North Coast Regional Land Trust Newsletter, Fall 2004

8/9/2019 North Coast Regional Land Trust Newsletter, Fall 2004

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FALL 2004

N ORTHCOAST R EGIONAL LAND T RUST

October Afternoon, Mad River Eric Fidjeland

During the week of September 16 th, the Northcoast Re-gional Land Trust hosted a visit and two workshops on land

conservation policies featuring Steven Acquafresca. A formerColorado legislator and orchard farmer, Stevens affiliations

with the Colorado Farm Bureau, Republicans for Environmen-tal Protection and his current role as a land protection special-ist with the Mesa Land Trust allow him to contribute to theprotection of wildlife habitat and agricultural landscapes.

Great Outdoors Colorado is a state lottery funded pro-gram that generates millions of dollars for open space conser-

vation, including working ranch conservation easements. TheColorado Transferable Tax Credit program allows landown-ers who donate conservation easements to get compensateddirectly through a program that transfers state income tax

credits to wealthy individuals who prefer to give their state tax dollars to land conservation projects.

While visiting Humboldt County, Steven led conservation

policy and funding discussions with local land planners andinterested community members. Participants in the discus-sions shared opportunities, concerns and visions for how con-servation programs and policies can be applied locally in ourregion. A primary objective of the workshops was to addressthe feasibility of different land conservation policy alterna-tives. The Humboldt County General Plan update process wasdiscussed, as were a purchase of development rights program,a transferable development rights program, and promoting theconcept of a transferable conservation tax credit program forCalifornia. A fact sheet and article on Stevens work is avail-able from our office.

By Ben Morehead

Acquafresca Promotes ColoradoConservation Incentives Locally


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Blake Alexandre, President, DairymanDavid McMurray, Past PresidentRetired University Administrator

Ruth Blyther, Vice PresidentRCAA Co-Director

John LaBoyteaux, Treasurer, Farmer Wes Anderson , Appraiser/Rancher

Mark Andre , Deputy Director,Environmental Services, City of Arcata

Melissa Bukosky , Biologist/Geologist Annette Holland , Jacoby Creek Land Trust

Jack Limmer , Real Estate BrokerLaura Mayo , Environmental Coordinator,

Yurok TribeMichael Smith , HSU Natural Resources

Professor

James Able, Forestry Consultants, Inc.Dave Albee, School Superintendent

Jim Anderson, retired CPA Kim Browning, Resource Timber Manager

Tom Brundage, GeologistDennis DelBiaggio, Building Contractor

Nancy Diamond, Attorney Jeff Dunk, McKinleyville Land Trust

Zuretti Zuey Goosby,Field Rep. for Senator Wesley Chesbro

Dr. Steve Hackett, HSU Professor,Business & EconomicsSteve Hackett, RancherKevin Hartwick, CPA,

Cholwell, Benz & Hartwick Lee Mora, Humboldt Auction Yard owner;

RancherKathy Moxon, Humboldt Area Foundation

Liz Murguia, District Rep.,Congressman Mike ThompsonGary Reedy, Fisheries Biologist

Tom Rowe, Attorney Rondal Snodgrass, Land Counselor

Bill Thompson, Jacoby Creek Land Trust Yana Valachovic, UC Cooperative Extension

Patricia Vernelson, Director, Del NorteCounty Children & Families Commission

Arnold Whitridge, SawyerKatherine Ziemer, Director,

Humboldt County Farm Bureau

Maya Conrad, Executive DirectorShayne Green, Wildlands Projects Manager

Ben Morehead, Working Lands Projects ManagerDiana Pachmayer, Office Manager

Tempra Board, Development & NewsletterHolly Lockwood, Intern

Funding provided by the Department of Fish & Game, Coastal Salmon Recovery

Program, the Columbia Foundationand local sponsors.

Board of Directors

Board of Advisors

Staff

Letter from theExecutive Director

2

Continued on page 3

If you are reading this newsletter, you, like me, are a conservationist. Wecare about the North Coast and all of our rivers and natural areas. We hopeour children and our grandchildren canafford to live and work here too. Eachof us may define conservation a littlebit differently, but no matter. It is timeto put our differences aside about how and why we protect natural and working

lands and work together to save what weve still got. And hopefully make iteven better for future generations.

