January 25, 2012
Contact:
Ann Barrett, The Conservation Fund, (703) 908-5809; abarrett@conservationfund.org
Sublette County, Wyo. — The Conservation Fund announced today the conservation and expansion of one of the oldest operating ranches held by one family in the Green River Valley. A conservation easement will permanently protect the natural resources of more than 10,000 acres across two homestead ranches owned by the Espenscheid family near the town of Big Piney. The Wyoming Stock Growers Agricultural Land Trust (WSGALT) will be responsible for the long-term stewardship of the easements.
The Budd-Espenscheid family can date their Wyoming roots back to 1879, when Daniel B. Budd inherited a herd of cattle and settled along the Piney Creeks, where Big Piney is currently located. In 1905, his son John established the family’s first homestead ranch approximately nine miles west of town. Over the next century, the family purchased additional neighboring properties and expanded their ranching operations. Today, Budd Ranches, Inc. is owned and managed by brothers Chad and Brian Espenscheid and their wives Gudrid and Annie, the family’s fourth generation of ranchers.
“The Espenscheid brothers approached The Conservation Fund with a bold vision to significantly expand their ranch’s size by purchasing the neighboring ranch and funding the purchase with the sale of a conservation easement on both properties,” said Luke Lynch, Wyoming state director for The Conservation Fund. “It’s a complicated strategy, but together with WSGALT and other partners, we rose to the challenge and designed a unique conservation plan to protect the land and accomplish the landowners’ goals.”
This land preservation agreement will not only enable the Espenscheid Family to continue its ranching operations, it also protects important wildlife habitat in the Green River Valley. The property provides thousands of acres of crucial wintering ranges and migration corridors for pronghorn, mule deer, moose and elk as well as important wetland habitats for songbirds, shorebirds and numerous aquatic species. In addition, approximately 15 miles of streams, including several miles of North Piney Creek—an important tributary of the Green River that provides spawning habitat for the Colorado River cutthroat trout—have been secured.
Brian Espenscheid stated: “Along with 100 plus years of previous generations ‘working it out, figuring it out and sticking it out,’ this easement helped us to achieve our goals of not only preventing the often inevitable dilution of agricultural lands due to generational splits but to expand our operation to the point that we will have an opportunity to pass on economically viable agricultural businesses to our young children.”
“The conservation of private ranch and farm lands through voluntary conservation easements held by local, private land trusts is the most effective and efficient use of limited public dollars for habitat conservation,” said Pamela Dewell, Executive Director of the Wyoming Stock Growers Land Trust. “When we can also help facilitate the generational transfer of Wyoming’s working ranches, preserve our agricultural heritage and inject dollars into our rural communities too, it’s a grand slam.”
The Conservation Fund acquired easements on both properties with funding from the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP), a federal program managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) that provides matching funds for the purchase of agricultural easements on land. The matching funds were provided by the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust (WWNRT), the Jonah Interagency Mitigation Office, the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the Knobloch Family Foundation and other private donors.
“The Natural Resources Conservation Service was thrilled to be able to once again partner with The Conservation Fund to conserve, in perpetuity, a large working ranch,” said Xavier Montoya, NRCS State Conservationist. “Thanks to the foresight of pro-active producers and our tremendous conservation partners, we’re beginning to conserve entire watersheds that provide important sage-grouse habitat and critical winter range for our big-game herds. Above all, these efforts ensure that our ranching families can continue to provide those and many other natural resource benefits to Wyoming.”
“As Wyomingites we cherish our open spaces, wildlife habitat and ranching heritage, and this important project further fulfills the mission of the Wyoming Wildlife & Natural Resource Trust—to enhance and conserve wildlife habitat and natural resource values throughout the state,” said Steve Meadows, district 9 board member for the WWNRT. "I'm proud that we could participate.”
“The Budd-Espenscheid family’s continued dedication to holistic resource management practices that improve the health of their land has served as a model to other ranchers in the Upper Green River Valley,” said Eric G. Decker, project coordinator for Jonah and Pinedale Anticline Interagency Office. “We appreciate the opportunity to participate in this effort and hope that other ranching families aspiring to conserve their working lands and enhance the protection of important wildlife habitat will be encouraged by this success.”
The Conservation Fund and a host of partners launched an initiative in 2008 to conserve and enhance key wildlife habitat and agricultural lands in Wyoming’s Upper Green River Valley. To date, The Conservation Fund has worked with numerous public and private partners to conserve and enhance over 25,000 acres of private land in the Green River Valley.
