TheResource. planned giving SUPPORTING THE LAND CONSERVANCY THROUGH PLANNED GIVING: LARRY AND SHEILA DRAKE

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1 Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID W E S T E R N N E W YO R K East Aurora, NY Permit No. 36 LAND CONSERVANCY P.O. Box 471 East Aurora, NY CURRENT RESIDENT OR TheResource W E S T E R N N E W YO R K LAND CONSERVANCY the newsletter of the western new york land conservancy land project updates Fall 2013 THE STELLA NIAGARA PRESERVE: A MODEL FOR THE NIAGARA RIVER GREENWAY planned giving SUPPORTING THE LAND CONSERVANCY THROUGH PLANNED GIVING: LARRY AND SHEILA DRAKE Every so often we have an opportunity to impact the future of where we live. Right now, with millions of dollars of funding available from the NYPA relicensing agreement, we all have a chance to help create the Niagara River Greenway, the Olmsted-inspired necklace of protected and publicly accessible open spaces along the length of the Niagara River, one of the world s most important natural places. This spring we began a Greenway project that is our most ambitious and high profile project ever: the Stella Niagara Preserve. The preserve property is currently owned by the Sisters of Saint Francis and is located on Lower River Road across from the Stella Niagara Education Park in Lewiston. With 29 acres and over a quarter mile of shoreline, the property is one of the largest undeveloped privately owned properties along the Niagara River. I encourage any business owner nearing retirement to consider planned giving to their favorite organizations. What we did was straightforward and accomplished both our own financial goals and will help support our community s most important work far into the future.. The property is incredibly ecologically and culturally important. It has a variety of habitats including a wide riparian zone. It supports rare, threatened and endangered species, protects off-shore freshwater fish habitat, and is part of the internationally designated, globally significant Niagara River Important Bird Area. The property is a nationally designated Peace Site, part of the Niagara County Historic Trail, an historic canoe landing site for the Haudenosaunee people, and the very spot where the British landed in 1813 to capture Fort Niagara. It is home to a small chapel that was in the national spotlight in 1955 when it miraculously survived a flood that destroyed many other properties. The site is also ideal for public access. The property s gentle slope down to the river makes it one of the few natural landing sites on the Lower Niagara. The off-shore Stella Drift creates ideal conditions for fishing, and the view from the road overlooking the property is breathtaking. Because of the size and location of the property, creating the preserve will cost more than $3 million. Fortunately we have already received commitments of approximately $2.3 million, including two grants from the Niagara Relicensing/ Greenway Ecological Standing Committee the largest two grants ever awarded to a Land Conservancy project and an important seed grant from the Hahn Family Foundation. Once acquired, we plan to develop a trail system, provide new fishing, canoe and kayak access, provide interpretive and wayfinding signage, enhance 18 acres of grassland and savannah habitat, offer public programming, and carefully steward the property. The preserve will be a model for creating great new public spaces along the Greenway without burdening local government with increased costs. It will be the first nature preserve along the river to be owned and operated by a not-for-profit and it could be the first property acquisition funded by the Niagara River Greenway. For the Land Conservancy, the Stella Niagara Preserve is our opportunity to make a significant impact on the future of the region.

