FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Rob Aldrich              
Director of Communications
202-431-8848 (C)
raldrich@lta.org | www.lta.org/rally

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Land Trust Alliance today announced that the nation’s largest annual gathering of land conservation leaders will meet this fall in Salt Lake City, UT, September 29 – October 2, to plan the future of private land conservation in America.  Rally 2012: The National Land Conservation Conference is expected to draw more than 1,600 conservation leaders, government officials and academics.

“People in the West have a great appreciation for the land and the gifts it can offer.  This has spurred an active tradition of conserving farms, ranches, mountains, rivers, as well as the culture of preserving and honoring the natural environment,” said Land Trust Alliance President Rand Wentworth.  “This commitment prioritizes the protection of clean air, clean water, wildlife, and a way of living with the land.”

Land trusts are local, state or nationwide nonprofits whose mission is to conserve land in its natural or traditional state, including farming and ranching, through voluntary agreements with landowners.  According to a national census released by the Alliance, land trusts in Utah have protected a total of 65,718 acres. (Visit www.lta.org/census.)

“We selected Salt Lake City this year to honor the strong conservation ethic in this region, and also to give our supporters a chance to enjoy the state’s diverse beauty,” said Wentworth.

This year’s Rally will be celebrating many accomplishments including the launch of Terrafirma, a charitable risk pool owned by participating land trusts that insures it members against the legal costs of defending conservation and 46 land trusts earning accreditation this year through the Land Trust Accreditation Commission – an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance. This group brings the total to 181 land trusts nationally who are accredited – including Summit Land Conservancy in Utah. This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the Alliance.

The first keynote speaker at Rally will be M. Sanjayan, the lead scientist for The Nature Conservancy with a faculty research appointment at the University of Montana. He is a frequent speaker at TED Global, and the International Women’s Forum, among other groups. He is a Catto Fellow with the Aspen Institute, and is often a guest on MSNBC, CNN, and other stations. He is currently studying the nexus between conservation efforts and poverty alleviation.

Rally will also feature a keynote address from Heidi Redd, President of the Indian Creek Cattle Company. Ms. Redd is a prominent ranching and conservation leader, and she has run a cow-calf operation at the Dugout Ranch in Utah’s canyon country for more than 46 years. She and her family entered in to a unique partnership with The Nature Conservancy to ensure the Dugout Ranch will not be chopped up for development.

Rally seminars, workshops and speakers will address national conservation trends, cutting-edge practices of land conservation, and best professional standards for land trusts.  More than 100 workshops and 25 seminars are scheduled, including a seminar on Native American land trusts and eco-cultural conservation, presented by prominent leaders of the local Native American community.

Additionally, the Land Trust Alliance conservation awards will be presented at the Welcoming Dinner, Sunday, September 30, at 7:00pm. They will feature the Kingsbury Browne Conservation Leadership Award, National Conservation Service Award, and the National Land Trust Excellence Award. Visit www.lta.org/awards for more information.

MEDIA INVITED: Keynote speeches are open to representatives of the media.  To attend other workshops, trainings, field trips or seminars, registration is required.  Inquire at the registration desk, or contact Rob Aldrich, Director of Communications, raldrich@lta.org | 202-431-8848 (C).

About the Land Trust Alliance

The Land Trust Alliance is a national conservation organization that works in three ways to save the places people love.  First, we increase the pace of conservation, so more land and natural resources get protected.  Second, we enhance the quality of conservation, so the most important lands get protected using the best practices in the business.  And third, we ensure the permanence of conservation by providing resources needed to defend protected land over time. The Land Trust Alliance is based in Washington, D.C., and has several regional offices. Visit www.landtrustalliance.org.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Janet Happ
Manager Fundraising & Outreach
Geneva Lake Conservancy
(262) 275-5700

First Award Given by Conservancy
for Landscape Conservation

LAKE GENEVA, WI -- The Geneva Lake Conservancy announced Roy Diblik, co-owner of Northwind Perennial Farm in Burlington, WI, as the organization’s first recipient of its Olmsted Award which recognizes excellence in landscape conservation. Diblik was presented the award at a private session in Lake Geneva  on Saturday. He was recognized for his impact on conservation landscaping in the Geneva Lakes area. The award coincides with the GLC’s 35th anniversary.

John Anderson, one of the original founders of the Geneva Lake Conservancy, along with current GLC chairman Robert Klockars, presented the award to Diblik. “Roy Diblik is recognized at the forefront of landscape conservation. He has been growing traditional and native perennials since 1978, long before it was popular. He also emphasizes the relationship between garden designs, maintenance strategies and costs – another progressive approach,” Anderson said.

Diblik’s recent high-profile works include the Domes in Milwaukee, Louis Sullivan Arch Garden for the Modern Wing at the Art Institute of Chicago and a 6,000 square foot perennial garden for the Oceanarium at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium. Klockars noted, “Roy is in demand outside of the Geneva Lakes area, but he has also made a significant impact on the local area with recognizable landscaping at Hawk's View Golf Course, Grand Geneva's Spa, the Lake Geneva Library, Duck Pond and Fontana's main boulevard.”

Diblik is currently writing his second book for Timbers Press on developing perennial plant communities. His first book, Small Perennial Gardens: The Know Maintenance Approach, is in its second printing.

The Olmsted Award is named after the Olmsted family, visionary landscape conservationists. John Olmsted was the founder and first president of the American Society of Landscape Architects and a partner of Olmsted Bros., of Brookline, MA. His uncle and adoptive father, Frederick Law Olmsted, designed the landscapes of New York’s Central Park and the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. Cousin and half-brother Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. joined forces with John in managing the firm.

GLC chairman, Robert Klockars said, “The Olmsted Brothers’ company had an extraordinary long-term impact on landscape conservation, including the Geneva Lake area. Several properties on the north shore of Geneva Lake and the grounds of Yerkes Observatory reflect their landscape designs.”

The Geneva Lake Conservancy began in 1977 as the Committee to Save Geneva Lake by founders John Anderson, Bill Turner and Norm Barry. In 1982 the Committee formed another organization called Geneva Lake Land Conservancy to protect the land around the lake. The two groups merged in 1992 and became the Geneva Lake Conservancy. Since then, the GLC has expanded to protect all lakes in the area, including Geneva, Como and Delavan, woodlands, open spaces, wetlands, and farmland.

The Geneva Lake Conservancy is a 501(c)3  tax-exempt, not-for-profit organization and recognized land trust with 1,120 acres under protection. Its mission is to protect the environmental character of the Geneva Lakes area.

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