As a biologist who spent years study-ing threatened and endangered speciesin northern California and beyond, whatbecomes increasingly evident to me isthat if we want to preserve our NorthCoast ecology, we need to keep largetracts of our private forest, farm andranch lands whole. As Californias popu-lation swells, employing different strate-gies for protecting our natural resourcesis imperative, depending on where youlive. What works in some areas does notnecessarily work here. For example, aBay Area-based economy, with millionsof residents, can better support publicacquisition of parks and wilderness areasin nearby recreational destinations suchas the Sierra Nevada.

On the North Coast, we are fortu-nate to already have many public lands

available for recreation and other naturaluses. In Humboldt, Del Norte and Trini-

ty counties, public ownership NationalForest, National and State Parks, Bureauof Land Management lands and otherpublic lands comprise roughly 50%,75% and 90% of our counties, respec-tively. These lands provide essential fishand wildlife habitat, including wild andscenic river corridors, redwood forests,oak woodlands and Bald Hills prairies.

In addition to these public conser-

vation lands, we also still have thou-sands of acres of contiguous forested

vistas backing our coastal communitiesto the east. Our towns and cities aredistinguished by adjacent fertile farm-land. Family-owned ranches, spanningthousands of acres of grazing lands andproductive forests, are still numerous.Together, our public and private landsprovide scenic and recreational oppor-tunities, in addition to their ecologicaland economic value. All of these factorscontinue to draw people here, increasingland values and the pressure to subdi-

vide.There are a plethora of ways that we

can care for natural lands and expressour conservation ethic. Regardless of

whether we believe that our bounti-ful natural resources must be actively managed or left untouched, I ask you tojoin me in striking common ground inhow we preserve both our ecology and

economy. People here need jobs. Salmon


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The Buckeye Conservancy P.O. Box 5607 Eureka, CA 95502

Johanna Rodoni, Executive Director

(707) 786-9662 www.buckeyeconservancy.org

Friends of the Dunes Land TrustP.O. Box 186 Arcata, CA 95518Lisa Hoover, Land Trust Chair(707) 444-1397

www.friendsofthedunes.org

Humboldt Northcoast Land TrustP.O. Box 457 Trinidad, CA 95570Gail Kenny, President(707) 677-0716

[email protected]; www.hnclt.org Jacoby Creek Land TrustP.O. Box 33 Bayside, CA 95524Susan Ornelas, Executive Director(707) 822-0900; [email protected]

McKinleyville Land TrustP.O. Box 2723 McKinleyville, CA 95519

Jeff Dunk, President(707) [email protected]

Middle Mattole Conservancy

P.O. Box 73 Honeydew, CA 95545Gabrielle Roach, [email protected]

Northcoast Regional Land TrustP.O. Box 398 Bayside, CA 95524(707) 822-2242Maya Conrad, Executive Director

www.ncrlt.org

Sanctuary ForestP.O. Box 166 Whitethorn, CA 95589Eric Goldsmith, Executive Director(707) 986-1087; [email protected]

Siskiyou Land Conservancy P.O. Box 157 Orleans, CA 95556Greg King, President(530) [email protected]

South Fork Trinity River LandConservancy P.O. Box 36 Mad River CA 95552David Rose, Executive Director(707) 574-1077

[email protected]

Local LandTrust Contacts

The NRLT team stands in front of our new ofce, the Kokte House, in Bayside: (back row,left to right) Intern Holly Lockwood, Projects Manager Ben Morehead, Grantwriter Tempra Board, ProjectsManager Shayne Green. (front row, left to right) Ofce Manager Diana Pachmayer, Executive Director Maya Conrad.

The NRLT Team

Continued from page 2

Thomas C. BrundageRegistered Geologist

First AmericanTitle Company

need miles of clean rivers. Wildlife, suchas elk and mountain lions, need large ex-panses to forage. I believe that the key tomeeting all of these needs is by keeping

whole as many large tracts of privately owned lands as we can.

Those of you who live and earn yourliving off of the land naturally have astrong commitment to land stewardship.Those of us who want to see diverse

species thrive here also care deeply about

our surroundings. The opportunity toprotect our diverse lands is immense,but it requires that we come together as acommunity, compromise a little on how

we personally define conservation, andseize the moment. If we have both pri-

vate and public, contiguous timber andranch lands, thats how were going tomaintain both ecology and our naturalresource-based economy.