Photo courtesy Mark Gocke, Wyoming Game & Fish Department (top) and Luke Lynch, The Conservation Fund (bottom)
The Stock Growers Land Trust is dedicated to conservation through ranching and holds almost 170,000 acres of working lands under easement. Founded in 2000 by the 140-year old Wyoming Stock Growers Association, the Stock Growers Land Trust is the 9th largest of 1,659 regional land trusts in the United States. www.wsgalt.org
January 19, 2012
Contact:
Mark Marraccini, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, 1-800-858-1549, ext. 4425
Ann Barrett, The Conservation Fund, (703) 908-5809; abarrett@conservationfund.org
Frankfort, Ky. — The Kentucky Division of Forestry (KDF) and the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) have jointly acquired nearly 2,500 acres in Union County at the confluence of the Ohio and Tradewater rivers. The property will become the state’s newest wildlife management area (WMA) and state forest.
The 2,484-acre site near Sturgis is a portion of one of the largest private landholdings in Kentucky. Purchase of the property—known locally as the Alcoa Property, or more recently as the Kimball Property—was possible only through the cooperation of private, public and non-profit agencies. It completes the first of a two-phase project to protect the area.
The property will provide public recreational opportunities for hunting, fishing, hiking, canoeing, wildlife viewing and other activities as a wildlife management area. The property also will be managed to provide watershed and water quality protection; protection and recovery of endangered, threatened and rare species; preservation of existing cultural and geological treasures—and a sustainable forest. It will be permanently protected from development and agricultural conversion.
The entire property was purchased in early 2009 by an investment fund managed by The Forestland Group with cooperation from The Conservation Fund and KSFW. The Conservation Fund partners with community, government and corporate organizations to help them fulfill their conservation priorities. The purchase of the entire property by The Forestland Group’s investment fund enabled KDFWR and the KDF to acquire and protect this tract.
State Forestry and Kentucky Fish and Wildlife assembled $6,681,780 (including administrative fees) to purchase the tract. Kentucky’s congressional delegation helped secure $3.25 million in federal money through the U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Legacy Program (FLP), the most significant share of the project.
The necessary non-federal matching funds were supplied from a variety of sources. The Nature Conservancy, one of the nation’s largest environmental non-profit organizations, assisted in obtaining funds from Duke Energy and the Crounse Corporation.
Duke Energy, a generator and distributor of electric power and natural gas, provided $1.75 million. Its funds became available as part of a consent decree requiring it to fund supplemental environmental mitigation projects. Crounse Corporation, an industry leader in river transportation, contributed $50,000.
"What is unique about this project is the size of the acquisition and the number of public and private partners that had to successfully work together to permanently protect this incredibly beautiful part of Kentucky," said Terry Cook, state director for The Nature Conservancy. "Public and private monies are limited, but by working together, we still can have incredible success."
State Forestry utilized $1 million of its Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Funds. These funds are derived from nature license plate sales, environmental fines and a portion of the unmined minerals tax.
The Indiana Bat Conservation Fund supplied $580,000 because this forested tract provides valuable habitat for this federally-endangered species. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife paid the various administrative fees.
"The Division of Forestry is very excited about this new wildlife management area and state forest," said State Forestry Director Leah MacSwords. "This joint venture conserves a valuable forest ecosystem and showcases the importance of a well-managed forest."
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Dr. Jon Gassett said the acquisition is an example of groups working together to benefit the public. "We have partnered closely with The Conservation Fund almost a quarter-century to help secure lands in Kentucky for public outdoor recreation," he said. "They have protected nearly seven million acres across the country, and they were instrumental in helping us protect such Kentucky lands that are now Peabody, Obion and Sloughs WMAs."
Ray Herndon is director of the Lower Mississippi Region for The Conservation Fund. "This project demonstrates a relatively new but growing model for conservation where forest management organizations—like The Forestland Group—are helping to conserve land for public outdoor recreation," he said. "The success of this partnership has facilitated the protection of a property that is a true natural gem for the Commonwealth. The new WMA is a win-win for Kentucky because it will support and create outdoor recreation related jobs and provide new hunting and fishing opportunities for sportsmen and women."
The property will be jointly managed as a wildlife management area and a state forest, using the same goals as the Knobs and Marrowbone areas. State forest properties use the ecosystem management approach to ensure biological diversity and sustainable use. These areas are working forests with demonstration areas to promote good forestry practices.
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife and the Kentucky Division of Forestry are developing a management plan for this area that will include the necessary regulations. The area will be officially open to the public later this year.
