FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Janel Lacy
(615) 862-6020 | janel.lacy@nashville.gov
NASHVILLE, TN -- Mayor Karl Dean today was joined by Jeanie Nelson, President and Executive Director of The Land Trust for Tennessee, in unveiling Nashville‟s first comprehensive Open Space Plan. Calling for the preservation of 22,000 acres of public and private land over the next 25 years, the plan represents the culmination of a year-long process including public meetings and input from hundreds of citizens and organizations.
The creation and implementation of the most progressive open space plan in the Southeast was a top recommendation from the Mayor‟s Green Ribbon Committee on Environmental Sustainability, and the Mayor‟s Office formed a private-public partnership with The Land Trust for Tennessee – with financial support from the Martin Foundation – to carry out that recommendation.
“I‟ve said from the beginning that „it‟s all connected.‟ In this case, our city‟s landscape directly affects our citizens‟ health, safety and general quality of life,” Mayor Dean said. “This visionary plan recognizes the importance of not only protecting open space, but doing so in a strategic way that connects existing parks and greenways, addresses flood issues and allows for smart development and growth in the future.
“The partnership we formed with The Land Trust for Tennessee to develop this plan sets the stage for the public-private effort that we are committed to going forward to carry out this vision.”
Spanning “four corners, nine bends and a heart of green,” the Open Space Master Plan envisions four large preserves in each quadrant of the county, protected land in each of the Cumberland River‟s nine bends, and a thriving, green downtown. The 22,000 acres of protected land includes:
“Our community puts much effort into planning for development and growth. The Open Space Master Plan is the next step in ensuring that we‟re planning for conservation – through both public and private investments – in the same ways that we plan for development,” Jeanie Nelson said.
In order to begin moving forward on implementing the Open Space Plan immediately upon its completion, Mayor Dean included $5 million in last year‟s capital spending plan for an Open Space Fund. Today Mayor Dean announced that Cornelia Fort Airpark in East Nashville will be the first land acquisition using resources from the fund, pending approval by the Metro Council.
The Land Trust for Tennessee is leading the private fundraising campaign associated with the Open Space Master Plan which kicks off with the purchase of the Cornelia Fort Airpark property. These funds will leverage the support provided by the Open Space Fund. If acquired, Cornelia Fort, which was inundated in the May 2010 flood, will expand Shelby Park and Shelby Bottoms Greenway by 135 acres.
“The acquisition of the Cornelia Fort property dovetails perfectly with the goals of the Open Space Plan: protecting floodplains, adding parkland, connecting to existing open space and greenways, and preserving historical properties,” Dean said.
During the planning process for the Open Space Plan, called Nashville: Naturally, a 31-member advisory committee comprising key organizations and government agencies met monthly and provided high-level guidance. The Mayor‟s Office and The Land Trust for Tennessee contracted with the following consultants for assistance during various stages of the planning process: The Conservation Fund, Hawkins Partners, ACP Visioning +Planning, and Clarion Associates. Public input was solicited through an official blog, focus groups and three public forums. Feedback collected from the public fell under four priority themes:
“The release of the plan is an invitation for every Nashvillian to get involved according to his or her interests, and The Land Trust for Tennessee is calling this community to action. From planting a tree along a stream to starting an urban garden, to donating funds or a conservation easement, it all adds up to a healthier, better-connected Nashville,” Nelson said.
For more information about the Open Space Master Plan and to get involved, visit www.nashvilleopenspace.wordpress.com.
The mission of the Land Trust for Tennessee is to preserve the unique character of Tennessee‟s natural and historic landscapes and sites for future generations. We work statewide to protect our river corridors, wildlife habitats, agricultural lands, historic and scenic sites, and urban open spaces. Our work has conserved signature places including Fiery Gizzard, Mayfield Farm, the gateways to Leipers Fork, and historic Glen Leven, as well as thousands of acres of family farms throughout the state. For more information call Audra Ladd (615) 244-5263, www.landtrusttn.org.
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]]>Contact: Chris Roberts
The Land Trust for Tennessee
(615) 244-5263
CHATTANOOGA, TN -- The Land Trust for Tennessee announced today the protection of 324 acres of high conservation value forestland in the South Cumberland Plateau region of White and Van Buren Counties. The land – which contains over a mile of Bee Creek - is owned by Paul Putnam from Dalton, Georgia. The property is protected through a working forest conservation easement held by The Land Trust for Tennessee and will remain privately owned.
