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).
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]]>Contact: Walter Ernest
251-990-5004
According to the Foundation’s Foundation executive director Walter Ernest, IV “This parcel contains unique flora and fauna that is found in the Weeks Bay watershed. The protection of this parcel is critical to the mission of the Weeks Bay Foundation. The Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit membership organization whose mission is to protect the natural resources of coastal Alabama and provide assistance and support for the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve’s goals and programs. The Foundation is an accredited land trust by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. The Foundation can accept property donations in the form of a conservation easement, fee simple donation or bargain sale purchase. For more information about the Foundation visit www.weeksbay.org or contact their office (251) 990-5004.
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]]>Contact: Media Relations
202-588-6141 | pr@nthp.org
National Trust for Historic Preservation to Present Award at Its National Conference
WASHINGTON, D.C. —The National Trust for Historic Preservation will present its Preservation Honor Award to The Land Trust for Tennessee based in Nashville, Tenn. The organization is one of 23 award winners to be honored by the National Trust during its 2010 National Preservation Conference next week in Austin, Texas.
Created in 1999 to help ensure that Tennessee’s richly historic landscapes are not devoured by development, The Land Trust for Tennessee has become a leading force for preservation across the Volunteer State.
In a single decade, The Land Trust has used easements and outright acquisition to protect over 52,000 acres, much of it richly dotted with historically significant sites. The organization works with families and communities to protect farms and forests, scenic and historic landscapes, river valleys and corridors often with considerable archeological assets. A farm once owned by Andrew Jackson, an idyllic 19th-century village beside the Natchez Trace, a portion of the 1864 Franklin battlefield – these and many other treasures have been saved for the education and enjoyment of future generations.
Supported by a variety of sources, and working in partnership with local preservation groups, educational institutions and government agencies, The Land Trust has developed programs that benefit not only prosperous landowners but also schoolteachers, college students and working farmers.
“It is amazing what can happen when the historic preservation and the land conservation movements work collaboratively,” said Stephanie Meeks, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “Tennesseans know their state is a unique and special place – and The Land Trust for Tennessee is making sure it stays that way.”
“This is a very special recognition for our whole organization,” said Jean Nelson, president of The Land Trust for Tennessee. “Our founders—especially now Governor Phil Bredesen—were determined that protection of our historic landscapes and sites be clearly in our mission. That intentionality has produced results for communities all over Tennessee. We look forward to doing even more and we thank our colleagues at The National Trust for their appreciation of how these two great movements of historic preservation and of land conservation can work together to keep the character of our country.”
The 2010 National Preservation Awards are sponsored by American Express. Timothy J. McClimon, president of the American Express Foundation, said, “Congratulations to all 23 award recipients for their extraordinary work in protecting America’s heritage. As American Express expands its commitment to historic preservation, we’re honored to recognize the dedicated individuals who are saving places that matter across the nation.”
The award will be presented to Jean Nelson, president of The Land Trust of Tennessee, at the National Preservation Awards ceremony in Austin, Texas, on Friday, October 29, at 6PM CST. Co-recipients are: W. Ridley Wills, Board member of The Land Trust and historian and former Board member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation; Irene Wills, conservation easement donor of an historic landscape; and Julian Bibb, well–recognized preservationist and former board member of The Land Trust for Tennessee.
The National Preservation Awards are bestowed on distinguished individuals, nonprofit organizations, public agencies and corporations whose skill and determination have given new meaning to their communities through preservation of our architectural and cultural heritage. These efforts include citizen attempts to save and maintain important landmarks; companies and craftsmen whose work restores the richness of the past; the vision of public officials who support preservation projects and legislation in their communities; and educators and journalists who help Americans understand the value of preservation. The winners of the National Preservation Awards will appear in the January/February issue of Preservation Magazine and online at www.PreservationNation.org/awards.
To download high resolution images of this year’s National Preservation Award winners, visit www.PreservationNation.org/press
The 2010 National Preservation Award Winners:
Louise du Pont Crowninshield Award: Tony Goldman, New York, N.Y.—In a four-decade career, developer Tony Goldman has transformed declining historic districts—like Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood and Miami’s South Beach—into thriving global destinations.
John H. Chafee Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement in Public Policy: Susan Brandt-Hawley, Glen Allen, Calif.—One of America’s most dynamic preservation advocates, California attorney Susan Brandt-Hawley has dedicated her career to saving places that matter in the Golden State.
Peter H. Brink Award for Individual Achievement in Historic Preservation: Lyda Ann Thomas, Former Mayor, Galveston, Texas—After Hurricane Ike slammed into Galveston in September of 2008, then-Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas took decisive actions to preserve her city’s irreplaceable heritage, including reserving substantial recovery funds to restore distinctive cast-iron facades.
Trustees Emeritus Award for Excellence in the Stewardship of Historic Sites: Newport Restoration Foundation, Newport, R.I.—Founded in 1968 by philanthropist Doris Duke, the Newport Restoration Foundation has helped save the city’s colonial heritage, restoring 83 buildings and turning Newport into a world-class preservation showcase.
Trustees’ Award for Organizational Excellence: Preservation Trust of Vermont, Burlington, Vt.—In just three decades, the Preservation Trust of Vermont has helped communities across the Green Mountain State save more than 1,000 buildings – village stores, post offices, schools, barns – and return them to productive use.
