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Transcript of Fall 2007 Valley Trust Newsletter, Three Valley Conservation Trust
8/9/2019 Fall 2007 Valley Trust Newsletter, Three Valley Conservation Trust
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Valley Trust
NEWS
“Valley Trust News,”
the newsletter for members of the
Three Valley Conservation Trust, is
published four times per year.
Editors:
Michele Simmons
Mary Glasmeier
Number 33 / fall 2007 Conserving the natural environment and cultural heritage of Southwest Ohio
Calendar
OCTOBER3 LTA Rally begins
3 Board Meeting, 7 pm, TVCT
6 LTA Rally ends
8 Adventure of a Lifetime
rafesalesbegin
13 Adopt-A-Highway Pickup,
10 am, call Liz at 523-1782
november4 Time Change at 2:00 am
7 Board Meeting, 7 pm, TVCT10 ArtAuction,6:30pm BeauVerreStudios
DECEMBER
5 Board Meeting, 7 pm, TVCT
15 Drawing for Adventure of a
Lifetimerafe JANUARY
2 Board Meeting, 7 pm, TVCT
IndexArt Auction in November ...... 1
Let Me be Frank ...................... 2
Art Auction Benefactors ........ 2
From the Desk of Larry........... 3
Remembering Indian Creek .... 4
Snapshot! Series ...................... 5
Snapshot 1: The Dohn’s ......... 5
Return of the Prairie ................ 6
Developing News ................... 7
Pig Roast Review .................... 7
Snapshot 2: The Hoke’s .......... 8Call for Nominations........... 11
Membership Form ............... 11
Board of Trustees .................. 12
Masterworks for Nature
Art Auction
At 8 pm, November 10, original paint-
ings by internationally recognized
MasterWorks wildlife artists Devere
Burt, Mary Lou Holt, John Ruthven,Katie Jo South, Chris Walden, and
veotherswillbeauctionedbythe
always entertaining Doug Ross to raise
funds for the Three Valley Conserva-
tion Trust. Vacation getaways, jewelry,
oriental carpets, Central Asian handi-
crafts and more will also be auctioned.
Additionally, there will be limited high
quality silent auction items available
for a wide range of tastes.
The MasterWorks for Nature artistsare a group of regional wildlife and
landscape artists with a common pas-
sion for nature. They were inspired
by their visits to easement-protected
properties when creating these works
forauction.“Quicknish”paintings
will be completed by some of these
artists during the evening.
The annual auction is the Trust’s
major fundraiser with proceeds
Saturday, November 106:30 - 10:00 pm
BeauVerre Studios
going to operations. These funds along
withmemberships“paythebills”to
pursue our mission. This approach has
helped the 13-year-old Trust to protectover 7600 acres of farmland, habitat,
woodlands, and streams.
Join the Trust and these ten superb artists
for an interesting and enjoyable evening.
For your $40 reservation,
enjoy gourmet food, wine and beer,
superb music, an entertaining auctioneer,
andchancesatterricdoorprizes!
In October, many items will be displayed
online at the TVCT’s web site:www.3vct.org,
and on Doug Ross’ web site:
www.auctionross.com.
The paintings to be auctioned will be on
display at BeauVerre Studios
1054 Central Avenue in Middletown.
Forauctionreservations,absenteebid,
and/orformoreinformation,
call the Trust ofce at 513-524-2150.
Left: “Tales of Twin Creek” by Chris Walden, one of the prints
available to auction benefactors. Call the ofce for details.
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This record hot, dry summer has dried our crops, butnot sapped our energy to sustain these beautiful valleys.
Indeed, the efforts of the Board and volunteers of the
Three Valley Conservation Trust and our partner
organizations are planning events, providing baseline
documentation and follow-up monitoring for the amazing
habitats and farms we protect. They are working with staff
to create protocols, to develop beautiful brochures, to edit
thenewsletter,toraiseawarenessandfunds,andtollin
forOfceManagerMaryGlasmeierduringrecuperation
(Thanks, Catherine Hollins!). Our staff and volunteers
have developed the soundest policies and procedures to
safeguard your money, your lands and your vision of amagnicentthree-valleyarea.