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In preparing this article, I sat down with two of NRLTs long-term members,one of whom is transitioning from therole of board president and another

who is moving into that role DavidMcMurray and Blake Alexandre. Davidand Blake in many ways represent thestrength and power of the diversity that

has defined NRLT since itsinception.

David is a counselingpsychologist by training, as

well as an experienced con-sultant, committee member

and board member formany non-profit organiza-tions, including Internews, Sanctuary Forest, the Land Trust Alliance and cur-rently the California Association of LandTrusts. His experience and personality have been crucial to NRLTs early forma-tion as the organization grappled withbringing such a diverse group of peopletogether and finding common ground.

Blake owns and operates AlexandreDairy and EcoDairy Organic Farm inDel Norte County, and owns pastureland in Ferndale as well. He is active inseveral organizations, including the Cali-fornia Farm Bureau, Ducks Unlimited,the California Waterfowl Association,and the California Cattlemens Associa-

tion. Blakes direct and goal-orientedstyle has resulted in his thriving business,and will now play a key role as NRLTmoves into a new phase in its develop-ment.

As youll read on page six, NRLT ison the brink of protecting several thou-sand acres of land through 10 projects

in Humboldt, Del Norteand Trinity counties.Timing is critical rightnow, and all of NRLTsenergy is focused on seeingthese projects through to

completion. This is where you come in. NRLTsdonors have been the cornerstone of our success. We depend on you to keepus in business while we seek and obtaingrants from foundations and agencies tomove our projectsforward.

I asked Davidand Blake totell me about

why they areinvolved in theland trust, andhow our donorscan help keepthe momentumgoing in the coming years. I found their

words inspiring, and I think that you will, too. We spoke about plannedgiving, which is a method of makinga charitable contribution in whichsome or all components of the gift are

only distributed, or have their owner-ship finally resolved, after some eventor some period has passed (from theOnline Compendium of Federal andState Regulations for U.S. NonprofitOrganizations). The definition soundstechnical, but planned giving can besimple and effective. If you currently have a will, you can easily add a codicil(an amendment) to include a bequest(a gift in your will) to the NorthcoastRegional Land Trust. If you dont have

a will, now is a good time to prepareone. Remember that your will is fullyrevocable while you live. You retain ctrol and can easily make revisions sho

your circumstances change. Bequestsbe used as leverage for obtaining othefunds through foundations, grantmakers, and other potential donors. They can also be used to fund an endowmethat will continue to net the organizatfunds year after year. This is a true le a gift for our community in perpetu

David explains how the land trusis a perfect fit for those interested in

conserving North Coast landscapes ain planned giving. The NRLT has thunique opportunity to help landownermake planned gifts and achieve consetion goals. There are people who wandonate easements but cant afford to d

it now. A con vation easemecan be placed

with some of stewardship fto monitor thaeasement, coming in the forma planned giftThis may be aeconomic inc

tive for those who would like to donaa conservation easement and see theirland protected in perpetuity.

So why do people make plannedgifts? David and his wife, Madeline, already included a local conservation

organization in their will. I asked whaprompted David to make such a bequOne of the most common and ea

est methods of planned giving is to lea small amount to an organization in

your will. My parents left a small amto each church they were a part of. Insame way, my commitment is to protethe land. For me its like a religiouscommitment. Its at that same level. Ileaving a gift to Sanctuary Forest in m

will because we have property in the

Leaving a Legacy for thOld & New NRLT Board Presidents Speak Abou

Blake AlexandreDavid McMurray

My parents left a small amount toeach church they were a part of.

In the same way, my commitmentis to protect the land. For me its

like a religious commitment.Its at that same level.

-David McMurray

4

Gaynor & Diamond, Attorneys at Law

Eel Canyon Farms

CAT KOSHKIN, Attorney & Counselor at Law

Helping families preserve landfor the next generation


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ole Valley, both Madeline and I haveeen on the board of directors, and weave a long-term relationship with Red-

woods Monastery, which is at the heartf that community. We are also settingp a conservation easement with them,nd part of our endowment fund willome in the form of a planned gift.

