Latest Conservation Defense Issues
Other Updates
5/8/08:
"Condemning Open Space: Making Way for National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors (or Not)," by Nancy McLauglin (PDF, 130KB)
3/19/08:
Senator Casey (PA) has launched a nationwide petition on his website against the Department of Energy’s implementation of the National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor designation. NIETC designation affects all or portions of 8 states in the Mid-Atlantic and 2 in the Southwest, and is quickly becoming a national program. The petition is not specific to Pennsylvania. If you are from PA, please send Senator Casey a thank you for being a leader on this important issue.
See the petition and a useful summary of the issues, maps and news articles
3/7/08: Maine Attorney General Intervenes in Conservation Easement Case
A Maine court granted a motion on January 2, 2008 by the Maine Attorney General’s office to intervene in a case on behalf of the Windham Land Trust. It is the first example of the Maine Attorney General intervening in conservation easement-related litigation.
In Windham Land Trust v. Jeffords, et. al, 2007 Me. Super. LEXIS 140 (Cumberland County Superior Court, June 29, 2007), the court granted a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to prohibit a music festival that would likely violate a conservation easement. More
NY Land Trust Wins $600,000 Lawsuit
On February 29, a jury awarded $98,181 in compensatory damages and $500,000 in punitive damages to the Western New York Land Conservancy for an easement violation on a nature preserve and education center.
The jury gave the compensatory award to repair damage caused by a neighbor’s various trespasses including clear cutting for roads. The jury awarded punitive damages to compensate for the neighbor’s malicious and intentional actions toward the land conservancy - testimony in the trial confirmed that the neighbor knew he had crossed the property boundary. More
Learn more about other important conservation defense issues:
- Conservation Groups Challenge U.S. Department of Energy over Federal Condemnation for Transmission Lines
- Federal Court Upholds Land Trust Refusal to Sign Questionable Form 8283
- State Supreme Court Upholds Conservation Easement
- Utility Corridors Threaten Extraordinary Public Land
- Public Land Threatened: Christmas Mountains Ranch
Contact Leslie Ratley-Beach, Conservation Defense Director, at lrbeach@lta.org for more information