The whole organization is beginning a shift toward
stewardship of protected lands. With these monitoring
responsibilities mounting, we rely on trained monitoring
volunteers to carry the ball. Participating in a fall
monitoring training session provides an opportunity
for hands-on views of protected lands. Call the TVCT
ofceforinformationonthenexttrainingsession.
The Trust has revised the area’s Twin Creek Watershed
Action Plan to develop consensus strategies for
Fm he Desk f...
L arry F rimer manExEcutivE DirEctor
conservation and planned water quality improvement projects.
Thanks to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources
(ODNR), Ohio EPA, the new Watershed Coordinator
agency, and the Miami University Institute of
Environmental Sciences.
TVCT is currently working through more than a dozen
easements to be completed before year’s end, and we
continue to get calls from landowners seeking the tax
benetthatisslatedtoexpire12/31/07.SinceJune,we
havecompletedninemoreterriceasements,nowtotaling
63 TVCT easement-preserved properties covering 8400
acres of special natural and agricultural lands. You have
helpedustopreservevenewproperties(Geddes,Bruns,
Hoffmann, Glander, Molen) with large native prairies and
wetlands and to protect nearly 3000 acres in 2007 alone.
We are grateful to many local, state, and federal agencies
as well as our usual hardworking group here.
If you would like to participate in the MasterWorks for
Nature Art Auction Benefactor Program, contact Lawrence
Leahyattheofce.Invitationsfortheeventwillbesent
out in October. We look forward to seeing you there!z
Win an Adventure of a Lif etime! Enter the TVCT Trip Rafe and winhe p f y he:
Kauai & Hawaii Adventure Trip; or
Glacier Bay Discovery Alaskan Cruise; or
Canada & New England Discovery Cruise; or
Peru Highlights (includes Machu Picchu!)
(TRAVEL MUST BE COMPLETED IN 2008.)
Drawing on December 15 For more information, visit www.3vct.org.
Call 524-2150 after October 8 for tickets.
$100 per ticket ONLY 300 TICKETS WILL BE SOLD
Tickets go on sale October 8
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Remembering Indian Creek
submitted byCraig Springer
blocks. Ludlow walked straight lines turning at right
angles as he went along, making notes for pragmatic
purposes. He noted the soils and timber and water
courses,mostlysotheGeneralLandOfceinCincin-
nati could market the properties for would-be frontier
farmers.Hissurveywasamongtherstofitstypethatfrom there westward would carve the land into a uniform
checkerboard. The road in front of my New Mexico
homeparallelsFaireldRoad.Astiffstraightlinenorth
washisarticialanchorandtheeventualstateline.A
hard right turn east, only a few feet away and Ludlow
crossed a small stream looping and roiling obtusely; duly
noted in the log book in cursive writing not unlike the
twists and bends the creek makes approaching Reily.
The huge oaks and maples yielded to the
axe and plow. Only vestiges of woods
remain. Big sycamores hold steadfast still
to the creeksides. Beneath the still watersof my natal creek, near the throat of a pool, in
the tangle of the roots lies the object of my former
affections. Glaciers brought what
chubs needed in Indian Creek.
They excavated nests in the
gravelly bottoms, making 10-foot-
long ridges of gravel where oxygen-rich water percolated
over fertilized eggs. Shelves of fossil-littered limestone
slabs make a lair for them to hide under looking to put
their maw around anything small enough to pass by or
drop in. The stream’s slope was just right to move water
downhill, not too fast, and not too slow.
Dendritic creeks in the headwaters still feed Indian
Creek, where the dendritic veins in maple leaves pass
the creek water on in a circularity of experience. The
geography of experience expresses itself in the right
angles of roads crossed by nature’s sinuous curves
intersected with my sentiments bound up in the
passing of time. I’ll be reconstituted there at my
passing in a circularity of experience; I miss the creek
chubs that much.z
I won’t issue an apology; I miss jerking creek chubs from a
boyhood creek. A good many summers have passed since I
rstplieditswatersasakid.Butthosememoriesareasfresh
as bread baked this morning. A tiny piece of garden worm
couldarousetheinterestofmostanything:apeskycraysh,a
bullhead, rock bass, or a redhorse. I landed a good number of gameshthere;oneisonmywallabovemydeskasIwrite.