Planned giving is an intensely ersonal act that has huge, long-termenefits for the greater community. Its a beautiful act of giving to somethingutside of yourself, but comes from a

lace deep within. David was presidentf NRLT for three and a half of its firstour years. I asked him how he becamenvolved with NRLT and what his hopesre for its future:

I grew up on a farm, in a rural areaOdell, Oregon, a town of 700 peopleand I have a strong appreciation for

he importance of community, and sensef community. I grew up with a BBun, walking in the back pasture. I have

memories of smells, tastes, chickens inhayloft. All of this plays into why the

NRLT has taken on such an importantart of my life. My upbringing fostered atrong desire in me to fight, to keep thisense of community.

For the future, I want to be in-olved in figuring out how we can keepur urban areas urban and keep timberreas timber and rural areas rural/ag-culture. Were not saying no growthr no low-income housing, but rather,

were asking how we can make goodse of existing residential lands and putasements on those lands that separateural areas from urban. David adds thatne of the challenges for NRLT will beo maintain the balance between varioushilosophies, values, and backgrounds,nd maintaining an open environment

where conflict is something to beworked through not avoided.

When I spoke to Blake, NRLTsew board president, it was amidst the

bustling atmosphere of NRLTs new of-fice in Bayside, the Kokte House, whichit shares with the Jacoby Creek LandTrust. I asked Blake how and why hebecame involved in NRLT: My friendSteve Hackett, the first NRLT president,invited me to a meeting, which led to my joining the board. I have a genuine inter-est in our community, as a landownerin Humboldt and Del Norte Counties.

Whatever I do while I have control of my land, my goal is to leave it in a betterstate than when I found it. I instill these

values in my kids and in my employees atmy company. Being a part of the NRLTfits right in with that. Planned givingoften arises from the desire to pass these

values from generation to generation.Blake is taking to his job seri-

ously. He has a set of goals in mindfor NRLT, and he acknowledges that

we have to navigate our way findingthat balance that David speaks of, andenabling us to continue on the path. I

want to utilize my leadership skills tomove us forward. We all share some of the same core values of protecting landand community. We are moving intothe phase of our organization where

we need to perform to make toughand wise decisions. This is a challengeduring a time when funding is scarce.My goal is to help the NRLT give con-

orth CoastWhy It Matters

By Tempra Board

Mouth of Redwood Creek, Orick, California. A conservation agreement will enable enhancement of this estuary and the fish and

wildlife habitat that it supports, while maintaining a working dairy.

sideration to everyones opinions andthen to ultimately lead us in the rightdirection.

You can help NRLT to protectNorth Coast lands by making aplanned gift. A simple bequest cantake many forms. Here are some ex-amples in appropriate wording:

A general bequest is for a certaindollar amount of property, usually cash: I give to [legal name of nonprofit]located in [ city, state] the sum of $ [ theamount to be given .]

A residual bequest designates all or

a portion of whatever remains afterall debts, taxes, expenses, and otherbequests have been paid: I give [ legalname of nonprofit ] located in [ city, state],[ fifty percent (50%)] of the rest, residueand remainder of my estate, to [ Legalname of nonprofit ].

Please contact NRLT if you wouldlike assistance with estate planningconsiderations, or if we can provide

you with more information at(707) 822-2242.

You Can Leavea Legacy


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Oak woodland habitat on the Iaqua Ranch, a keystone property in NRLTs Six Rivers to the Seconservation project.

Brackish marsh habitat for salmon and bird species will be enhanced with aconservation project on Freshwater Creek Slough.

NRLT Projects Update

6

NRLTs project managers, ShayneGreen and Ben Morehead, have been

working on several exciting conserva-tion projects in recent months. Hereare some of the details of these evolvingprojects:

Six Rivers to the Sea. Progresscontinues in our partnership with fiveHumboldt County ranches totaling17,000 acres. NRLT is currently raisingfunds and conducting the pre-conserva-tion easement work that will eventually protect essential timber and ranch lands,containing miles of salmon-bearingstreams and diverse wildlife habitat.

Redwood Creek Valley. NRLT

continues to raise funds for purchase of a dairy in Orick, CA. This key conserva-tion project will protect agricultural landfrom residential development in a sceniccoastal area and aid in estuary enhance-ment vital to salmon and steelhead.