The property directly connects the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency’s Bridgestone Firestone Centennial Wilderness to Bledsoe State Forest. The property also adjoins the Boy Scouts of America’s Latimer High Adventure Reservation. These lands, together with Fall Creek Falls State Park and Virgin Falls State Natural Area, form over 55,000 contiguous acres of protected forestland.
“The Putnam property is such an important link between some of Tennessee’s most prized recreational areas” said Jeanie Nelson, Executive Director of The Land Trust for Tennessee. “The knitting together of publicly and privately-protected lands is what makes Tennessee’s landscape so unique.”
“We are delighted that our neighbors believe as we do in preserving the wilderness areas of Tennessee for future generations to enjoy” said Hugh Travis, Scout Executive for the Boy Scouts of America’s Middle Tennessee Council.
In addition to their exceptional biological diversity, these lands provide incomparable recreational opportunities while serving as an important resource for water quality protection and local forest products. More than one million people visit these lands annually, essential to the tourism industry in the South Cumberland region.
Protection of the Putnam property is especially important to maintaining the views from Bledsoe State Forest and Bridgestone Firestone Centennial Wilderness, and maintaining water quality in Bee Creek, a major tributary to the Caney Fork River. The property also provides an important forest buffer to an important cave system in the area.
“Having a tool like a conservation easement allows me to still be able to use and enjoy the property, while at the same time ensuring its long-term protection for generations to come” said Paul Putnam.
If property owners allow a conservation easement to be placed on all or some of their property, they could be eligible for a federal income tax deduction up to 50 percent of their adjusted gross income for up to 16 years. Farmers and ranchers can deduct up to 100 percent of their income. It expires at the end of this year and is available for any property owner.
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The Land Trust for Tennessee is a private, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization, founded in 1999. Its mission is to preserve the unique character of Tennessee’s natural and historic landscapes for future generations. To date, The Land Trust for Tennessee has protected 60,000 acres of land and is working with numerous other landowners across the state. The Land Trust works with willing landowners to find ways to preserve forever the historic, scenic and natural values of their land. The organization is supported primarily by financial contributions from individuals. The Land Trust has offices in Nashville, Sewanee, and Chattanooga.
Contact: Russ Shay
Director of Public Policy
202-638-4725, ext. 305 | rshay@lta.org
WASHINGTON, D.C.-- Voluntary conservation of private land received a boost yesterday when President Obama mentioned the work of land trusts in his remarks introducing the landmark America’s Great Outdoors Report at a reception in the East Room of the White House. The collective voice of land trusts was reflected in the report, which proposes to extend the enhanced tax incentive for conservation easement donations beyond 2011, fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), and focus a portion of LWCF on innovative projects that support urban parks, community green spaces and large-scale land conservation.
Mr. Obama said that “at a time when America’s open spaces are controlled by a patchwork of groups, from government to land trusts to private citizens, it’s clear that conservation in the 21st century is going to take more than what we can do here in Washington…Meeting the new test of environmental stewardship means finding the best ideas at the grassroots level, it means helping states, communities and nonprofits protect their own resources, and it means figuring out how the federal government can be a better partner in those efforts.”
The report draws inspiration from hundreds of land trust participants at America’s Great Outdoors listening sessions around the country. “I am proud of the nation’s 1,700 land trusts for pioneering the voluntary conservation incentives and locally driven partnerships embraced in this report,” Land Trust Alliance President Rand Wentworth said. “This initiative will significantly reorient federal conservation efforts to emphasize working lands and to embrace local governments and land trusts as effective partners in conserving the places that give meaning to our lives.”
The report’s vision statement describes a future in which “Rural lands—our working farms, ranches and forests—are conserved and restored through local partnerships.” The president’s Fiscal Year 2012 Budget Request makes a down payment on that vision by providing $200 million for the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program and $900 million for the LWCF, some of which “will be competitively awarded to address priorities and leverage resources for urban parks and public-private conservation projects.”
In communities across America, nonprofit land trusts are working with private landowners to keep farm, ranch and forest lands in productive use, create community parks and open space, protect important fish and wildlife habitat, and conserve our scenic and historic heritage. With the help of more than 100,000 volunteers and 2 million members, land trusts have conserved more than 37 million acres, including more than 12 million acres protected by voluntary conservation agreements with private landowners.