But thoughts of a creek chub bobbing on the line jogging in
the current summons that sense of newness that seems to live
fresh only in youth. Thoughts of chubs summon sounds of
silver maple leaves turning upside down in the breeze at the
front end of a coming summer storm, when the hot air turns
quickly cool. I can
hearthe“croak”
of a chub in
hand, looking at its
wide grin. Five-inch-long chubs,
green like an apple on top and redlike a fading rose on the bottom, and a head
covered with horns - they brought a kid closer to the workings
and wonders of nature. Indian Creek discreetly rises where
tiny races seemingly too little to name, pull together where
glaciers piled up gravelly till. But the little races do carry
names, and from what they are named is not entirely clear.
Brandywine, College, Sand, Little Four Mile — they
converge like veins on a maple leaf to form Indian-proper.
Add to it the tiny Tent Run, not more than a mile long, lying
acrossthestateline.Iusedtoimaginetherstgovernment
land surveyors camped in tents there in 1799, making a base
campastheylaidarticiallinesatrightanglesonthelandsoCongress could sell it to eager farmers.
It’sacuriousintersectionwherethearticialmeetsthenatu-
ral.There,rightontheIndiana-Ohiostateline,FaireldRoad
tethers Oxford to Brookville. It’s now an asphalt monument
to the privations of Israel Ludlow and his surveyor’s crew.
The road lies over a section line, straight as ribbon. Ludlow’s
crew endured hardship on what was then a wilderness, the
frontier in a young United States. Far removed from any
sizable civilization, Ludlow laid down lines in square-mile
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(Snapshots!
continued on page 8)
Snapshot 1:Preble County Sheep,llamas and moreSubmitted by Summer Glasmeier
Dave and Janice Dohn live on 65 acres of rolling hills
that were placed under easement in 2004. It’s at the
southernmost part of Preble County right on the Butler
County line in Gratis Township. They chose to protect
theirland“becauseweneedthespace.”Likemanyother
landowners, they see the cities creeping out of their boundaries, encroaching on farms and habitat.
They employ their land in several different ways. Twenty-
two acres of woods are reserved for natural habitat. Trails
meander through the woods for their enjoyment. One of
the trails leads to what they originally suspected to be one
of the biggest sassafras trees in Ohio. After checking with
the state, it was the largest one in Preble County.
Another 16 acres encompasses the homes for the Dohns
andalltheiranimals.The“farmhouse”ishomenot
only to Dave and Janice, but also to their cat, Steve, and
their dog, Claire. Farmhouse is not the correct term for the Dohn home. With its unique lines and lighting, it’s
unusual and fun just like the Dohns.
Whenyouheadouttothe“otherhouse,”thebarn,you
willndtwollamas,28lambs,someducks,geese,and
a few barn cats.
About 27 acres are used to grow hay for the livestock.
The lambs are raised for market and the investment must
be protected, hence the llamas. Llamas are excellent
for warding off coyotes. Even with the llamas, you
Snapshots! People & their land Snapshots! People & Their Land provides stories of the people and the lands they protect. We hope that you will enjoy getting to
know a little about your neighbors.
still hear the coyotes
eerie yowling in the
surrounding countryside.
In the words of his
mother, Dave quipped,
“The howl of a coyote
just makes your tailbone
quiver.”
Dave Dohn with a view of his Preble County property.
Every purchase supports the Trus t!
Use your card regularly!
Make it
a habit!
Call 513-524-2150to get your free card.
Baaa! Baaa!
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Few Ohioans realize that prairies once were prominent
features of our local landscape. Encouraged by a historic
dryclimateandmaintainedbyressetbyNative
Americans seeking easier travel and better hunting,
native grassland was an important ecosystem throughout
western Ohio.