2 2 Nancy Smith CHANGE IS UNDERWAY Last summer we received a call from farmer and retired Eden Town Supervisor, Bill Feasley. The time had come for him to sell his last remaining farmland and he wondered if it would be possible to ensure that his farm remained in agriculture - forever. This call is the perfect example of a massive transition that is underway across our region and the nation. As baby boomers approach their later years we are about to experience the largest intergenerational land transfer in our nation s history. With rising estate tax costs and the high cost of property taxes, many family farms and forests will become fragmented as they pass from the current generation to the next. The Land Conservancy can play a pivotal role in safeguarding the legacy of these lands. Last winter the Land Conservancy office received five calls in a single day just like the call from Bill Feasley with a simple but urgent question, Can you help us save our land? As of October we have received 34 similar calls this year. With the help of federal grant funds, support from the Town of Eden and private donors, the Feasley s Eden farm is secure. Plans are underway to create a municipal program, modeled after the Land Conservancy s programs in Clarence and Aurora, to proactively identify and preserve additional farmland in Eden. Responding to five calls a day means we must be vigorous and unrelenting in our search for the funds needed to complete projects. In 2013 we have secured over $2.3 million to create the Stella Niagara Preserve, our organization s most ambitious project to date. The Mill Road Scenic Overlook project in Aurora is a similar story of a transition of land owned by a family for over 180 years. With broad community support and the largest single individual donation in Land Conservancy history, the scenic and ecologically important property is on track to become a permanently preserved community asset by year s end. At the level of individual properties and across our region, a robust response is called for. At the Land Conservancy we are, All Hands on Deck. Nancy Smith, Executive Director NIAGARA ESCARPMENT INVENTORY PROJECT IS NEARLY COMPLETE The Niagara Escarpment Inventory Project funded by a $316,673 grant from the Niagara Greenway Ecological Standing Committee is nearly complete. Ecology & Environment, Inc., with support from members of the Niagara Frontier Botanical Society, conducted field studies of the flora and fauna on 23 sites along the escarpment this spring and summer. The results were presented to stakeholders on September 25 at the Stella Niagara Center of Renewal conference center in Lewiston. Discussion at the stakeholder meeting in September. So what have we discovered? Like many others, we knew all along that the escarpment was a special place, both culturally and environmentally. But now we have some evidence to support that and strategies to protect the most important places. Despite centuries of human use, and in many cases overuse, our studies have shown the escarpment to be resilient. We found: high ecological diversity; important species of rare and protected plants and animals, like a plant called the yellow giant hyssop and birds like the Cooper s hawk, vesper sparrow and the grasshopper sparrow; unexpected and locally rare ecological communities like talus cave and alvar woodland; Stakeholders considering the future of the escarpment. and important cultural features including places sacred to the Haudenosaunee people, sites related to the building of the Erie Canal, and witness trees that are old enough to have seen the War of 1812 and other important historical events that define our region. We have confirmed that the Niagara Escarpment is important and resilient. But it is also vulnerable. We have identified five properties that are candidates for preservation. At least two of these may be sold in the short term unless we are able to secure funding for their preservation. Our hope is that we will be reporting back to you with new conservation success stories from the Niagara Escarpment soon. We will host an event in the spring to celebrate the public release of the study that will also be available on our website,

3 updates MILL ROAD SCENIC OVERLOOK This summer was a pivotal time for the Mill Road Scenic Overlook. We received two gifts for a total of $150,000 towards the project, including $100,000 from Scott Bieler and Kathy Lasher and $50,000 from Gerhard and Ellen Neumaier, all Aurora residents. The $150,000 in contributions are matching gifts so they will be added to the campaign total as additional matching gifts are received from other members of the community. INTERVIEW WITH A PROPERTY OWNER: RACHEL WALKER In 2012, the Land Conservancy finalized a conservation easement on a 56-acre property in the Town of Royalton in Niagara County. The property, known as the Walker Farm, includes 38 acres of mature forest, 20 acres of wetlands, and a half-mile of streams that flow into the East