The Land Trust Alliance is a national conservation group that works on behalf of America’s 1,700 land trusts to save the places people love by strengthening land conservation throughout America. The Alliance works to increase the pace and quality of conservation by advocating favorable tax policies, training land trusts in best practices and working to ensure the permanence of conservation in the face of continuing threats.
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Download a printable PDF (100KB).
]]>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ann Barrett
The Conservation Fund
703-908-5809 | abarrett@conservationfund.org
Stacy Shelton
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
404-679-7290
MARKSVILLE, LA -- The Conservation Fund, in partnership with U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (Service), announced today that its forest-based carbon sequestration project in central Louisiana received gold level validation, the highest level available, under Climate, Community and Biodiversity (CCB) Standards, Second Edition. The Conservation Fund has more gold level CCB Standards validations than any other group in the country.
Supported by donations from the Fund’s voluntary carbon offset program, Go Zero®, the group planted 245,000 oak, pecan and cypress trees across 814 acres at Grand Cote National Wildlife Refuge and Lake Ophelia National Wildlife Refuge, near Marksville. According to planting and carbon monitoring partner, TerraCarbon, LLC, as the forests mature, they are expected to trap an estimated 240,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
“For more than a decade, the Service and The Conservation Fund have set the highest standard for the restoration of bottomland forests in the Lower Mississippi Valley,” said the Service’s southeast regional director Cindy Dohner. “We are restoring these lands to support healthy fish and wildlife populations, while creatively addressing the transformational conservation challenge of our time: accelerating climate change. We are gratified that our combined efforts have again been recognized as the gold standard for biological carbon sequestration.”
The newly restored forests provide vital habitat for the federally threatened Louisiana black bear, as well as numerous bird species. Migratory waterfowl, songbirds and shorebirds all use forested, moist soil and open-water wetland habitats for nesting and foraging. New forests will also improve water quality for the globally endangered pallid sturgeon. Portions of the restored areas on both Refuges will be open to the public for wildlife-dependent recreational uses.
The Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance developed voluntary standards to help design and identify land management activities that simultaneously minimize climate change, support sustainable development and conserve biodiversity.
“The Conservation Fund and the Service are pioneering the development of high quality, multiple benefit forest carbon projects in the United States by restoring native forests that create vital habitats to safeguard endangered species,” said Joanna Durbin, director of the Climate, Community & Biodiversity Alliance. “We welcome the news that this project qualifies for the stringent Gold Level criteria of the Second Edition of the CCB Standards for exceptional biodiversity by conserving the habitat of the endangered pallid sturgeon, a freshwater giant found only in the Missouri and Mississippi river basins, as well as many other species like the Louisiana black bear.”
Go Zero works with companies and individuals to help reduce and then offset the carbon footprint of everyday activities, such as the CO2 emissions resulting from an in-town or cross-country move with U-Haul, a flight purchased from Travelocity, a package shipped from Gaiam or the electricity it takes to power a Dell notebook for three years. Companies from C&S Wholesale Grocers to The North Face use Go Zero to offset portions of their energy use and staff travel.
Customer donations help plant native trees in protected parks and wildlife refuges like Lake Ophelia and Grand Cote that will capture and store carbon over time, while also creating forest habitats that are critical to birds, fish, bears and other wildlife. To date, donations to Go Zero have resulted in the restoration of 3,800 acres and the planting of 1.2 million native seedlings that will trap an estimated one million tons of CO2 over the life of the forests. Much of this effort has been focused on restoring lands within the Lower Mississippi River Valley - an area that has lost more than 20 million acres of forestland over the last 100 years.
"Bottomland hardwood forests in the Lower Mississippi River Valley are some of the most productive forests in the U.S., capable of storing more than 300 metric tons of carbon dioxide per acre at maturity,” said David Shoch, vice president of forestry and technical services at TerraCarbon. “Growing forests like these lock up greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and at the same time restore an imperiled ecosystem.”
"It is wonderful that The Conservation Fund has earned this important recognition,” said Gina Goff, director of community involvement at C&S Wholesale Grocers, Inc. "The men and women of our company are proud to be part of The Conservation Fund's important work and to address environmental challenges through support to Go Zero.”
Thanks to donations from U-Haul and its customers, more than 208,000 seedlings have been planted on Service lands including more than 100 acres at Lake Ophelia and Grand Cote.
“U-Haul and our customers are working to make a real difference in protecting the environment and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions,” said John "J.T." Taylor, president of U-Haul International, Inc. "We congratulate the Fund on yet another CCB gold validation. During our visit to Grand Cote and Lake Ophelia this fall, our team witnessed first-hand the tremendous on-the-ground results this program has achieved with the Service. The Conservation Fund team should be proud of the work they are achieving in our communities."
Both wildlife refuges also benefit from customer donations to Go Zero via Travelocity’s Travel for Good program.
“We're very proud of our partnership with The Conservation Fund and all the outstanding work they're doing right here in the U.S.,” said Travelocity’s Travel for Good manager, Alison Presley. “The forests they've planted at Lake Ophelia and Grand Cote are vital to local wildlife and will be enjoyed by generations to come.”
Customer donations from Dell’s Plant a Tree program, a combined effort between The Conservation Fund and Carbonfund.org, have made an impact at Lake Ophelia and Grand Cote.
“Dell has helped our customers plant and sustainably manage more than 250,000 trees since the inception of the Plant a Tree Program and is well on its way to plant half a million trees in the next couple years,” said Mark Newton, Executive Director of sustainability at Dell. “Working closely with The Conservation Fund has helped us provide a meaningful way for people to account for the CO2 emissions related to powering their computers and together we plan to keep that momentum going.”
“Go Zero donors are providing critical, private capital that will help address two of the most extraordinary environmental challenges of our time, climate change and habitat loss,” said The Conservation Fund's Go Zero director, Jena Meredith. “The CCB gold level validation ensures these donations deliver real, measurable results to help address climate change and restore important wildlife habitat on behalf of the National Wildlife Refuge System and the American people.”
The Conservation Fund's Grand Cote and Lake Ophelia National Wildlife Refuge Restoration Initiative was recently validated by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS).
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Hundreds of thousands of dedicated individuals and support from Accenture Supply Chain Academy, Boss, Inc., C & S Wholesale Grocers, Carfax, Cbox, Conde Nast Publications, CSX Corporation, Dell, Emkay Incorporated, Ernest Maier, Freshwater Institute, Gaiam, Greif, Indianapolis Colts, International Association of Assembly Managers, Krypton Products, Kumon University, Land Rover Portland, Lee County Board of County Commissioners, L'Oreal USA, McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry, Michigan International Speedway, Momentum Group, Network For Good, New Jersey Natural Gas, Philadelphia Eagles, Premiere TV, SEAT Planners, Sustainable Forestry Initiative, The North Face, Travelocity, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U-Haul International, Vans, William McDonough & Partners. www.conservationfund.org/gozero
About the Climate, Community & Biodiversity Alliance The Climate, Community & Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA) is a global partnership of leading NGOs that created the Climate, Community & Biodiversity (CCB) Standards to enable identification of projects that adopt best practices to deliver robust and credible greenhouse gas reductions while also delivering net positive benefits to local communities and biodiversity. www.climate-standards.org
At The Conservation Fund, we combine a passion for conservation with an entrepreneurial spirit to protect your favorite places before they become just a memory. A hallmark of our work is our deep, unwavering understanding that for conservation solutions to last, they need to make economic sense. Top-ranked, we have protected nearly 7 million acres across America. www.conservationfund.org
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.
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]]>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Walter Clark
Executive Director
(828) 264-2511 | walter@blueridgeconservancy.org
BOONE, NC -- In late December, a four-year long effort to protect Pond Mountain in the northwestern corner of North Carolina was completed. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of Blue Ridge Conservancy, a private, non-profit land trust based in Boone, nearly 1,800 acres on this beautiful Ashe County mountain have been purchased and transferred to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC). The project permanently protects significant views, open space, water resources and wildlife while creating recreational and economic opportunities.
At 5,000 feet elevation, Pond Mountain overlooks the mountains of Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina. Immediately to the north are the peaks of Virginia’s Grayson Highlands State Park and Jefferson National Forest, Mount Rogers and White Top Mountain. To the west lies Tennessee’s expansive Cherokee National Forest. Visible to the east and south are the high peaks of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge. Pond Mountain is about a 30 minute drive from the mountain community of West Jefferson.
According to Walter Clark, Executive Director of Blue Ridge Conservancy, “protecting Pond Mountain involved multiple private and public partners”. “In these days of tight economic resources conserving land is challenging – it takes time, creativity and the melding together of a variety of funding resources”. The protection of Pond Mountain began with a major gift from a private donor through the Foundation for the Carolinas and was completed with substantial assistance from the North Carolina’s Natural Heritage and Clean Water Management Trust Funds.
Pond Mountain was given its name in the 1700s by Thomas Jefferson’s father, Peter Jefferson, as he was surveying the line that would become the border of North Carolina and Virginia. Jefferson chose the name because of the many natural ponds that dotted the mountain’s high ridgeline. The historic ponds point to the mountain’s special significance as an important water resource. Several important streams and creeks originate on Pond Mountain, including Big Laurel, Ripshin and Big Horse Creeks – all of which flow into the New River, a National Heritage River and one of the oldest rivers in the world. “Land conservation and water quality protection go hand in hand,” said Richard Rogers, executive director of the North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund. “Both are essential to the sustainability of our natural resources and heritage and to our economy as well.”
In addition to preserving the region’s natural beauty and vital water resources, the protection of Pond Mountain is important for wildlife. Because of the mountain’s close proximity to Cherokee National Forest to the west and Jefferson National Forest to the north, protecting the area greatly expands wildlife habitat, including habitats highlighted in North Carolina’s State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP). Pond Mountain will be held by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and will eventually be open to the public for hunting and other recreational activities such as hiking and horseback riding.
“Conservation of the Pond Mountain tract will protect priority aquatic and terrestrial habitats while providing wide-ranging public recreational opportunities,” said NCWRC Director Gordon Myers. “We are thrilled to be part of this project that will protect wildlife, recreational and economic resources for North Carolina.”
Despite the economic downturn, Blue Ridge Conservancy’s success on Pond Mountain leaves the organization optimistic about future of land conservation in North Carolina. According to Clark, “protecting Pond Mountain was a major goal for our organization”. “We hope it is a first step in protecting surrounding properties, ultimately preserving thousands of acres in the northwestern corner of North Carolina.”
The mission of Blue Ridge Conservancy is to protect the natural resources of northwestern North Carolina by conserving land with significant agricultural, ecological, cultural, recreational or scenic value. Serving landowners in Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yancey counties, Blue Ridge Conservancy has protected a total of 16,109 acres.
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]]>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ann Barrett
The Conservation Fund
(703) 908-5809 | abarrett@conservationfund.org
TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY, NC -- The Conservation Fund today announced the $5.5 million purchase of a privately-owned 786-acre tract that represents the last, unprotected section of the storied Foothills Trail, which winds along the border between North and South Carolina. The support of Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy, a generous donation from Fred and Alice Stanback of Salisbury and a $1 million grant from the Carolina Water Management Trust Fund helped make this project possible.
By protecting this land for the State of North Carolina to ultimately purchase and manage, a corridor of conserved land will be established stretching more than nine miles along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains, including key headwaters of the French Broad River. The property sits adjacent to the 43,000-acre Jocassee Gorges, acquired in 1999, through the Fund, by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
Preserving this property is the first phase of a potential multi-year, multi-phase effort that is contingent upon support from state and federal conservation funding programs to protect
a magnificent 8,000-acre property known as the East Fork Headwaters Tract. The tract features pristine forests, waterfalls and bogs long prized by conservationists and currently owned by former Congressman Charles Taylor and his family. Protecting this entire expanse would ensure the land is publicly available for hunting, hiking and other outdoor pursuits accessible through the property’s 100 miles of trails. The Headwaters Hunting and Fishing Club currently leases the property and manages it for hunting.
“By protecting a key nine-mile stretch of Blue Ridge crest followed by the longest yet to be protected stretch of the 70-mile Foothills Trail, The Conservation Fund has focused this first phase where the general public will get the most immediate use and good,” said R. Michael Leonard, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors for The Conservation Fund. “Hikers will be out there enjoying the magnificent views along this ridge crest between now and the New Year, and I wish that I could join them. We will also be protecting pristine headwaters and rare plants and animals, but I am glad that this first step will provide immediate enjoyment to the people of North Carolina.”
“The completion of this initial Headwater acquisition is an exciting first step that conserves some of the most significant features of the larger tract,” said Kieran Roe, Executive Director of the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy. “Due to the cooperation of the Taylor family and the generosity of public and private funders, a key link in the corridor of conservation along the Blue Ridge Escarpment is now permanently protected for the benefit of North and South Carolina.”