National Trust/HUD Secretary’s Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation: Crown Square Development, St. Louis, Mo.—In a once blighted section of Old North St. Louis, two nonprofit groups have successfully engaged local residents in an ambitious effort to rehabilitate historic buildings, provide affordable housing and encourage economic revitalization.
National Trust/Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Award for Federal Partnerships in Historic Preservation: Moton Field, Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site, Tuskegee, Ala.—Thanks to an ambitious public/private partnership, Moton Field, the small Alabama airfield where the famed Tuskegee Airmen learned to fly, has been thoughtfully revitalized and preserved.
National Trust Board of Advisors Award: White Stag Block, Portland, Ore.—In one of America’s greenest cities, three long-vacant historic commercial buildings have been brought back to life in a textbook example of sustainable development.
The 2010 National Ppeservation Honor Award Winners:
Eastern Market, Washington, D.C.—Opened in 1873, Eastern Market, the oldest fresh-food and farmers market in the nation’s capital and a beloved community landmark, was gutted by fire in 2007 and then raised from the ashes and gloriously restored.
Empire State Building Lobby, New York, N.Y.—The lobby of the world’s most famous office building has been restored to its original Art Deco grandeur and outfitted with the latest in tenant services and security technology.
Fox Theater, Spokane, Wash.—Once the pride of Spokane, the sleek Art Deco Fox Theater was slated for demolition until a meticulous $31 million restoration re-opened this beloved community landmark.
The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, Worcester, Mass. – A mainstay of community life for more than a century, the lavish 3,500-seat theatre, once abandoned for a decade, has been gloriously reborn.
Historic Fifth Street School, Las Vegas, Nev.—In a sea of high rises, the Historic Fifth Street School, one of the only intact Mission style buildings in the city, has been elegantly restored and is today home to several local arts and architectural organizations.
King Edward Hotel Revitalization Project, Jackson, Miss.—Vacant for 40 years, the neoclassical hotel that was once the city’s social hub is again dominating Jackson’s skyline after a lavish restoration.
The Land Trust for Tennessee, Nashville, Tenn.—In the brief decade since its founding, The Land Trust for Tennessee has protected over 52,000 acres and become a leading force for preservation across the Volunteer State.
Main Street Iowa, Des Moines, Iowa—Since 1986, Main Street Iowa, a preservation powerhouse, has partnered with 64 cities and towns, rehabbing 8,000 historic buildings, creating 10,000 jobs and investing $971 million to revitalize the Hawkeye State.
Milwaukee City Hall, Milwaukee, Wis.—One of the most distinctive and iconic elements of Milwaukee’s skyline, City Hall had been battered by a century of weathering, hard use and insensitive alterations until Mayor Tom Barrett embarked on an ambitious, historically-accurate exterior renovation project that included workforce development.
Montana Legislature House Appropriations Committee, Montana Legislature Senate Finance and Claims Committee, Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer, and the Montana Preservation Alliance, Butte, Mont.—When Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act last year, Montana legislators seized a golden opportunity to set aside $4 million in stimulus funds for preservation projects.
Nemours Mansion and Gardens, Wilmington, Del.—The 102-room Beaux Arts Nemours chateau, a bit of Versailles in Delaware’s historic Brandywine Valley, has been returned to glittering splendor after a four-year, $27.5 million restoration.
Initiative to Save Rosenwald Schools, southern United States—In the early 1900s, the unique collaboration between Booker T. Washington and Chicago philanthropist Julius Rosenwald resulted in the construction of 5,000 schools for African Americans. After desegregation ended, most Rosenwald schools were closed and many were demolished or forgotten. Thanks to the support of the Rosenwald Family, the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation and grassroots activists across the South, Rosenwald schools are being preserved and returned to active roles in community life.
Royalton, Miami, Fla.—Built in 1923 in the Classic Revival style, the Royalton Hotel was a rundown, faded eyesore until a local developer teamed with a nonprofit housing group to painstakingly renovate the building, creating affordable housing units for the city’s neediest citizens.
Save Our Bridge, St. Augustine, Fla.—St. Augustine’s iconic and graceful Bridge of Lions, built in 1927, was threatened with demolition and replacement when a tenacious group of local citizens mounted a massive lobbying campaign, resulting in the restoration of the quarter-mile span.
Sengelmann Hall, Schulenburg, Texas—Once the crowning glory of a small town, the ornate red brick dance hall on Main Street had been closed for decades until a descendant of one of the town’s founding fathers restored the beloved local icon of Schulenburg, Tex.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation (www.PreservationNation.org) is a non-profit membership organization bringing people together to protect, enhance and enjoy the places that matter to them. By saving the places where great moments from history – and the important moments of everyday life – took place, the National Trust for Historic Preservation helps revitalize neighborhoods and communities, spark economic development and promote environmental sustainability. With headquarters in Washington, D.C., eight regional and field offices, 29 historic sites, and partner organizations in 50 states, territories, and the District of Columbia, the National Trust for Historic Preservation provides leadership, education, advocacy and resources to a national network of people, organizations and local communities committed to saving places, connecting us to our history and collectively shaping the future of America’s stories.
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