Branch of Eighteen Mile Creek. The property also contains many acres of productive agricultural land. It was the first conservation easement for the Land Conservancy in Royalton. Below is a brief interview with the property owner, Rachel Walker. What makes your property special? The property has such a great variety of plants and animals. Woods with beautiful trees, meadows with flowers and crops, and a stream with a foot bridge. You can see turkey, deer, foxes, and other birds. It has hay and corn that we feed cows, and the cows put milk and meat on our tables. Why did a conservation easement with the Land Conservancy make sense? The farm has been in our family for three generations. The many people that make up the Walker family appreciate knowing that this part of the family farm will remain green forever. They know they can visit the farm and it will be the same as it was before. Birdwatchers hike the property. The total dollar amount needed to preserve the 60 acres on Mill Road in East Aurora, create a scenic overlook for public access and place a conservation easement on the property is $650,000. Our deadline for raising all of the money is December 31 of this year. We are applying for grants from local foundations and New York State Parks and asking for additional private donations. What are your future plans for the property? I want to maintain the property as it is, while fixing our trails and growing more organic food for ourselves and for others. gifts support events RECAP OF 2013'S EXCITING EVENTS Each year we hold a series of events to celebrate our accomplishments, engage our members, and encourage people of all ages to see our preserves. In 2013, we held a few of our most successful events yet! THE ANNUAL MEETING: We held our 22nd Annual Membership CELEBRATIONS: On July 28, we celebrated our newest nature preserve: Bryant Hill in Cattaraugus County near Ellicottville. The 111acre property, donated by Marilyn Reeves, includes forested hills, open meadows, and a small cabin overlooking a pond, making it the Land Conservancy s very own "Walden Pond". Meeting and Reception on Friday, June 7, at the Main House on the grounds of the beautiful Knox Farm State Park in East Aurora. With over 150 people from throughout Western New York attending, it was one of the most successful events in the history of the Land Conservancy! From ticket sales, a silent auction, and business sponsors, we raised more money than we ever have at an annual meeting. Thanks to Chuck Rosenburg s skills, an Eastern Screech Owl was spotted on the owl prowl after the meeting. NATURE HIKES: This spring, we held two hikes at the Niagara Escarp- ment Preserve in Lockport. The first was a birdwatching hike on April 27 and the second was a wildflower hike on May 5. Greg Coniglio and Mike Morgante, two expert birdwatchers, led the first hike. Participants were able to see great birds including a group of very rare evening grosbeaks. Botanist Jason Sorens led the second hike and participants saw spring ephemerals including white and red trillium, jack-in-the-pulpit, and blue cohosh. Combined, more than 60 people attend the two hikes. Later in the summer we held two hikes on August 24 at the Kenneglenn Nature Preserve in Wales. The first was led by Stan Radon, an engineering geologist and educator, and the second was led by our own staff. Participants walked right through Hunter's Creek and the stunning gorge at the preserve. With over 70 people, this was by far the most well-attended day of hiking that the Land Conservancy has ever hosted. HONORARY GIFTS from Joe and Val Blind in honor of Fr. Bob Wardenski Bryant Hill Celebration GARLIC MUSTARD CHALLENGE: With our friends at Reinstein Woods and the Buffalo Audubon Society, the Land Conservancy participated in this year s Garlic Mustard Challenge. Teams competed against one another to see who could pull the most garlic mustard, a rapidly invading plant that pushes out essential native plants and destroys natural habitat. The Land Conservancy coordinated teams at the Kenneglenn Nature Preserve and the Lewiston Plateau. The winning team from each site received $200 plus an overnight stay at the cabin at Beaver Meadow Audubon Center, and the second place team at each site received $50. At Kenneglenn, the winning team was the Aurora Women s Club with pounds, followed by the second place Bank of America team with 84 pounds. At the Lewiston Plateau, this year s winning team was Mustard Catch-Up, pulling 901 pounds of garlic mustard, the most by any team in the competition, followed by Pants In Socks with 309 pounds. Title of Challenge Champion the site with the most garlic mustard pulled was given to the Lewiston Plateau whose combined garlic mustard weighed a whopping 1,449.5 pounds! MEMORIAL GIFTS Visitors exploring the wet meadow at the base of the hill. Since the challenge gifts were announced, we have received a $50,000 contribution from a private donor, a $15,000 contribution from a second donor and a $20,000 