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The Conservation Fund is dedicated to advancing America's land and water legacy. With our partners, we conserve land, train leaders and invest in conservation at home. Since 1985, we have helped protect nearly 7 million acres, sustaining wild havens, working lands and vibrant communities. We're a top-ranked conservation organization, effective and efficient.
Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy (CMLC), based in Hendersonville, N.C., helps landowners protect local land and water resources vital to western North Carolina’s natural heritage and quality of life. As a local nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving the region’s natural beauty, water quality, wildlife habitat, and working landscapes, CMLC has helped to create a regional network of more than 21,000 acres of protected farm, forest, park, and natural lands since 1994. CMLC offers monthly hikes and a variety of volunteer opportunities for members and the public. More information is available by calling (828) 697-5777 or on the web at www.carolinamountain.org.
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]]>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Bill Clabough
Executive Director
865-755-3883
MARYVILLE, TN -- What a perfect way to end our 25th year of service and jump start our 26th year as an East Tennessee land trust! FLC is pleased to announce a late December conservation easement signing on a 648 acre tract in Polk County. Surrounded on all sides by the Cherokee National Forest, this property offers ridge top views of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, including the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. There are three cabins currently on the property. Tributaries on the property allow for critical trout spawning for both the Hiwassee and Ocoee River watersheds, including 2.4 miles of trout habitat along Big Lost Creek. The property offers a mixed hardwood forest as well as old-growth white pine and hemlock. Bill Clabough, FLC’s Executive Director, considers this a rare opportunity to preserve land that remains relatively untouched by human hands. “The beauty and environmental values of this property are in keeping with the forest lands surrounding it. What an outstanding opportunity for Foothills to assist in the preservation of this natural area both for our community and wildlife habitat.”
Additional FLC 2010 conservation easements include an 11 acre tract outside of Maryville. Catherine Gilreath, a longtime Blount County resident and outdoors person/volunteer, recently decided to give back to her community in the form of a conservation easement. Her wish to preserve this land stemmed from the experiences she had growing up and the desire to preserve the land for others. Gilreath says, “Sports kept me out of trouble. Growing up in Sevier County (Kodak) across the road from Beech Springs School, my sibling and I along with all the neighborhood kids, enjoyed the nearby outdoor recreational facilities. That’s why I wanted to specify that this property could be used for community soccer fields and for other recreational uses.” The property includes a mix of open space and woodlands as well as a creek – all wonderful attributes for an outdoor sports area.
Billy Wallace decided to partner with Foothills this year to place his 15 acre tract in Halls (Knox County) under conservation easement. This is truly a unique piece of land that includes a blue hole (or underwater sinkhole) that is part cave and part spring. The property’s spring feeds into Beaver Creek that cuts through the Halls community. Surrounding the blue hole is good quality habitat for a variety of field and wetland birds. Sparrows love the mix of grasses and nearby water source – allowing them a place for nesting and protection. A lone, tall tree trunk along the spring hole is the remnant of an ash tree that likely provides for bird, owl and even raccoon habitat.
In early 2010, FLC agreed to hold a conservation easement for the Legacy Parks Foundation on 26 acres in Knox County for the purpose of enlarging the Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge (SIWR) property. Since that time, the Legacy Parks Foundation has given this tract (w/ easement) over to Knox County for inclusion in the refuge. SIWR is a wildlife sanctuary that encompasses 360 acres. It’s available for recreational use by the general public. Management of the SIWR refuge is a joint effort between Knox County Parks & Recreation and the Seven Islands Foundation.
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]]>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jackie Walburn
Development Director
205-560-5900 | jwalburn@allandtrust.org
JOHNS CREEK, GA -- A diverse community of more than 900 homeowners came together to protect a 27.4 acre park on the Chattahoochee River with a conservation easement. The conservation easement will protect the neighborhood park -- and the natural beauty, crucial water quality, and wildlife and fisheries habitat on one of the south’s most bio-diverse watersheds.
The Rivermont Community Association made official the conservation easement agreement with Georgia Land Trust on Dec. 20, when the signed agreement was filed at the Fulton County courthouse. The agreement protects in perpetuity the neighborhood’s Chattahoochee riverside park from development.
The forested park located off Barnwell Road is a natural picnic area on a picturesque bend in the Chattahoochee River. With easy access to the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area and the walking trails of the Jones Bridge National Recreation Area, the Rivermont Park has long been a favorite family gathering spot for residents of the 920-member Rivermont community. Amid the bottomland hardwood and mixed pine-oak-hickory forest, the park has a canoe launch, barbecue grills, exercise stations, a children’s playground and picnic tables and park benches.