Upon their arrival in the late 1700s, settlers found
hundreds of individual prairies ranging in size from a few
acres to many square miles. A sight unfamiliar to folks
indigenous to the Eastern Woodlands, prairies—from
theFrenchword“meadow”—atthattimeencompassed
over one million acres of the future Buckeye State. In
the minds of these pioneers, the tall grasses and paucity
oftreessigniedbarrenlandunworthyoffarming.Only
Deere’s“grasshopperplow”ofwroughtironandsteel
could cut the heavy sods, exposing rich, fertile soils
and sealing the prairie’s fate. By the early 1900s, only
Return of the Prairie submitted by Jon Costanzo
Butler County Department of Environmental Services (BCDES) is implementing an innovative
naturalization project, converting exotic lawn turf to
a rich diversity of prairie species on some of its 72
facility sites. The conversion has reduced mowing
and other lawn maintenance costs, while also
providing wildlife habitat and beautifying the sites.
Photo credit: Monica Wilson, BCDES
(Continued on page 10
Woodland Trails Wildlife Area
Oak Savannah.
Fourteen-acre site developed by Miami ValleyPheasants Forever. Intersection of State Route 127 and
Gasper-Somers Road, 3 miles north of Camden.
More info: www.orgs.muohio.edu/pheasantsforever/
programs/habitat.html
Miami Whitewater Forest
Warm-season grasslands and cool-season meadows.
9001 Mount Hope Road, Harrison.
More info: www.hamiltoncountyparks.org/parks/miami.htm
scattered prairie plots remained; today, truly native prairie
oraisrelegatedtoisolatedpatchesalongabandoned
railroad rights-of-way and the neglected corners of
pioneer cemeteries. Intensive agriculture and land
development have made the tallgrass prairie one of the
rarest ecosystems in Ohio.
With the disappearance of these productive grasslands
went much of the wildlife that depended on them for food
and shelter. Gone forever is the once-common prairie
chicken, an icon of the pioneer heritage extirpated in the
early 1900s. Soon to follow is the American badger, a
solitary resident of burrows beneath the prairie sod. In
the face of these ever-shrinking habitats, some grassland
species adapted to haylands and pastures, surrogates
of the lost prairie. Unfortunately, populations of many
songbirds, the Eastern meadowlark, dickcissel, and
bobolink among them, are now in serious decline. Thecauses are not well known, but often can be
traced to the loss, degradation, and adverse
management of these habitats.
The good news is that the ecological values
and aesthetics of the Ohio prairie have been
rediscovered. From the efforts of government
agencies, conservation groups and committed
individuals, modern warm-season grasslands are
being created and managed to protect soil and
DeWitt Cabin
Demonstration Prairie.
One-acre site developed by Audubon Miami Valley.
Miami University Natural Areas, off State Route 73.
More Info: www.units.muohio.edu/naturalareas/
special/PrairieDemo.htm
Huffman Prairie
Largest remaining stand of original tallgrass prairie
in Ohio. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton.
More info: www.nature.org/wherewework/
northamerica/states/ohio/preserves/art3094.html
Visit a Prairie Near You
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Developing Newsfrom Lawrence Leahy, Development Director
During these past few months we have developed quite a few
projects, as you will notice in articles dispersed throughoutthe Newsletter:
• Our Pig Roast on the Bruns’ farm was a memorable event;
I think if we ever have a drought like this past summer,
we should have a Pig Roast much earlier—as soon as we
nishedsettingupandeveryonebeganarrivingthedark
clouds rolled in, the wind pounded us and it poured.
• We are still preparing for our November Art Auction and
trying to identify Benefactors to support this event. We
have approximately 25 Benefactors. Thank you to all, but
we need many more.
• Plansarecomingtogetherforatriprafetobeheldlaterthisyear.Wewillhaveawonderfulprizefortherafe
winner. See page 2 for more information on a chance to
win a trip to a destination you are sure to enjoy.
One of our most important activities is to constantly
communicate our mission to people and to increase our
membership base. While our membership base is the
foundation for our operations budget, we will always need
fundraising events to further support operations so we can
One of the more memorable events in the history of the
Three Valley Conservation Trust has to be the 2007 Blue-
grass & BBQ at the Bruns Farm! Although this region has
experienced severe drought for months, to assume that it
would break on Saturday the 8th of September at 4:30 in
the afternoon was certainly not expected during the daysofnalplanninginlateAugust.
