks.