Land Trust Alliance

State Funding For Easement Saves 14,000 Ranch Acres

Kimberly Seese — 2010-03-12T20:15:00Z

March 2010 | WSGALT.com

NM Governor Signs Bill for Conservation Easements

Kimberly Seese — 2010-03-11T21:35:00Z

March 11, 2010 | businessweek.com

Historic Dahlstrom Ranch Conservation Easement Finalized

Kimberly Seese — 2010-02-05T12:00:00Z

February 5, 2010 | The Land Report | TX

Easements vital to preserving our heritage

prichardson — 2009-12-04T21:29:24Z

November 2009 | Colorado

Seeds of change: Greenbelt Land Trust expands holdings

prichardson — 2009-12-04T21:27:53Z

November 2009 | Oregon

Ranch's gift will preserve 11,300 acres of Haleakala slopes for agricultural use

prichardson — 2009-12-04T21:23:47Z

November 2009 | Hawaii

Iconic Maui Views Preserved

fdalleo@lta.org — 2009-11-30T20:35:00Z

HI - The Erdman family is proud to be a part of this historic preservation agreement of Ulupalakua Ranch. 11,300 acres along the leeward slopes of Haleakala in Maui will be protected forever as a working ranch and wildlife habitat.

Funding for Land Conservation Makes Good Economic Sense

prichardson — 2009-11-23T17:00:00Z

November 16, 2009 | NewWest.net

Arizona Ranch Unifies Landscape

fdalleo@lta.org — 2009-11-02T19:00:00Z

AZ - The recently protected Clyne Ranch is a critical addition to existing conserved lands - enhancing wildlife movement corridors, protecting expansive native grasslands, and continuing to secure key water sources for generations to come.

Community Forestry Bonds

Sean Robertson — 2009-08-27T20:35:00Z

Drinking water, rural jobs, habitat, recreation; these are just some of the critical services that the country’s working forests provide for our communities. And now, there’s a proposal in Congress to add a powerful new tool to the working forest conservation toolbox. A unique coalition of conservation organizations, timber companies and business leaders has formed to advance legislation in Congress that would enable non-profit conservation organizations to use municipal bonds to purchase working forests for both long-term conservation and economically sustainable timber management.

The bill could conserve an estimated 2.2 million acres of working forests throughout the country and preserve an estimated 13,500 direct and indirect jobs using private capital markets.

The Community Forestry Conservation Act (H.R. 1982/S. 1105) was introduced by a bi-partisan group of legislators. Supporters now include Senate co-sponsors Patty Murray (D-WA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and House of Representatives co-sponsors Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Dave Reichert (R-WA).

The list of organizations supporting the co-sponsors in advancing the legislation includes Land Trust Alliance, Bank of America, Weyerhaeuser Company, National Alliance of Forest Owners, Washington Forest Protection Association, US Forest Capital, The Nature Conservancy, Cascade Land Conservancy, and many others.

Fast action is needed.

While deforestation has been balanced by reforestation of agriculture lands in recent decades, the U.S. Forest Service estimates that 23 million acres of forestland will be lost by 2050. There are multiple reasons for this trend, including population growth, the lucrative residential and commercial real estate market, tax policy, global competition, loss of mill infrastructure, and changing inter-generational demographics.

Under the proposed legislation, Congress would authorize that qualified non-profit organizations could use funds derived from municipal revenue bond sales to purchase working forests and keep them working. This new tool will provide a mechanism for acquisition of lands that are at a high risk of conversion and parcelization, and for other lands that may be difficult for long-term commercial management. The bonds would be paid off with proceeds from environmentally sensitive timber harvests.

“Our communities have an urgent need for a financing mechanism that would provide stable, long-term capital to purchase working forests and prevent their conversion,” said Gene Duvernoy, President of the Seattle-based Cascade Land Conservancy. “Community Forestry Bonds conserve working forests and the jobs that go with them, protect the environment and respect landowners’ rights.”

“A massive forest ownership transition has taken place with nearly 84% of America’s industrial forests changing hands in the past 12 years,” said Tom Tuchmann, President of Portland, Oregon-based US Forest Capital. “In this economic environment there are real opportunities for large-scale conservation purchases. With funding for such purchases being the limiting factor, tools such as Community Forestry Bonds will be of benefit to all.”

“The municipal bond capital market has been funding public purposes for 100 years. With the right cash flows from working forests around the country, this market could be used to finance forest acquisitions, which would help keep America’s working forests in production,” remarked David Hospodar of Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

The conservation community has built a partnership with the financial and forest products industries to create a solution to the financial obstacle hindering long-term working forest conservation.

“This bill works by providing an economic incentive, or funding mechanism, to maintain working forests. It will protect rural community jobs by keeping renewable working forestry on the landscape. This works for landowners, it works for the environment, it works for local governments and it works for communities across the state of Washington and the country,” said Mark Doumit, Executive Director of the Washington Forest Protection Association (WFPA). WFPA represents private timber owners in Washington State.

View a fact sheet about this exciting legislation

Press Coverage of the Bill

Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Seattle Times
The Bond Buyer
Create your own: Newsletter Article Template

More information or to get involved, contact:

Dan Stonington
Cascade Land Conservancy
(206) 905-6903
dans@cascadeland.org
www.cascadeland.org

Tom Tuchmann
US Forest Capital, LLC
(503) 220-8103
tuchmann@usforestcapital.com
www.usforestcapital.com

Past Generation Plants New Future

fdalleo@lta.org — 2009-07-28T16:15:00Z

CA - The Ichord Ranch's 2,900 acres of rolling grasslands, vernal pools and endangered species are now protected forever by a conservation easement.