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Photo courtesy Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
January 18, 2012
Contact:
Carl Silverstein, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, 828-253-0095 x202
Valerie True, Blue Ridge Forever, 828-253-0095 x213
Ann Barrett, The Conservation Fund, (703) 908-5809; abarrett@conservationfund.org
Morgan Sommerville, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, 828-254-3708 x12
Asheville, NC — The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), through Walmart’s 2012 Acres for America program, has awarded a $500,000 grant to the Blue Ridge Forever coalition for the protection of more than 12,000 acres in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. The grant will help conserve a network of six tracts with native brook trout and golden wing warbler habitat, provide public access for people to enjoy the outdoors and protect the natural resources that local communities depend on for clean drinking water and economic vitality.
“We are thankful to NFWF and Walmart for making this contribution to the future of our Southern Appalachian mountains, home of some of the most biologically rich temperate forests in the world,” said Carl Silverstein, executive director of Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, one of the 12 conservation organizations that make up the Blue Ridge Forever coalition.
At nearly 10,000 acres, Rocky Fork, located just over the border in Tennessee, is the most prominent of six tracts in the project. The Conservation Fund, Cherokee National Forest, and the State of Tennessee acquired it in 2008 in cooperation with Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. Rocky Fork was one of the largest unprotected high-elevation parcels remaining in the Southern Appalachians and is home to an array of rare and endangered species. The grant money will assist in the protection of the final section of Rocky Fork later this year, conserving a haven for wildlife, safeguarding water quality and supporting economic opportunities for neighboring communities.
The remaining five tracts total 2,240 acres with 21 miles of streams in North Carolina’s Ashe, Avery, Henderson and McDowell counties. These tracts add to the conservation value of thousands of acres of adjoining public lands and protect headwater streams providing prime habitat for native brook trout. The five tracts will be protected by Blue Ridge Forever coalition members—Blue Ridge Conservancy, Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy, Conservation Trust for North Carolina,Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina and Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy.
“These lands make-up an important part of the Blue Ridge heritage, and the Acres for America grant will support our collective efforts to protect them for the enjoyment of future generations,” said Ralph Knoll, field representative for The Conservation Fund, also a coalition member.
The grant was secured through a collaborative effort by the Blue Ridge Forever coalition of land trusts, Conservation Trust for North Carolina, The Conservation Fund, and Appalachian Trail Conservancy, with support from Trout Unlimited, Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture and others. Working together they will protect a patchwork of more than 12,000 acres of high priority conservation lands with 36 miles of streams and adjoining hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands.
“It is estimated that America loses nearly three million acres of open space each year,” said Jennifer May-Brust, Walmart vice president of realty supplier management and compliance. “Our strategic partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is helping save important wildlife habitats and fits perfectly with Walmart’s larger goal to bring sustainability into the communities we serve.”
By supporting the conservation of land and wildlife in the Blue Ridge, Walmart and NFWF are also making a sound economic investment in the region. A 2009 study by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission shows mountain trout angling to have a $174 million per year economic input, and directly supported a total of 1,997 jobs in western North Carolina.
Photos courtesy of Greg Hutson.
Acres for America is a 10-year, $35 million commitment that began in 2005 between Walmart and NFWF to purchase and preserve one acre of wildlife habitat in the U.S. for every acre of land developed by the company through 2015. To date, Acres for America has invested in projects in 24 states, protecting more than 687,000 acres. For more information on Acres for America, visit www.nfwf.org or Walmart's website.
Blue Ridge Forever is a collective campaign led by local land trusts and national conservation organizations to engage the public and raise financial resources to safeguard land and water in the Southern Blue Ridge for present and future generations. Blue Ridge Forever’s land trusts members are Blue Ridge Conservancy, Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy, Conservation Trust for North Carolina, Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina, Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust, Land Trust for the Little Tennessee, National Committee for the New River, Pacolet Area Conservancy, and Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy. The Conservation Fund, The Nature Conservancy (NC Chapter), and Trust for Public Land serve an advisory role. www.blueridgeforever.org.
The Conservation Trust for North Carolina promotes, represents, and assists North Carolina’s 23 local land trusts so that they can protect more land in the communities they serve. Land trusts preserve land and water resources to safeguard your way of life. We work in local communities to ensure critical lands are protected for clean drinking water, recreation, tourism, and working farms and forests. www.ctnc.org.