The Northcoast Farmland Con-servation Study. This study will identify highly productive and at-risk agriculturallands and outline conservation strategiesto protect them.

South Fork Trinity River . NRLTand the South Fork Trinity River LandConservancy are developing a conserva-tion easement with a family committedto preserving river frontage and corri-dors, oak woodlands, salmonid habitat,and mature forests along the wild andscenic South Fork.

Freshwater Slough. Restorationof brackish marsh habitat of this Hum-boldt Bay tributary and support of localagriculture are the primary goals of thisconservation project. Public canoe accessand education opportunities will also beavailable.

Humboldt Bay Bottoms . We arecurrently exploring an agricultural ease-ment that will protect highly productivedairylands from residential develop-ment.

Van Duzen River Tributary . Weare working with California Depart-ment of Fish and Game on two adjacent

stream easementscontaining nearly 3,000 feet of steelheadspawning habitat.

The project would aidthese conservationlandowners efforts

to continue K-12 education and riparianrestoration.

Trinity Alps Wilderness. We are as-sisting a Trinity County property owner

who is exploring a donated conservationeasement to protect wildlife habitat andforest values on a 130-acre property locatedadjacent to the Trinity Alps Wilderness.

Regional Planning and HumboldtCounty General Plan. NRLT testified tothe Humboldt County Board of Supervi-sors stressing the importance of protect-ing working farms, forests and ranchesin addition to public access areas in theGeneral Plan update. Through well-planned development, we can protect ourlocal natural resource-based economy andresidents quality of life. We continue tocollaborate with many local groups on

long-range conservation planning.Other projects are underway too. Staytuned for more details!

North Coast CleaningServices Inc.

T OM R OWE , A TTORNEY


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Donor Anonymous (3)Marjorie & Frank AndersonMarie Antoine & Stephen SilletSandra AntonsonBank of AmericaBarbara BarrattGeorge & Judy BloeserLucinda Bradshaw Rita CaroleStuart CataldoChris & Jeanne ChapinLeonard & Eleanore Clark Daniel ClavinMargaret A. Cole

Alexsis Davie Joan E. Del Monte William & Nancy DunnMark Ellis & Kim ErvinElizabeth EschenbachMichelle FellDr. K.O. Fulgham

Friend Anonymous (3)George & Beverly Allen

Jack AltmanSusan Jean Armstrong

Bruce GardinerPhyllis Geller & Jerry HullR. Uwe & Zuzana Gellner

Judy Haggard John & Patricia HarrisPaul Hasselquist

Gregory & Rebecca Hendrickson Judith HinmanFred HummelTheodore & Adelene JonesTom & Carol JonesHazel M. Juell

Jim P. Knerl Jerome & Nancy Lengyel Amy Little & Tate Birnie John & Judy LongshoreDon & Kathleen Lutosky Laura MadjediSusan McBrideMaureen McCready -GlassmanRonald & Jill MillerLisa Miller & Bryan GaynorCarol MoneBen & Ananda Morehead

Jim & Gay MorrisonDaniel & Penne OGaraOsacr Larson & AssociatesRob & Sue Parks

Will RandallRex & Ruth Rathbun

Wendy Ring Judith RobertsMarcela Rodriguez

Shirley SalzmanErich F. SchimpsSteven & Sharon Schonfeld

John SchwabeRandy Speck Hermann & Cheyenne SpetzlerKeith & Patty StearnsFrancis & Lorana SweetRonald & Donna ThompsonTheodore & Josephine TrichiloBarbara Van PuttenSteven & Carol Vander Meer

John & Nancy Vanspeybroeck

Marty & Dan VegaBarbara WallaceHeidi & Kelly Walsh

Joseph & Jane Walsh James & Virginia WatersEllen Weiss & David CoppleClay Yerby

Marjorie Ann Fay Susan Frances

Jimmy & Lela FrielChris Frolking & Margaret

Nulsen Alan Glaseroff & Ann Lindays

Kirk GirardHarvey M. HarperS. Sherman HirschGordon HullHumboldt Bank Bill & Lynda Hutton