grant from the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. The Community Foundation will be recognized with a bench at the overlook site. The project still has one remaining bench available as a naming opportunity at the $20,000 level. To finish the project by year s end we still need $141,000. Please help us close this gap! To make a contribution that will be matched dollar for dollar by the challenge gifts or for more information, please visit or contact Nancy Smith at or nancyrs@wnylc.org or Kathy Lasher at or klasher@buffalo.com. 6 from Karen Young in memory of Gary Dulski from Dorothy Westhafer in memory of Alice Joanne Holloway from Arlene Hibschweler in memory of Warren & Cecelia Hibschweler from Harry & Donna Black in memory of Mary E. Partridge from Margaret Hargraves in memory of Sam & Trudy Magavern from Frances Olans in memory of Ruth Scott from Rita Hammond in memory of Henry Even ` Kenneglenn hike The Bank of America team shows off at Kenneglenn. EVENTS IN 2014 We are already planning a series of events for next year. The schedule of those events will be published in the spring 2014 The Resource newsletter, and through our regular E-Newsletters. Remember, our members and donors are the first to hear about our events and can be the first to sign up! 3

4 protecting WORKING FARMLAND AND FARM SUPPORT LANDS Western New York farms are vital to New York s status as one of the largest producers of fruits, berries, wine, vegetables, and potted plants in the nation. This status is seriously threatened by unplanned development. Between 1970 and 2007, Western New York lost about a quarter of its farmland (Source: One Region Forward). Safeguarding what remains is a Land Conservancy priority. This means protecting not only working farmland, but also nearby inactive farms that are reverting to their natural state. These former farms support working farms by providing critical habitat for native pollinators. Mounting evidence suggests that the greater the distance between farm and natural lands, the less productive the farmland tends to be because pollination is reduced. One study concluded that native bee visits declined by 27% and fruit set decreased by 16% when fields were more than half a mile from natural land. The Land Conservancy is currently working to protect two farms in two different agricultural districts. Permanently stitching together the patchwork of working and former farmland with conservation easements will help ensure that Western New York s last crop isn t concrete. Eden Head south on Route 62 from the Town of Hamburg to see what committed citizens, excellent soil and a lake plain climate can produce the thriving Eden agricultural district. The district, dotted with dairy barns, vegetable fields, and forested areas, is home to multiple multigenerational farms. One of these is owned by Frank and Linda Meyer. Last year the Land Conservancy placed a conservation easement on the nearby historic Surgenor dairy farm with funding from the Federal Farm and Frank Meyer with standing corn, August 2008 Ranch Land Protection program. This year it will be the 90-acre Meyer Farm. Once completed, the conservation easement will ensure that the Meyer Farm remains an integral part of a strong, vibrant farming community into the next century and beyond. Clarence-Newstead Located at the southern edge of the Clarence-Newstead agricultural district, the 41-acre Mosher property likely became a farm in the 1830s. In 1955, John Mosher purchased the land. He ran a dairy farm there until health concerns forced him to retire from farming, but not to retire the farmland. He leased it to neighboring farmers until 2009 when it was purchased for the Greenprint program, the Town of Clarence s $12.5 million bonded effort to conserve farmland and natural areas. Today, the small leased field on the former Mosher farm is surrounded by a mixture of forest and meadows where visitors can hear the song of a meadowlark, the jackhammer of a pileated woodpecker, and the buzz of bees. The Land Conservancy will be placing a conservation easement on the property soon. mission The Western New York Land Conservancy is a regional, not-for-profit land trust that permanently protects land with significant conservation value in Western New York, for the benefit of future generations. We envision a future in which natural areas, working farm lands, wildlife habitat and scenic beauty are cherished and protected as part of the landscape and character of Western New York. The organization is one of 1,700 land trusts nationwide, including 90 in New York State, which have protected 40 million acres over the last 20 years. Board of Directors William Broderick, President Paul Lehman, Vice President Lisa Casey, Secretary Kathryn Lasher, Treasurer Michael Alspaugh Larry Brooks Deborah Fenn David Hahn-Baker Jessica Owley Rick Vilonen Margaret Wooster Emeritus Board David Floyd Patricia Szarpa Lyle Toohey Executive Director Nancy Smith Stewardship Manager Kathleen McCormick Development Coordinator Jajean Rose-Burney Office Manager Liz Birardi Accreditation Coordinator Ana Hernandez-Balzac Phone: info@wnylc.org Web site: The Mosher Farm. (photo by Jody Celeste) 4