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy mission is to preserve and manage the Appalachian Trail—ensuring that its vast natural beauty and priceless cultural heritage can be shared and enjoyed today, tomorrow, and for centuries to come. www.appalachiantrail.org.
December 1, 2011
Contact:
Carolyn Elmore, Temple-Inland Inc., (512) 434-2567, CarolynElmore@templeinland.com
Ann Barrett, The Conservation Fund, (703) 908-5809, abarrett@conservationfund.org
Austin, Texas — Temple-Inland, in cooperation with The Conservation Fund, has permanently preserved 4,458 acres of vital bottomland hardwood forests along an 16.8 mile stretch of the Neches River known as Boggy Slough. A conservation easement donated by Temple-Inland assures the perpetual stewardship of the exceptional wildlife habitat within the river bottom west of Lufkin, between State Highways 7 and 94.
For decades Boggy Slough has been managed as a wildlife and forest management research and demonstration area. The tract provides ideal habitat for white-tailed deer and eastern turkey as well as numerous ducks, songbirds and fish.
“Temple-Inland has an impressive 110-year history of managing their lands for conservation values and outcomes. The protection of Boggy Slough further demonstrates their commitment to long-term conservation in east Texas—an area that is one of the Fund's top priorities nationwide,” said Andy Jones, Texas director for The Conservation Fund. “This easement is another big step towards the permanent protection of the Neches River and the associated benefits to water quality and wildlife habitat from good land management.”
Over the past seven years, Temple-Inland has helped The Conservation Fund protect over 15,000 acres of forestland in Alabama, Georgia and Texas, linking the Pinhoti Trail to the Appalachian National Scenic Trail and adding vital cypress-tupelo swamps to Big Thicket National Preserve. In addition, the Temple-Inland Foundation has donated more than $15,000 to the Fund to assist with conservation efforts in Texas.
Photo courtesy Jay Brittain / Temple-Inland
Temple-Inland Inc. is a manufacturing company focused on corrugated packaging and building products. The fully integrated corrugated packaging operation consists of 7 mills and 57 converting facilities. The building products operation manufactures a diverse line of building products for new home construction, commercial and repair and remodeling markets. www.templeinland.com
December 1, 2011
Contact:
Ann Barrett, The Conservation Fund, (703) 908-5809, abarrett@conservationfund.org
Caroline County, Va.—This year’s harvest season for the Snead’s Farm in western Caroline County has yielded more than just produce and Christmas trees. The Conservation Fund, Fort A.P. Hill and the Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF) announced today a conservation easement on 290-acres at Emmett Snead III’s pick-your-own style farm. Under this land preservation agreement, Snead will continue to maintain its current use as a working farm while forever protecting this acreage from development detrimental to the health of the nearby Rappahannock River.
Located along scenic U.S. Highway 17, Snead’s Farm and road side stand supports 20 local jobs and offers a variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables, including fresh-picked asparagus, sugar snap peas, grapes, raspberries, blackberries, sweet corn, watermelon, okra, tomatoes, squash and zucchini. Visitors are encouraged to walk around and explore every-day happenings on the farm from the sunflower field to the chicken coop to the pumpkin patch. In the winter, customers go to Snead’s to cut-their-own Christmas trees.
“Generations from now when there are 14 billion people in the world, we believe the highest and best use for this property will be for farming,” owners Emmett and Ellen Snead said.
With technical assistance from The Conservation Fund and VOF, Fort A.P Hill purchased the conservation easement with funding provided by the Department of Defense Army Compatible Use Buffer (ACUB) program. VOF will hold the easement.
Fort A.P. Hill Garrison Commander Lt. Col. John W. Haefner said: “Protecting America’s investment in military readiness by ensuring we can train as we must fight is at the heart of our ACUB effort. We are grateful for neighboring landowners who support our combat training mission and are willing to work with us and our conservation partners to sustain that readiness as well as preserve family farms and open space.”
At nearly 76,000 acres, Fort A.P. Hill is one of the largest military installations on the East Coast, bordering Caroline County—the third fastest growing county in Virginia—and Essex County. The ACUB program allows Fort A.P. Hill to partner with agencies and non-governmental organizations to share the cost of acquiring conservation easements and fee simple purchases from willing landowners whose properties are located within designated ACUB priority areas. In addition to creating a buffer of open space around Fort A.P. Hill, and thereby safeguarding the installation’s training mission, the ACUB program preserves valuable wildlife habitat and sensitive natural, historic and cultural resources.
