Colorado State Rep. Meghan Lukens was honored by the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust during a reception Friday at the Steamboat Art Museum.

According to a press release, the Steamboat Democrat was recognized by the organization for her bipartisan efforts on legislation to strengthen the state’s conservation land tax credit law.

“Many of our neighbors are good stewards of the land – and this new law makes it easier for small or family-owned farms to access a conservation easement tax credit while preserving the beautiful areas we call home,” Lukens said in a statement. “Together, we are taking a big step forward to boost local and agricultural economies by keeping families on their land for generations to come.”

Conservation easements are used to protect wildlife habitat, promote watershed restoration and preserve open space. According to the press release, the law redesigned the conservation easement tax credit program to help smaller or family-operated farms, ranches and private land managers address the backlog of projects and demand for credits.