5 the rally!ts LARRY BROOKS, A BOARD MEMBER, ATTENDS RALLY IN NEW ORLEANS Every year the Land Trust Alliance (LTA), a national organization of which the Western New York Land Conservancy is a member, holds a national convention called Rally. This September it was held in New Orleans. I was pleased to be part of the 4-person contingent from the Land Conservancy. Approximately 1,500 attended from around the country and even Mexico and Canada. The main activities include workshops, seminars, and field trips. There were also business meetings for the LTA and several receptions focusing on specific themes. NEW BOARD MEMBERS JESSICA OWLEY: Jessica teaches environmental law, property and land conservation at the SUNY Buffalo Law School. She joined their faculty in 2010 after serving as an assistant professor at Pace Law School. She received her Ph.D. in environmental science, policy and management from the University of California- Berkeley in 2005, shortly after completing her J.D. at Berkeley Law School in Before entering academia, Jessica practiced in the Land Use and Environment Law group at Morrison & Foerster in San Francisco. Prior to private practice, Jessica clerked for Hon. Harry Pregerson of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and Hon. Dean D. Pregerson of the Central District of California. Jessica is a member of the California bar and admitted to practice in the Northern, Southern and Eastern districts of California and the Ninth Circuit. Jessica's teaching interests are in the areas of property, environmental law, administrative law and Indian law. Though her general research is on land conservation and property rights, her current scholarship focuses on using property tools for conservation in the context of climate change. Abita Creek Flatwoods Preserve was featured on one of the field trips. The workshops I attended were presented by an outstanding faculty of practitioners who have accomplished a great deal in conservation. For instance, one workshop was on impact investing, a relatively new investment sector. The impressive presenters started successful investment funds that conserve and restore land while returning market rate capital appreciation and dividends. In another workshop, an economist from the LTA talked about the economic benefits of conservation how they could be quantified and communicated to a variety of audiences. This economist was contracted by the New York State Environmental Protection Fund to do a return on investment analysis and concluded that for every dollar spent on land conservation in New York State, there is a return of seven dollars in economic benefits. I also attended a seminar on advocating for conservation. One of the most important things they taught us was to dispel the myth that lobbying our elected representatives jeopardizes our tax-exempt status. Indeed, they encouraged us to establish relationships with our elected representatives as, it was put in one workshop, decisions are made by the people in the room. During the seminar we had a live call to a legislative aide in Washington to show us how easy it is to reach the offices of our electeds and how willing they are to listen to their constituents. I also attended a couple of workshops on board development as the Land Conservancy s board has openings for, and would be happy to welcome, citizens who would commit to working with us. Throughout the conference I met wonderful people from around the country who are dedicated to the cause of land conservation. It was heartwarming and encouraging to hear stories of success in all parts of the country and major victories for land conservation. While much has been accomplished, much remains to be done and my attendance at this conference renewed my commitment to the work of the Western New York Land Conservancy. Sincerely, Larry Brooks DEBORAH FENN: Deborah retired in June from West Valley Central School where, for the past 11 years, she taught high school global studies, sociology, U.S. history and English. Prior to her teaching career, Deborah was a public relations and marketing practitioner, working as the director of marketing and communications for ElderWood Affiliates, the director of corporate communications for Community-General Hospital (Syracuse), and the director of public relations for Millard Fillmore Hospitals. A graduate of Boston University (BA) and Syracuse University s Newhouse School of Communications (MS), Deborah began her career in New York City s entertainment industry, representing a variety of noted jazz and pop musicians as well as television, film and recording artists and companies. She is a long-time supporter of the Nature Conservancy and the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. She is vice president of Erie-Cattaraugus Rail Trail, an organization working to acquire the right-of-way on the former 27-mile Buffalo-Pittsburgh rail corridor connecting the communities of Orchard Park, West Falls, Colden, Concord, Springville and Ashford. The goal is to convert the corridor to a multi-use recreational trail to benefit the physical and economic health of these communities. LIVE UNITED Remember us through United Way as well! Through United Way you can list the Western New York Land Conservancy as the recipient of your tax-deductible donation! More information available at 5