“VOF is pleased to permanently protect this property, which not only acts as a buffer for Fort A.P. Hill but also provides a farm experience and local produce for the residents of the greater Fredericksburg region,” said Estie Thomas, easement manager in VOF’s Tappahannock office.
“This effort is a great example of modern conservation,” said Reggie Hall, Virginia director for The Conservation Fund. “We are not only protecting wildlife habitat and a popular agritourism business, but we are also helping to ensure that our country’s military warriors will have a place to train as they prepare to defend our nation and fight for freedom. It’s a relationship where everyone wins—the military, the environment and the community.”
Established in 1966, the Virginia Outdoors Foundation protects more than 620,000 acres of natural, scenic, historic, recreational, and open-space lands in the commonwealth for future generations. As the holder or co-holder of the conservation easements acquired through Fort A.P. Hill’s ACUB program, the Virginia Outdoors Foundation provides the commitment to perpetual stewardship essential to the viability and success of the partnership. www.virginiaoutdoorsfoundation.org
November 22, 2011
Contact:
John L. Coleman, Jr., Longs Peak Council, Boy Scouts of America (970) 584-2222, john.coleman@scouting.org
Ann Barrett, The Conservation Fund, (703) 908-5809, abarrett@conservationfund.org
Larimer County, Colo. — The Longs Peak Council of the Boy Scouts of America (LPC) and The Conservation Fund announced today the permanent protection of the Ben Delatour Scout Ranch, a 3,201-acre property located 40 miles northwest of Fort Collins. A conservation easement on the Ranch secures one of the last, large forested properties in the Cache la Poudre watershed and enables the property to continue to serve as an outdoor classroom for children and future forestry leaders.
Thanks to the dedicated support of past and current members of Congress, including Senator Mark Udall, Senator Michael Bennet and former Congresswoman Betsy Markey, $4 million was provided for the purchase of the easement by the federal government through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Legacy Program. In Colorado, the Forest Legacy Grant Program is administered cooperatively by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) to support efforts to protect environmentally sensitive forest lands in the state. Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) provided an additional $1.5 million in Lottery proceeds to complete the purchase.
"I'm proud to see the Forest Legacy Program put into practice for a worthy cause right here in Colorado," Sen. Udall said. "By permanently protecting an important tract of forest habitat, we can also preserve the multiple uses the community derives from it and foster the next generation of stewards for our natural resources."
“The Ben Delatour Scout Ranch is a great example of how local communities and economies can benefit from open space and the protection of the ranch is a credit to the Forest Legacy Program,” said Sen. Bennet. “I applaud the dedication of the Boy Scouts, and I am glad we were successful in working together to make this happen.”
The land preservation agreement between LPC and CSFS forever protects the Ben Delatour Scout Ranch from the threat of development. Negotiated by The Conservation Fund in Boulder, the sale of the conservation easement allows the LPC to continue its valuable programs for youth and forestry professionals and maintain its proactive forestry management practices.
“The conservation easement secures into perpetuity the Ben Delatour Scout Ranch as a fun and challenging outdoor platform for character development and values-based leadership training and protects the Ranch from future commercial development,” stated Frank R. Ramirez, Council President. “The proceeds from the easement will be placed in the Council’s endowment fund as a long-term investment, ensuring that Scouting programs at the Ranch will be available for future generations.”
“The Colorado State Forest Service is extremely pleased to work with the Ben Delatour Scout Ranch to conserve this important property,” said Jeff Jahnke, state forester and director of the Colorado State Forest Service. “The CSFS and the Ranch have had a long-standing working relationship that provides opportunities for students to conduct forestry work and for scouts from all over the world to see the benefits of that work firsthand.”
Established in 1958, the Ben Delatour Scout Ranch is used by boys and girls organizations for a wide variety of programs designed to develop respect for the natural environment and leadership and survival skills that children will carry with them into adulthood. The Ranch serves as a training site for fire fighters and emergency responders from across the state as well as an outdoor classroom for forestry students at Colorado universities.
“At a time when youth camps across the country are being sold, Ben Delatour Scout Ranch will remain available for kids and their families, continuing to fuel the local economy and provide 150 jobs each season,” said Christine Quinlan of The Conservation Fund’s Colorado Office.
The Forest Legacy Program has protected more than 12,000 acres in Colorado since 2000, utilizing $10,546,000 in Forest Legacy funds matched by $9,320,000, primarily from GOCO and landowner donations. Since 1992, the Forest Legacy Program has invested more than $540 million in federal funds across the country to protect 2.2 million acres valued at more than $1 billion.