At 2:00 pm on Saturday, the sky displayed patches of blue
and white then gradually clouded over as our volunteers
were struggling to erect the red-topped tent loaned by
Miami Valley Pheasants Forever. The tent was a perfect
compliment to the large picnic shelter built by hosts Al
and Mary Bruns. Tables were arranged with a display of
rafeitemsandeasementphotos.Around4:15pmanom-
inous inky black sky began to reveal itself on the southern
horizon. As guests arrived, the wind hit hard and fast and
continue our work to protect and
preserve land. We are committedto protecting our easement
properties forever so the more
people who know us and support
us, the better.
Many people who are familiar with the Trust know
that we access Federal and State funds to assist our
easementholders.However,theTrustisa“pass-through”
agency, and as such, we do not keep a percentage of,
or have access to these funds. Our support comes from
membership, donations, planned giving, and fundraising.
Please keep this in mind when talking with others about
the Trust.
In the previous newsletter there was an article about a
unique way to donate IRA funds—tax free—in 2007.
Please feel free to contact me if you are interested or have
any questions about this program that is due to expire on
December 31.
Enjoy the changes of the seasons and warm holiday
wishes for you and yours. z
roseinintensity.Twotentapsburstapartjustasallthe
items were swiftly being removed to the safety of nearby
vehicles. The gusts and rain were relentless and threatened
to lift the tent – not unlike Dorothy - into the air to be de-
posited somewhere in northern Preble County or beyond!
Several people grasped the frame structure overhead acting
as human anchors for the struggling tent. The downpour
was so heavy that the waterproof fabric began to fail
Pig: TastyWeather: AwfulDo it again? You bet!
(Continued on page 10)
The Woolum Brothers play at their “second” location - under the shelter.
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Jason and Jennifer Hoke agreed on placing their thirteen
acre mini farm in Milford Township under a conservation
easement with the Three Valley Conservation Trust even
before acquiring the property. Their interest was piqued
after two of Jason’s partners in his medical practice were
discussingsomeofthebenetsofdonatinglandtoa
conservation easement. Not only do easements protect and
preserve the land and its natural beauty, the landowner
alsorealizesataxbenetfromdonation..
In fact, conversations with fellow physicians Mike Fain
and Nathan Morris often focused on protecting their farmsand preserving the rural character surrounding Oxford.
“Nathan had read about another organization working
with landowners on conservation easements in a farm
journal, and the three of us in our medical practice were
all very interested. After Congress enacted the tax change
making it easier to use the donation of an easement on
ourtaxes,myCPAconrmedthatsigninganeasement
would work tax-wise for my family. When we had moved
to Southwest Ohio to practice medicine in Oxford, we
wanted to live in and support the rural values we have
held since our childhoods. Dr. Fain and Dr. Morris
grew up on farms, and their appreciation of rural valueshad brought us together, and given us a strong sense of
commonality and community of interest in our practice.
Even though we didn’t grow up on a farm, our relatives
did, and we can identify with the lifestyle and the values.
Itwassomethingimportanttoourfamily,”Jasonnoted.
The Hokes shortly thereafter selected and purchased their
13.5 acre site for their future home and mini-farm. The
primarily agricultural ground in Milford Township retains
its woodland borders and provides lovely vistas of the
countryside. The property sits high on a ridge and rolls
back toward a tributary to Seven Mile Creek and backs up to
a large cattle farm to the west. The family plans on having a
small orchard, a few horses, and enjoying the open space. The
land has fox, deer, coyote, rabbits, as well as red-tailed hawksand many other species of birds. The land contains a headwater
stream and drainage leading to Seven Mile Creek nearby.
At the edges, the property has white and red oak, walnut,
sycamore, maple, honey locust, hackberry, and cedar, among
its trees.