6 updates MILL ROAD SCENIC OVERLOOK This summer was a pivotal time for the Mill Road Scenic Overlook. We received two gifts for a total of $150,000 towards the project, including $100,000 from Scott Bieler and Kathy Lasher and $50,000 from Gerhard and Ellen Neumaier, all Aurora residents. The $150,000 in contributions are matching gifts so they will be added to the campaign total as additional matching gifts are received from other members of the community. INTERVIEW WITH A PROPERTY OWNER: RACHEL WALKER In 2012, the Land Conservancy finalized a conservation easement on a 56-acre property in the Town of Royalton in Niagara County. The property, known as the Walker Farm, includes 38 acres of mature forest, 20 acres of wetlands, and a half-mile of streams that flow into the East Branch of Eighteen Mile Creek. The property also contains many acres of productive agricultural land. It was the first conservation easement for the Land Conservancy in Royalton. Below is a brief interview with the property owner, Rachel Walker. What makes your property special? The property has such a great variety of plants and animals. Woods with beautiful trees, meadows with flowers and crops, and a stream with a foot bridge. You can see turkey, deer, foxes, and other birds. It has hay and corn that we feed cows, and the cows put milk and meat on our tables. Why did a conservation easement with the Land Conservancy make sense? The farm has been in our family for three generations. The many people that make up the Walker family appreciate knowing that this part of the family farm will remain green forever. They know they can visit the farm and it will be the same as it was before. Birdwatchers hike the property. The total dollar amount needed to preserve the 60 acres on Mill Road in East Aurora, create a scenic overlook for public access and place a conservation easement on the property is $650,000. Our deadline for raising all of the money is December 31 of this year. We are applying for grants from local foundations and New York State Parks and asking for additional private donations. What are your future plans for the property? I want to maintain the property as it is, while fixing our trails and growing more organic food for ourselves and for others. gifts support events RECAP OF 2013'S EXCITING EVENTS Each year we hold a series of events to celebrate our accomplishments, engage our members, and encourage people of all ages to see our preserves. In 2013, we held a few of our most successful events yet! THE ANNUAL MEETING: We held our 22nd Annual Membership CELEBRATIONS: On July 28, we celebrated our newest nature preserve: Bryant Hill in Cattaraugus County near Ellicottville. The 111acre property, donated by Marilyn Reeves, includes forested hills, open meadows, and a small cabin overlooking a pond, making it the Land Conservancy s very own "Walden Pond". Meeting and Reception on Friday, June 7, at the Main House on the grounds of the beautiful Knox Farm State Park in East Aurora. With over 150 people from throughout Western New York attending, it was one of the most successful events in the history of the Land Conservancy! From ticket sales, a silent auction, and business sponsors, we raised more money than we ever have at an annual meeting. Thanks to Chuck Rosenburg s skills, an Eastern Screech Owl was spotted on the owl prowl after the meeting. NATURE HIKES: This spring, we held two hikes at the Niagara Escarp- ment Preserve in Lockport. The first was a birdwatching hike on April 27 and the second was a wildflower hike on May 5. Greg Coniglio and Mike Morgante, two expert birdwatchers, led the first hike. Participants were able to see great birds including a group of very rare evening grosbeaks. Botanist Jason Sorens led the second hike and participants saw spring ephemerals including white and red trillium, jack-in-the-pulpit, and blue cohosh. Combined, more than 60 people attend the two hikes. Later in the summer we held two hikes on August 24 at the Kenneglenn Nature Preserve in Wales. The first was led by Stan Radon, an engineering geologist and educator, and the second was led by our own staff. Participants walked right through Hunter's Creek and the stunning gorge at the preserve. With over 70 people, this was by far the most well-attended day of hiking that the Land Conservancy has ever hosted. HONORARY GIFTS from Joe and Val Blind in honor of Fr. Bob Wardenski Bryant Hill Celebration GARLIC