“Conserving open space, encouraging forest stewardship, training future natural conservation managers, and protecting critical wildlife habitat are just a few of the benefits the Ben Delatour Scout Ranch will continue to provide,” said Glenn Casamassa, Forest Supervisor at Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forest and Pawnee National Grassland. “The U.S. Forest Service is proud to help secure this land and play a role in managing the cross-boundary landscape for generations to come.”
Photos: Dr. Terry Dunn (top & bottom); courtesy Ben Delatour Scout Ranch (middle & homepage).
The Longs Peak Council is one of the leading youth serving organizations in the area, and the Boy Scouts of America continues to be the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training program, serving 3 million youth. Scouting’s programs and outdoor adventures prepare young people for a lifetime of character and leadership. The Longs Peak Council, Boy Scouts of America currently serves approximately 11,000 young men and women in northern Colorado, southeast Wyoming and southwest Nebraska. To learn more about the Longs Peak Council, Boy Scouts of America: www.longspeakbsa.org.
Funded through the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the USDA Forest Service’s Forest Legacy Program supports voluntary partnerships between states, forest landowners, conservation organizations and others to help conserve environmentally important forests from conversion to nonforest uses. The main tool used for protecting these important forests is conservation easements to provide for jobs, water quality, wildlife, recreation and a host of other public benefits.
Great Outdoors Colorado was created in 1992 thanks to the passage of a citizen initiative aimed to help preserve, protect, enhance and manage the state’s wildlife, park, river, trail and open space heritage. GOCO receives up to one-half of Colorado Lottery proceeds to award grants to local governments and land trusts and make investments through Colorado Parks & Wildlife. www.goco.org.
This position is located in our Caspar, CA office.
The Conservation Fund is seeking a Forester / Forest Technician to provide field support for our North Coast Forest Conservation Program in Mendocino County, California. The position will work on all of the Fund’s North Coast properties to aid in forest inventories, Timber Harvest Plan preparation (including watercourse classification and timber marking), watershed restoration projects, community outreach, and wildlife and botanical assessments. It is desired that the candidate, with the training and experience gained through this work, will have the potential to take on more direct land management responsibilities, such as Timber Harvest Plan drafting and oversight of contractors.
The Conservation Fund’s North Coast Forest Conservation Initiative was launched in 2004 with the acquisition of the 24,000-acre Garcia River Forest, followed two years later with the addition of 16,000 acres in the Big River and Salmon Creek watersheds. By acquiring these properties, the Fund seeks to demonstrate that large tracts of intensively managed coastal forest can gradually be returned to sustainable timber production and ecological vitality through the use of innovative financing and patient management by a nonprofit organization in partnership with private and public agencies and community stakeholders. Management plans for these properties, along with other reference documents, can be found on the North Coast webpage.
The qualified candidate will have a valid California driver’s license and safe driving record, as well as good communication and organizational skills. Should be a hard worker with previous experience providing field forestry services, or related work, in a safe and reliable manner. Should be familiar with California forest practice regulations and have a desire to work as a member of a multi-disciplinary team dedicated to sustainable forestry. Must be capable of safely traveling to and from remote field sites and performing physical work in various weather conditions and on difficult and hazardous terrain.
Fluency in Spanish desired but not required. Degree in forest management or a related field is expected. Women, minorities and veterans are especially encouraged to apply.
The Conservation Fund offers a complete benefits package including health insurance, life insurance, retirement, paid vacation and continuing education opportunities.
Qualified/interested candidates should send their resume and cover letter with salary requirements to:
The Conservation Fund
Attention: Human Resources
1655 N Ft Myer Drive Suite 1300
Arlington, VA 22209
E-mail: careers@conservationfund.org
Fax: (703) 525-4610
The Conservation Fund is an Equal Opportunity Employer
November 15, 2011
Contact:
Ann Barrett, The Conservation Fund, (703) 908-5809, abarrett@conservationfund.org
Patrick Higgins, YSI, (937) 767-7241 x521
Shepherdstown, West Va. — The Conservation Fund’s Freshwater Institute is benefiting from a donation of technology and expertise from YSI, a developer and manufacturer of water quality monitoring and testing equipment. Freshwater is using the donation to grow healthily populations of salmon and trout on land.
“We have to keep finding new ways to increase the supply of healthy seafood,” said Joe Hankins, vice president at The Conservation Fund. “Because we continuously filter and clean the water in our tanks, our fish are healthy, and we’ve never had to use antibiotics, pesticides or other treatments to keep them that way. With the new water quality monitoring equipment and control expertise from YSI, we are assuring the best viable alternative to open-water fish farms and protecting wild stocks of salmon and trout.”