Thelma IngebritsonInternewsHarvey Kelsey & Susan CashmanPeter Kenyon

John LaBoyteaux Thomas Lisle & Lorinda DenglerPeter Martin

Tim McKay Robert & Mavil McKelvey

Allan & Helen McKenna Ridley Ken MillerLouise MillerMichael SmithRondal & Susanna SnodgrassSun Valley GroupScott Sway Bill & June ThompsonKent & Johnna TownsendCharles TripodiDon & Andrea TuttleMock Wahlund

Victor & Janet Wallenkampf Terrell WattMark Youdall

Illijana AsaraMary Jane AshtonCarolyn AyersStacey Becker

Tempra BoardCarol & Jere Bob BowdenChristine & Gene CallahanRita CarlsonSusan Carson

Jean Chandler John Charles & Jennifer Kate AndersonLisa ConradRussell ConradKathryn L. CorbettNancy Correll & Richard DuninDiane Des Marets & David PriceDr. Bill DevallChuck & Marilyn DeWittMatt Durham & Victoria VanceMark FritzkeIvan HessPaul HendricksonChristine HensonDavid Hitchcock David Hornbrook Martha HunkinsClaudia IsraelErik Jules

John & Denise LopesBeth MaizesMathew Marshall

Jeanne M. Mattole

Janice K. McMurray Thomas & Doris Montgomery Stuart Moskowitz

Archie MossmanMichael & JoAnne Mulderia

Jaime & Maria MeheganODonnell

Colleen OSullivanPhoebe Netzow Douglas & Gabrielle Parkinson

Jennifer PierceCarl Ratner

Jennifer Raymond & Stephen Avis

Michael D. Richardson Andrew & Mary Riley Herb SchwartzElizabeth Segal

William ShapeeroBob SizooLoren SmithPaul & Virginia SpringerRichard & Phyllis Stanewick Sara TraphagenMarlena Vega

Anne & Roger WeissLaura & Gregory WillistonBill Zielinski

Founders Circle AnonymousBlake & Stephanie AlexandreStephen & Sharon Davies

Steve & Jill Hackett Annette & Greg Holland Jack & Rita LimmerDavid & Madeline McMurray

StewardMelissa Bukosky

Jeff & Edy SchwartzLee MoraResponsive Software

ConservatorMark Andre

Joan BermanHarry Blumenthal & Scott MitchellMaya ConradShayne Green & Jennifer BloeserDavid R. HodgesFelicia Oldfather

Tom & Emily RoweHugh Scanlon & Sharon Levy Gloria Colombero SpeigleLynne & Bob Wells

Sponsor Anonymous Thomas & Catherine Allen James & Judith AndersonCelestine B. Armenta

Jim Athing Glenn Berry Ruth BlytherRobert K. Browning Natalie Di CostanzoStan & Judy DixonLynn Evans & Julie Fulkerson

Yvonne F. Everett

Agencies &FoundationsCalifornia Department of

ConservationCalifornia Department of Fish& Game, Coastal Salmon

Recovery ProgramColumbia FoundationLand Trust AllianceNorcross Wildlife FoundationResources Legacy Fund

Foundation

Thank You NRLT 2003-2004 Supporters!


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This is a rugged land wheremountain ranges cut by many rivers drop in folds of deep

green forest to the sea,

a place where salmon,tattered from long voyages,still find familiar streams,swollen with rain,

a place where townsstill have their edges,circled by the working land,by field and farm.

A few last rivers stillrun wild and free here.Stands of ancient treesstill reach the sky.

If places can be lefton earth for breathing space,for life to celebrate,may this be one.

The great blue heron

flies beside the freeway.Grey whales breach andcatch a glimpse of shore.

May they live to makemany more journeys,finding this coastas it was before.

-- Annette Holland

The Northcoast

Charlie TripodiThe Land Man

NRLT Mission

The Northcoast Regional Land Trust is dedicated to theprotection of working landscapes, farms, forests and grazing

lands, and to the preservation and protection of land forits natural, educational, scenic and historic values.

A Six Rivers to the Sea property in the Van Duzen River watershed. Photo by Diana Pachmayer

Humboldt Land Title Company

Newsletter Sponsorship Opportunities: If you are interested in becoming anewsletter sponsor, please contact us at (707) 822-2242.

North Coast Regional Land Trust Newsletter, Fall 2004

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Transcript of North Coast Regional Land Trust Newsletter, Fall 2004