“We were attracted to this property because of our desire and
the ability to be in a rural area, away from city life, but just
10 or 15 minutes from my medical practice in Oxford. We
selected our small farm location because of the view — a
beautiful hilltop site overlooking an open expanse, lovely
trees, and the barn. The view, and the openness of the land, is
somethingyoudon’tndanymore.JenandIdidnotwanttolive in or support the creation of another intensely suburban
area such as along the Cincinnati-Dayton I-75 corridor. But,
you never know when your neighbor or people that come after
you will decide to sell and subdivide, and then your land’s
beauty is gone for good. We like the thought that no major
thoroughfare would come through Oxford — that remoteness
fromheavytrafcallowstheareatomaintainthesmalltown
feel and setting that would otherwise be lost. We don’t get the
sense that this area will ever be overgrown like the Cincinnati
Daytoncorridor.”
Dr. Jason Hoke on his Butler County property
CENTRAL BUTLER COUNTY
MILFORD TOWNSHIP
Snapshot 2:
Smaller Conservation Easements Provide Edge Habitat,Small-scale Farm, Open Space Values
submitted by Larry Frimerman
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“Most importantly we appreciate what this property has to
offer not only now, but in the future. We want to pass down
the property to our children and keep it in the family. And,
I hope our children and theirs would feel the same way as
we do. We have two boys, our oldest is 3½ years old and
youngest is 13 months old.
Jason further noted, “I grew up
nearManseld,andJennear
Willard, in rural areas similar to the
area which includes this property.
We grew up in the country. My
uncle was a beef cattle farmer, and
I loved being at his farm. Jennifer’s
family has a dairy and grain farm.
Some of her family still lives on
the same road they grew up on,
and most are living within a onemile radius of each other. We share
the same values. We both went to
college, had our time in the city,
but have gravitated back to the
rural environment that we wanted
toraiseourfamilyin.”
“Jen would get teased because she
wanted to play with bugs and frogs
andturtles.Jenisthesherinthe
family, she’ll be the one who’ll
teachourboystoshbecause
she’s good at it. I just love being
outdoors, and not too cramped — going
for hikes, enjoying nature.
“Larry and the Trust made the easement process very easy
and comfortable for us. He helped us understand the issues,
the permanence of our decision, and all the steps and tasks
involved with completing and managing our easement. We
reallyappreciatedthat,”headded.
“We’re glad we made our decision to protect our land,
and are looking forward to being closer to Oxford after
In 2006, Congress expanded for 2006 and 2007 the
conservation easement tax deduction to correct a defect
in the pre-existing tax law that limited easement
donors’ ability to fully deduct the conservation
easement donation value.
The tax change permits current conservation easement
donors to deduct 50% of their adjusted (prior to item-ized and standard deductions) gross income (AGI) each
year for up to a maximum of sixteen years, or until the
value of the appraisal-derived easement donation value
isusedup,whichevercomesrst.Forfarmerswhoare
often“cashpoor,landrich”,thedeductionis100%
living in Germantown for a few years. We just recently
moved nearby after selling our home there. We’re planning
construction of our new home, which is a time-consuming
process, so it will be much easier to manage the process
withoutthecommute,”addedJennifer.
Smaller rural parcels such as the
Hoke’s can still offer conservation
benets.Someofthesebenets
oftencanbesignicant,and
are worth preserving. “Small
parcels that are conserved even
for agricultural and conservation
purposes can offer a variety of
edge species of birds, waterfowl,
andhabitat,”notedSamFitton,
TVCT Board member, at a
conservation easement monitoringtraining workshop. “It turns out
that many small agricultural
eldsprovideanecessarybuffer
for adjacent forests and riparian
woodlands.”Infact,theeasement
could be the anchor for other
conservation easement activity
nearby, both through word of
mouth and greater understanding
of what easements do and
don’t do.
The Hokes recognized the
potentialbenetoftherecently
enacted law temporarily expanding the conservation
easementdonationtaxdeduction.Thechangeissignicant
enough to make it more feasible for a broader range of
property owners to more fully utilize the tax deduction than
under the prior tax law. “The changes in the federal income
tax law made it more attractive to act now, and before the extra
benetexpiresinDecember,”saidJasonHoke.“Hopefully,
Congresswillpermanentlyextendthetaxbenetthisyear.” z
View of the Hoke’s property.
of their incomes. However, unless Congress extends
the new provisions, they could revert to the old tax law
which permitted an easement donor to deduct only 30%
of their AGI per year for up to six years. If you do not
want to see this provision to expire, you may want to
contact your Congressional representative.