“YSI is proud to work in conjunction with quality organizations committed to the environment,” said Tim Grooms, product manager. “Working closely with the Freshwater Institute to continuously provide water quality information in their closed containment aquaculture systems is vital to conserving our most precious resource—water. In addition, placing these systems close to the markets they are intended to serve further reduces consumption of resources and reduces the dependence of extra treatments on their livestock.”
Fish have long been a major part of the world’s diet—and pressures on wild fish have steadily increased. Driving this push to harvest the seas is a steady increase in the number of people worldwide and an even sharper increase in our appetite for fish—up 70 percent annually over the past 50 years.
Today, the aquaculture industry is growing faster than any other sector of food production. More than half of the world’s fish and shellfish are farmed—and the US alone imports 85% of its seafood from farmed sources. Finding cleaner, healthier, and more economical ways to grow fish on land without depleting natural fish stocks or polluting our oceans is a key mission of The Conservation Fund’s Freshwater Institute.
“The time has come to chart a new path forward, with cleaner, healthier and less polluting ways to grow fish on land,” added Hankins. “That is what we’re doing at our Freshwater Institute with the support of YSI.”
Photo: Glynnis McPhee/The Conservation Fund
We work with professionals to develop water monitoring solutions for our planet’s natural resources. Our instruments, software, and data collection platforms are focused on environmental monitoring and testing. The integrated systems we deliver to our customers help them to obtain critical data about the quality of water.
November 4, 2011
Contact:
Ann Barrett, The Conservation Fund, (703) 908-5809, abarrett@conservationfund.org
Pinedale, Wyo. — Today, The Conservation Fund announced the permanent protection of 1,000 acres along the Path of the Pronghorn—the longest land mammal migration route in the continental United States. A conservation easement will secure the natural resources and habitats on Carney Ranch Company lands within the Pronghorn Funnel Migration Bottleneck at the head of the Upper Green River Valley.
Located amidst some of the most ecologically important lands in the southern part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the conserved properties will successfully link significant wildlife habitat between the Bridger-Teton National Forest and other privately protected areas while continuing to be used as working ranchlands. Featuring a variety of habitat including 25 glacial-pothole wetland ponds and more than two miles of frontage on the Green River, the lands provide ideal seasonal habitat for elk, moose, mule deer, Greater Sage-grouse and trumpeter swan.
“This project provides a key link for wildlife and creates a 6,000-acre contiguous block of privately-conserved lands,” said Luke Lynch, Wyoming state director for The Conservation Fund. “We’re thankful for the broad suite of supporters who made this possible, helping to ensure that one of the most sensitive migratory bottlenecks along this significant migration route will be protected from development and habitat fragmentation.”
“Our family has watched the pressures of civilization impact this valley since 1963,” said John Carney, president of Carney Ranch Company. “The persistent effort of The Conservation Fund has helped our large extended family to realize my parents’ dream to preserve this beautiful place. We are grateful to be able to leave this ranch as part of our legacy for the future.”
The Conservation Fund purchased the easement with support from the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP), a federal program managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) that provides matching funds for the purchase of agricultural easements on land. The matched funds were strategically provided by Jonah Interagency Office the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust and the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, through a grant from the Turner Foundation. The landowners also made a significant donation to this project.
“Conservation easements like this keep ranchers in Wyoming working on their properties, maintaining the economic viability of these lands while securing critical habitat for iconic western species like Greater Sage-grouse,” said Xavier Montoya, State Conservationist for Wyoming with the NRCS.
“The pronghorn have traveled through this corridor for at least 6,000 years, and this conservation achievement will make sure that they are able to do so into the foreseeable future,” said Eric G. Decker, project coordinator for Jonah and Pinedale Anticline Interagency Office. “We appreciate the opportunity to participate in this effort and are dedicated to insuring improvements to wildlife habitat with the Wyoming Game & Fish Department.”
Carney Ranch covers a large portion of one of only three bottlenecks along the 200-mile route stretching from Grand Teton National Park in northwest Wyoming to the Rock Springs area in southwest Wyoming. It is the only bottleneck to occur on private land. Protecting Carney Ranch has been a high priority for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, as it provides habitat for 75 Species of Greatest Conservation Need—one of the highest counts ever recorded in the state.
