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Press & Reviews

Mr. Small's work has been praised, and his books have been read and reviewed extensively by a wide variety of media interests, conservation groups, and legal interests. The following reviews and quotes are a few examples of what people are saying about his work. To access a particular review, please click on the desired name in the right-hand sidebar.

The New York Times
Some landowners are motivated by a love of the land accompanied by a growing awareness that government alone can assure conservation. "It's up to the individual, too," said Mr. Small. "And the way to start is by seeking ways to control what happens to your own backyard."

Forbes, 1998 Investment Guide
"The nation's top authority on saving land and money with conservation easements: tax attorney Stephen Small."

Sanctuary, The Journal of the Massachusetts Audubon Society
"The sad fact is that real estate values on developable land have soared so high in Massachusetts and many other parts of the country during the past decade that state and federal estate taxes are eating up the proceeds of many an inheritance, forcing heirs to sell off land and homes they had hoped to keep within their families.

"Small has become nationally known as the guru of conservation easements."

Newsletter of The Conservation Fund (Common Ground Vol.8 No.5)
"Jaws had a sequel. So did Star Wars, The Godfather, etc. Now the conservation classic, Preserving Family Lands, which has sold over 80,000 copies, has a follow-up. Concrete examples in clear language take the reader from realistic estate planning problems to the dollars and sense of pragmatic conservation solutions. Land trusts and landowners need this book. We can't wait for the movie."

Publication of WILD EARTH
[Book II]..."the book will be useful to owners of land of any value who wish to preserve it after their deaths."

"...Small's writing is concise and well organized."

"...Another reiterated point is that we must be willing to pay for competent professional assistance in estate planning. Even Book II is only a generalized approach to a difficult subject," Small emphasizes. "As much as landowners may wish to forget tax issues, they cannot afford to do so. For their lands' sake, they should explore all conservation options long before passing those lands along."

Little Traverse Conservancy (Vol.XVIIII, No.1)
"Small has become one of the most highly sought-after tax attorneys in the nation where large family land holdings are concerned. He has helped families to save ranches in the west that encompass tens of thousands of acres, as well as plantations in the South, seaside retreats in the East, and some of the most environmentally significant lakeshore property in northern Michigan.

"Small's book, Preserving Family Lands, and his more recent Preserving Family Lands, Book II underscore the importance of planning for families with valuable land holdings.

"Small should know. In the early 1980s, he worked for the Internal Revenue Service and was the principal author of the federal regulations which now govern tax deductions for conservation easement gifts."

New Jersey Conservaton Foundation
"Mr. Small is a nationally acclaimed authority on this topic"

Susquehanna Piedmont Preservation Council
"Stephen J. Small, Esq., is one of the leading authorities on family land preservation"

Maine State Bar Association
"Stephen J. Small has captivated audiences nationwide with his remarkable ability to transfer practical information on complex taxation issues. Mr. Small literally wrote the book on conservation easements."

Pitkin County Open Space & Trails Program/Aspen Valley Land Trust
"Mr. Small is a much sought after speaker and consultant to the national land conservation community."

Land Trust Alliance Of The Northwest
"Mr. Small has given over 175 speeches, seminars and workshops around the country. He is a gifted presenter who relays the complexity of estate planning issues in a clear, comprehensive, and entertaining manner captivating audiences of diverse knowledge and interests."

Adirondack Nature Conservancy & Adirondack Land Trust
"Mr. Small is the nation's leading authority on estate tax planning for landowners. He has seen the full range of problems caused by a lack of estate planning, and the sometimes painful consequences on both the land and family finances.

"By considering the fate of family lands in estate planning, landowners can both ensure safe passage of their property to children and conserve an important natural resource."

The Florida Bar Association, The Myakka Conservancy, Inc., and the Trust for Public Lands
"He [Mr. Small] has worked with landowners to preserve a wide range of property, from small family parcels, timberland, and dairy farms in the northeast to western ranches, Atlantic coast barrier islands and ranchland and wildlife habitat in the southeast. The goal of [his presentation] is to give landowners, attorneys and estate planners in the region a better understanding of how estate planning and conservation gifts can protect land uses and natural areas..."

The West Virginia Land Trust & the Charleston Chapter of West Virginia Society of CPAs
"He [Mr. Small] is the author of Preserving Family Lands and the nation's leading authority on estate tax planning for landowners."

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