EDITOR’SNOTE:On September 21, 2007, the Senate
Finance Committee approved the “Habitat and Land
ConservationActof2007”byunanimousvote.Thisbill
includes the provisions of S. 496 — permanentexten-
sionoftheconservationeasementincentive.
Conservation Easement Tax Provisions in Jeopardy
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and the rain soaked through — dripping onto heads and
shoulders. Thanks to Danny Woedl, Sergio Pierluissi and
his guest Katie, Jon Costanzo, Mary Glasmeier, Catherine
Hollins, Larry Frimerman, and the two chefs from the Da-
vidson Meat Processors for their heroic acts of bravery and
self-sacrice.Allpitchedintokeepthetentfromblowing
to Kansas. Only when the lightening increased did they
come to their senses and abandoned their stations. Soon
the wind subsided, though it continued to rain, and the tent
sat slumped and crooked waiting to be straightened.
More than 100 hearty souls made it to the Bruns Farm for
the event. It was a
relief to see so many
who were not deterred
by the threat of the
elements. Davidson
Meat Processors from
Waynesville prepared
delicious pulled pork and our great team
of cooks led by Ann
Geddes, Marcia and
Laura House, Mary
Bruns, and Josette
Stanley prepared tasty picnic side dishes and desserts. By
uproarious applause, it was obvious that everyone enjoyed
the outstanding bluegrass music performed by the Woolum
Brothers of Hamilton. We would like to recognize the
sponsors who helped to underwrite the event: The Dupps
Company, Germantown; Bullen SemiConductor, Eaton;
Weyerhaeuser, Eaton; Dale Carter Ford and Rodney CobbChevroletbothofEaton.Tendollargiftcerticateswere
provided for each guest by Gander Mountain of Huber
Heights.RafeprizesweredonatedbyBassProShop,
Faireld;Wal-MartofEaton;EscortInc.fromWest
Chester;
Whistle Stop
of Oxford
and LCNB
of Oxford.
Rumpke
Consolidated
provided
a portable
restroom at
a substantial
discount.
The threatened
washout of the
event provided an opportunity for greater camaraderie
and future memories. Should there be another drought in
the future, the solution may lie in a pig roast!z
Prairie (continued from page 6)
PigRoast (continued from page 7)
Lawrence Leahy, Josette Stanley, Ann Geddes and
Susan Maxeld
Gift Idea for the Holidays!
John Ruthven
“Three Valley Great Blue Heron”
Limited to 100 Signed & Numbered PrintsJust a few are left!
$125.00
Call the Office at 513-524-2150
Rain-soaked Eric Hollins takes cover under
the picnic shelter.
water quality, to provide wildlife habitat, and to beautify
the landscape. Like the original prairies, these stands are
composedofgrassesandforbs(wildowers)thatgrow
mainly during the summer and produce seeds in the fall.
These plants are deep-rooted, long-lived perennials that
areinvigoratedbygrazingandre.Comparedtopasture
andhayelds,whicharedominatedbyjustafewcool-
season exotics, warm-season grasslands not only are more
tolerant to drought and disease, but they also support a
greater biomass and diversity of both plants and animals.
Many landowners (and even some governmental
agencies—see photo on page 6) have found that native
grassland is an excellent alternative to plain-Jane
turfgrass.WildowersofEasteregghuesandstately
grasses swaying on the breeze offer eye appeal that turf
fescues just can’t match. Converting one’s manicured
lawn to a native planting makes ecological and economic
sense, too: contrary to the lawn’s continual demand for
fertilizer, pesticides, and mowing, established prairie plots
require fewer inputs and much less management.z
8/9/2019 Fall 2007 Valley Trust Newsletter, Three Valley Conservation Trust
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NAME __________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS ______________________________________________________________
CITY ___________________________________ ST _________ ZIP ________________
PHONE(S) ______________________________________________________________
EMAIL __________________________________________________________________
Send the newsletter via email to the address above.