The Conservation Fund and a host of partners launched an initiative in 2008 to conserve and enhance key wildlife habitat and agricultural lands in Wyoming’s Green River Valley. To date, The Conservation Fund has worked with numerous public and private partners to conserve and enhance over 13,000 acres of private land and enhance over 90,000 acres of public lands in the Green River Valley.
October 31, 2011
Contact:
Susan Sullam, office of Senator Cardin, 410-962-4436
or 410-960-2440 (cell)
Ann Barrett, The Conservation Fund, (703) 908-5809; abarrett@conservationfund.org
Vienna, MD — U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) today announced a major expansion of the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) with the purchase of the 825-acre Tideland parcel along the Nanticoke River. The acquisition is the first purchase of land within the Nanticoke Unit of the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge’s boundary and conserves two tracts of land, one along a section of the Nanticoke River near Vienna, MD and another to the north on the Marshyhope Creek near Brookview, MD.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) had identified the land as prime habitat for migratory waterfowl such as black ducks, blue winged-teal, wood ducks and others as well as bald eagles, and possibly habitat for the recovering Delmarva fox squirrel. The southern parcel is located along the Nanticoke section of the Capt. John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail. Its acquisition creates opportunity for the protection of approximately one mile of river frontage along the trail.
The USFWS used $1.4 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund to purchase the property from The Conservation Fund, which had negotiated purchase of the land from Tideland Ltd. The Chesapeake Conservancy served as a conservation catalyst by highlighting the benefits of the acquisition and advocating for the funding with the USFWS and Congress.
“The Blackwater Refuge is one of Maryland’s most important natural resources, and one of my top priorities is to preserve and protect its unique ecology and wildlife habitat,” said Senator Cardin, a member of the Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee. The Senator has long supported Blackwater NWR and recently helped secure funding for a tract of land on the refuge’s southwestern edge.
“The addition of the Tideland parcel conserves habitat for bald eagles, black ducks and other species dependent on healthy wetlands. This acquisition will also play an important role in protecting the historic landscapes associated with the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, and provide an important economic benefit to the economy of Dorchester County by attracting tourists to the heart of Chesapeake country and creating jobs for residents,” added Senator Cardin.
Blackwater NWR, located in Dorchester County, is one of our nation’s premier national wildlife refuges. It consists of more than 27,000 acres that include one-third of Maryland’s tidal wetlands and some of the most ecologically important areas of our State. The USFWS has been working for many years with partners such as the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, The Nature Conservancy and others to conserve important fish and wildlife habitat along the Nanticoke River. As part of this partnership effort to protect migrating and resident wildlife, the USFWS created the Nanticoke Unit, which follows a portion of the river corridor.
As one of Dorchester County’s outdoor tourist destinations — which together support over 600 jobs and approximately $6 million in state and local tax revenues – Blackwater NWR offers a variety of wildlife dependent recreational opportunities including hiking and paddling trails, wildlife observation, educational programs and hunting, fishing and crabbing opportunities.
Since 2008, Senators Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski have worked to appropriate $4.8 million for land acquisition at Blackwater NWR. Acting within the boundaries of its Comprehensive Conservation Plan, the USFWS has used this funding to purchase critically important parcels containing vital habitat for waterfowl and other species from willing landowners.
“After years of planning and working with a variety of partners we are excited to announce our first purchase of land within the Nanticoke Unit,” said Suzanne Baird, Refuge Manager of Blackwater NWR. “We look forward to working further with our partners and hope to provide rich opportunities for public use and programming to share the unique ecological, cultural and historical aspects of this special place,” she added.
“We are grateful that Senator Cardin and Senator Mikulski secured the funding needed to protect this historically and ecologically important property. Their leadership will allow future generations to experience the landscape and wildlife that Captain John Smith saw as he explored the Nanticoke and met with the American Indians over 400 years ago,” stated Patrick Noonan, Chairman Emeritus of The Conservation Fund. The Conservation Fund has worked with landowners and federal, state, and non-profit partners to protect nearly 9,000 acres at Blackwater NWR since 1990.
Joel Dunn, Executive Director of the Chesapeake Conservancy, said that conserving this land would enhance the experience of travelers along the Capt. John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail. “Protecting the Nanticoke River corridor will encourage more heritage tourism and attract more visitors to the water trail, which is important for the local economy,” he said.
Congress created the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail in 2006, the USFWS and the National Park Service have worked together to implement the Trail. While the National Park Service has the lead role in developing the trail, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service holds land that borders the trail on the Nanticoke, Chester, and Susquehanna Rivers in Maryland.
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