Wyoming Stock Growers Agricultural Land Trust Protects 1,800 Acres

prichardson — 2009-06-15T17:10:00Z

June 15, 2009 | High Plains/Midwest Ag Journal | WY

Forest Conserved on Historic Parker Ranch

fdalleo@lta.org — 2009-06-11T20:40:00Z

WA - The forested portion of a historic ranch, originally homesteaded in the 1800s, has been conserved in Kittitas County.

Trust Preserves 646 Wetland Acres in Guadalupe Delta

fdalleo@lta.org — 2009-06-03T18:35:00Z

TX - More than 640 acres of wetlands with key breeding areas, stop-over and wintering habitats for migratory birds are protected in the Guadalupe River Delta, thanks to the Guadalupe-Blanco River Trust.

Elk Foundation Grants to Benefit 19 Oregon Counties

prichardson — 2009-05-19T15:45:00Z

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Steve Wagner,
Blue Heron Communications,
800-654-3766 | steve@blueheroncomm.com

Elk Foundation Grants to Benefit 19 Oregon Counties

MISSOULA, MT -- Nineteen counties in Oregon are slated for wildlife habitat conservation and public education projects using $207,030 in new grants from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

The 2009 RMEF grants will affect Baker, Benton, Coos, Crook, Curry, Douglas, Grant, Harney, Jefferson, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Malheur, Morrow, Tillamook, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa and Yamhill counties.

“Our volunteers across Oregon helped drive the 2008 fundraisers that made these grants possible. This is where Elk Foundation banquets, auctions and other events transform into on-the-ground conservation work, and it’s part of the payday for supporters who are passionate about giving something back to the outdoors,” said David Allen, Elk Foundation president and CEO.

Elk Foundation grants will help fund the following Oregon projects, listed by county:

Baker County—Treat invasive weeds and restore forage on 1,500 acres of elk range in Wallowa-Whitman National Forest and BLM Baker Resource Area (also affects Wallowa County); prescribe burn 4,200 acres to rejuvenate meadows in Wallowa-Whitman National Forest and BLM Vale District.

Benton County—Co-sponsored E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area 2009 Youth Outdoor Day for over 700 students who learned about wildlife conservation, fishing, archery, shotgun sports, wildlife art and search and rescue; provide scholarships for Corvallis, Ore., 6th graders attending natural resource education program.

Coos County—For elk and other wildlife, thin overgrown forest, seed native grasses and, in conjunction with local students, mark project boundaries in Rogue River National Forest.

Crook County—Thin juniper and aspen on 576 acres, treat noxious weeds on 385 acres and prescribe burn 1,434 acres to improve elk habitat in Ochoco National Forest; prescribe burn 500 acres, mechanically thin 600 acres, seed 100 acres and construct a 9-acre pond in Dow Ranch area; prescribe burn 450 acres, remove juniper on 180 acres, thin 98 acres, treat weeds on 45 acres and seed 85 acres in Pine Creek Ranch area.

Curry County—Treat 35 acres of weeds and prescribe burn 196 acres to improve meadows for elk and other wildlife in Siskiyou National Forest.

Douglas County—Enhance Watchable Wildlife location featuring Roosevelt’s elk in BLM Coos Bay District; clear, fertilize and seed four new forage openings in Umpqua National Forest.

Grant County—Enhance elk habitat by rejuvenating forage on 725 acres in Murderer’s Creek Wildlife Management Unit; treat forest overgrowth and noxious weeds on 431 acres in Malheur National Forest; restore 150 acres of meadows by tilling, treating weeds and re-seeding native grasses in China Peak area.

Harney County—Rebuilt 10 guzzlers destroyed in 2007 wildfires, and treat 40 acres of noxious weeds, for elk and other wildlife in Malheur National Forest.

Jefferson County—Thin 1,000 acres of encroaching juniper to improve ponderosa pine and sagebrush/steppe habitats favored by elk in Crooked River National Grassland.

Klamath County—Enhance wetlands for elk and other wildlife by removing encroaching conifers and repairing stream course in Fremont-Winema National Forest; thin overgrown lodgepole pine and prescribe burn 300 acres, plant 10 acres of hardwoods and construct fencing to protect new plantings in Deschutes National Forest.

Lane County—Remove invasive plants by mowing, treating weeds and seeding native grasses on 320 acres of elk habitat in Siuslaw National Forest (also affects Lincoln, Douglas and Benton counties); prescribe burn 52 acres and thin overgrown forest on 15 acres to improve elk forage in Willamette National Forest.

Malheur County—Host Malheur County Kids Fair to educate youth about wildlife.

Morrow County—Prescribe burn 980 acres to improve elk forage in Umatilla National Forest.

Tillamook County—Mow and slash 200 acres of invasive weeds and encroaching brush to maintain forage for elk and other wildlife in Siuslaw National Forest (also affects Yamhill and Lincoln counties).

Umatilla County—Prescribe burn 1,291 acres and treat noxious weeds on 3,340 acres to enhance forage for elk in Umatilla National Forest (also affects Grant and Morrow counties).

Union County—Fertilize 200 acres, treat for noxious weeds and seed 100 acres, and develop spring for elk and other wildlife in Owsley Canyon area; sponsored international workshop on scientific management of deer, elk and habitat.

Wallowa County—Treat 50 acres of noxious weeds and re-seed 20 acres to improve abandoned homesteads and fields for elk in Wallowa National Forest; treat 1,492 acres of weeds and restore native plant communities in Lower Grande Ronde, Imnaha and Snake river drainages (also affects Union County).

Partners for 2009 projects in Oregon include Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service, other agencies, corporations, landowners and organizations.

Since 1984, the Elk Foundation and its partners have completed more than 594 conservation projects in Oregon with a value of more than $34.3 million.

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About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.5 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.