I would like to volunteer. Please contact me.
I give permission to list my name as a supporter.
MEMBERSHIP LEVELS
All receive a static cling decal and Valley Trust News (via mail or email)
Trust Benefactors
Great Blue Heron Group - $10,000+Free reservations for all Trust events, Chair’s Reception, Tour of at least oneeasement site
Founder’s Society - $2,500+Free reservations for two Trust events, Chair’s Reception, Tour of at least oneeasement site
Conservationist - $1,000 - $2,499
Free reservations for two at Annual Meeting, Chair’s Reception
Trust Partners
Guardian - $500 - $999 Free reservations for two at Annual Meeting
Contributor - $250 - $499Free reservations for two at Annual Meeting
Sponsor - $100 - $249 Member - $50 - $99
Student - $25 Other - $_______
My company has a matching gift program, I will send the form.
CHECK
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CC# __________________________________ Exp. Date ____ /____
3 digit code_____ _________________________________________PRINT NAME AS IT APPEARS ON YOUR CARD
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Total Amount Enclosed $_____________
Mail and make payable to: Three Valley Conservation Trust
TVCT, PO Box 234, Oxford, Ohio 45056.
three valley conservation trust
Conserving the natural
environment and cultural
heritage of Southwest Ohio
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
FOR THE
WALLACE I. EDWARDS
CONSERVATIONIST
AWARDThe Wallace I. Edwards Conservationist Award has been
established by The Three Valley Conservation Trust to
recognize not only work done by a person or persons
in the preceding year but also the cumulative results of
a long-term commitment to conservation values. When
choosing recipient(s) the Three Valley Conservation Trust
Selection Committee will take into consideration activi-
tiesandprojectsthatclearlyreectEdwards’vision.Traits
relevant to efforts should include: perseverance; patience;ability to cooperate with others; commitment to the
preservation of natural resources; and willingness to
listentoallsides;toexplainandtoteach;tondcommon
ground to promote the greater good; and to look at the big
picture, long-term outcomes.
Projects that would exhibit these traits include:
• Demonstrating land use practices that are
environmentally, economically, and culturally
sustainable;
• Nurturing a strong conservation ethic and good
stewardship habits in others;
• Organizing community members to learn about and
work toward stewardship goals;
• Volunteering time to improve others’ land or organize
others to take restoration action;
• Organizing a coalition of diverse interests and
individuals to work toward a common goal;
• Advancing or disseminating methods to control
invasive, non-native species;
• Any combination of the above.
The recipient of the Wallace I. Edwards ConservationistAward need not be a member of the Trust. The recipient of
this award may be either professionally or avocationally
involved in conservation or protection.
Instructions for nominations can be found on the reverse
side of the Nomination form and on the Trust website.z
Deadline for submissions is December 31.
The Award will be presented at the
Annual Meeting in February 2008.
8/9/2019 Fall 2007 Valley Trust Newsletter, Three Valley Conservation Trust
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Non-Prot Org.
U.S. Postage
P A I DPermit No. 171
Oxford, OH
45056
www.3vct.org
Larry Frimerman, Executive Director
Lawrence Leahy, Development Director
Mary Glasmeier, Ofce Manager
Thi l tt i i t d l d
5920 Morning Sun Road, PO Box 234
Oxford, Ohio 45056
513-524-2150 • 513-524-0162 fax
Invitations will arrivein your mailbox in October
MasterWorks for Nature
Art AuctionSaturday, November 10th, 2007
6:30 - 10:00 pm
BeauVerre Studios1054 Central Avenue, Middletown, Ohio
Board of Trustees
Margarette BeckwithJon Costanzo
Frank “Hank” Dupps
Sam Fitton
Catherine Hollins
Frank House
Ben Jones
Gregory Peck
Mary Moore
Michele Simmons
Jerry Stanley
J. Ronald Stewart
Don Streit
Tom Wissing
Liz Woedl