MUSTARD CHALLENGE: With our friends at Reinstein Woods and the Buffalo Audubon Society, the Land Conservancy participated in this year s Garlic Mustard Challenge. Teams competed against one another to see who could pull the most garlic mustard, a rapidly invading plant that pushes out essential native plants and destroys natural habitat. The Land Conservancy coordinated teams at the Kenneglenn Nature Preserve and the Lewiston Plateau. The winning team from each site received $200 plus an overnight stay at the cabin at Beaver Meadow Audubon Center, and the second place team at each site received $50. At Kenneglenn, the winning team was the Aurora Women s Club with pounds, followed by the second place Bank of America team with 84 pounds. At the Lewiston Plateau, this year s winning team was Mustard Catch-Up, pulling 901 pounds of garlic mustard, the most by any team in the competition, followed by Pants In Socks with 309 pounds. Title of Challenge Champion the site with the most garlic mustard pulled was given to the Lewiston Plateau whose combined garlic mustard weighed a whopping 1,449.5 pounds! MEMORIAL GIFTS Visitors exploring the wet meadow at the base of the hill. Since the challenge gifts were announced, we have received a $50,000 contribution from a private donor, a $15,000 contribution from a second donor and a $20,000 grant from the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. The Community Foundation will be recognized with a bench at the overlook site. The project still has one remaining bench available as a naming opportunity at the $20,000 level. To finish the project by year s end we still need $141,000. Please help us close this gap! To make a contribution that will be matched dollar for dollar by the challenge gifts or for more information, please visit or contact Nancy Smith at or nancyrs@wnylc.org or Kathy Lasher at or klasher@buffalo.com. 6 from Karen Young in memory of Gary Dulski from Dorothy Westhafer in memory of Alice Joanne Holloway from Arlene Hibschweler in memory of Warren & Cecelia Hibschweler from Harry & Donna Black in memory of Mary E. Partridge from Margaret Hargraves in memory of Sam & Trudy Magavern from Frances Olans in memory of Ruth Scott from Rita Hammond in memory of Henry Even ` Kenneglenn hike The Bank of America team shows off at Kenneglenn. EVENTS IN 2014 We are already planning a series of events for next year. The schedule of those events will be published in the spring 2014 The Resource newsletter, and through our regular E-Newsletters. Remember, our members and donors are the first to hear about our events and can be the first to sign up! 3

7 LAND TRUST ACCREDITATION AND A NEW WEBSITE This spring, the Land Conservancy was awarded two grants for a total of $40,000 from the New York Environmental Protection Fund and the New York State Conservation Partnership Program administered by the Land Trust Alliance, in coordination with the state Department of Environmental Conservation. We will use the funds to support our land trust accreditation process and to redesign our website. SUPPORTING THE LAND CONSERVANCY THROUGH PLANNED GIVING Planned giving is an important and increasingly common way for people to support not-for-profit organizations like charities, universities, and land trusts. There are many forms of planned giving, including bequests in a Will or a Living Trust, just to name a few. Anyone can be a planned giver. While many planned gifts are large, they can also be small. Land Trust Accreditation: With the help of our accreditation coordinator, Ana Hernandez-Balzac, a graduate from UB s Masters of Urban Planning Program, we are updating our organizational assessment as the first step in preparing to submit the application for accreditation to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, which is due in October Once approved, we will become one of the few nationally accredited land trusts in Central and Western New York, demonstrating our commitment to rigorous standards for organizational excellence. New Website: We began renovating our website this summer with the help of local designers at Aurora Consulting. The new website will have the same domain name, but will be redesigned to allow for easier navigation and compatibility with mobile devices. The new website will be able to attract new users with beautiful graphics, photos, and videos, and will make it easy for people to sign up for events and our mailing list, find helpful resources, and donate to our work. Look for the new website early next year and offer us your feedback. HELP PROTECT OUR REGION'S SPECIAL PLACES: BECOME A MEMBER OR RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP TODAY! Please consider becoming a member or renewing your membership by returning the enclosed donation form with your generous contribution, or by visiting our online giving page at By contributing to the Land Conservancy you will receive our newsletter, The Resource, invitations to special events, and updates on