More than the required 66.7 percent of the homeowners voted yes to the conservation easement agreement, as co-owners of the park, said Janet Busse, board of directors member and park chairman, who initiated the conservation easement project.
The conservation easement is a legal agreement between a landowner (easement donor) and a qualified conservation organization (easement holder) in which the owner voluntarily agrees to restrict the type of development that can occur on the land. A conservation easement agreement allows the landowner to preserve the property’s conservation and historic values, as defined by federal tax code, while allowing for traditional land use patterns, which in this case are scenic and recreational.
In a conservation easement agreement, the landowner retains ownership of the property, but “donates” the development value as a conservation easement donor to a land trust. As holder of the conservation easement, Georgia Land Trust documented the land’s current status in an 85-page baseline documentation report and will monitor the easement at least annually to assure compliance with the easement’s restrictions.
Conservation easement donations can reduce estate, income and property taxes for the landowner, but tax incentives were not the primary driver for the Rivermont Community Association.
“Rivermont is a subdivision that wants our park to remain a green space as opposed to it being developed,” Busse said.
She said the Rivermont community subdivision was incorporated in 1974 as an eco-friendly neighborhood. As the subdivision was developed with single-family homes, condominiums and cluster homes, structures were situated with an eye toward minimal footprints and tree cutting, “largely leaving a canopy of trees intact on the lots.”
The accomplishment of protecting the park belongs to “Rivermont homeowners who voted to give up the prospect of commercial development of this property in favor of keeping it in its very beautiful natural state, and to the board of directors who have supported the project from its inception,” said 14-year Rivermont community resident John Kohler, who is a former board of directors member and former park chairman.
The project to protect the neighborhood park with a conservation easement began in late spring of 2009 by Busse, who soon found Georgia Land Trust’s Josh Holmes, program director for Alabama and northwest Georgia for the state-certified land trust. Holmes answered questions and guided the group through the process. After the Rivermont board approved of the idea of the conservation easement, a town hall meeting was held, which Holmes attended.
A committee including Busse, Kohler, Shirlee McKinnon, Bob Ayers, Holly Hollister, Jim Medlin and Herb Schall worked to get the vote in after ballots were mailed out.
“Over 50 percent of the votes came in on the first mailing of the ballot. After that, Shirlee, Holly, John and I collected ballots at entrances in high heat and eventually spent weekends walking door to door to collect ballots from those who forgot to mail them in,” Busse said.
Kohler gives credit to the “unfailing commitment of Janet Busse, our current park chair,” for the conservation easement becoming reality.
“Many of us thought this would be a good idea, but it took true dedication, dogged determination, and many days of going door to door to actually secure the votes needed to make it a reality. Janet did the research, drew up a plan of action and corralled and prodded all of us who shared this goal to make it happen,” Kohler said. “Our park is a very special place. I am proud of our community for taking this step.”
Georgia Land Trust Executive Director Katherine Eddins said the Rivermont Community Association may be the largest group of landowners to come together to do one conservation easement with Georgia Land Trust. “That and the beauty of this park and the importance of this watershed make this conservation easement special,” Eddins said. “The easement protects more than 1,500 feet of frontage on the Chattahoochee River, which is a high priority and bio-diverse watershed, plus about 700 feet of streamside frontage, protection that benefits the entire community, county and state with improved water quality, and wildlife and fisheries habitat.”
Georgia Land Trust, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) conservation organization headquartered in Savannah, Ga. dedicated to protecting land for present and future generations, primarily by helping private landowners establish conservation easements on family and investment lands. Georgia Land Trust protects more than 102,000 acres in Georgia. Georgia Land Trust, Inc. and its affiliate organizations, including Alabama Land Trust, Inc. and founding organization The Chattowah Open Land Trust, Inc., permanently safeguard more than 160,000 acres of land with more than 450 conservation easements, thereby protecting more private land than any other regional conservation group in the southeast. Learn more at www.galandtrust.org.
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The Rivermont conservation easement protects a natural riparian hardwood buffer on each side of 700 feet of a perennial stream that flows to the bio-diverse Chattahoochee River, providing important water quality protection for communities downstream, including Atlanta/courtesy of Georgia Land Trust