conservation issues specific to our region. Most importantly, your contributions make our transformative work possible. Your tax deductible contribution today will become tomorrow's preserved and treasured places. Thank you! Larry and Sheila's daughter, Robbyn (center) at the Nature View Park conservation easement celebration. Larry and Sheila Drake, both long-time supporters of the Land Conservancy, have included us in their planned giving. Larry, a former board member, and his wife Sheila discovered the Land Conservancy early in our organization s history. For many years, even decades, they wanted to protect one of the few remaining and most important open spaces in Amherst. In the 1990s, they and their daughter Robbyn began working with the Land Conservancy to try to find ways to make that happen. With them leading the way, that open space is now the 1,254-acre Nature View Park, with a Land Conservancy easement that protects it in perpetuity. After this important success, the Drakes thought about how they could support the continuing work of the Land Conservancy. With the advice of their financial advisor they put the stocks from the sale of their business into a Charitable Remainder Trust with the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. When they pass away, the Land Conservancy and several other organizations will receive a portion of that trust. Larry and Sheila benefit from being able to support the work of those organizations, but they benefit financially as well. This form of planned giving was good for their taxes and they receive a small annuity each year from their trust. Larry said, I encourage any business owner nearing retirement to consider planned giving to their favorite organizations. What we did was straightforward and accomplished both our own financial goals and will help support our community s most important work far into the future. Their support of the Land Conservancy through planned giving ensures that we will have many important land conservation successes in the years to come. Thank you Larry and Sheila! If you too would like to support the Land Conservancy through planned giving, please contact Executive Director Nancy Smith at or nancyrs@wnylc.org. 7

8 Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID W E S T E R N N E W YO R K East Aurora, NY Permit No. 36 LAND CONSERVANCY P.O. Box 471 East Aurora, NY CURRENT RESIDENT OR TheResource W E S T E R N N E W YO R K LAND CONSERVANCY the newsletter of the western new york land conservancy land project updates Fall 2013 THE STELLA NIAGARA PRESERVE: A MODEL FOR THE NIAGARA RIVER GREENWAY planned giving SUPPORTING THE LAND CONSERVANCY THROUGH PLANNED GIVING: LARRY AND SHEILA DRAKE Every so often we have an opportunity to impact the future of where we live. Right now, with millions of dollars of funding available from the NYPA relicensing agreement, we all have a chance to help create the Niagara River Greenway, the Olmsted-inspired necklace of protected and publicly accessible open spaces along the length of the Niagara River, one of the world s most important natural places. This spring we began a Greenway project that is our most ambitious and high profile project ever: the Stella Niagara Preserve. The preserve property is currently owned by the Sisters of Saint Francis and is located on Lower River Road across from the Stella Niagara Education Park in Lewiston. With 29 acres and over a quarter mile of shoreline, the property is one of the largest undeveloped privately owned properties along the Niagara River. I encourage any business owner nearing retirement to consider planned giving to their favorite organizations. What we did was straightforward and accomplished both our own financial goals and will help support our community s most important work far into the future.. The property is incredibly ecologically and culturally important. It has a variety of habitats including a wide riparian zone. It supports rare, threatened and endangered species, protects off-shore freshwater fish habitat, and is part of the internationally designated, globally significant Niagara River Important Bird Area. The property is a nationally designated Peace Site, part of the Niagara County Historic Trail, an historic canoe landing site for the Haudenosaunee people, and the very spot where the British landed in 1813 to capture Fort Niagara. It is home to a small chapel that was in the national spotlight in 1955 when it miraculously survived a flood that destroyed many other properties. The site is also ideal for public access. The property s gentle slope down to the river makes it one of the few natural landing sites on the Lower Niagara. The off-shore Stella Drift creates ideal conditions for fishing, and the view from the road overlooking the property is breathtaking. Because of the size and location of the property, creating the preserve will cost more than $3 million. Fortunately we have already received commitments of approximately $2.3 million, including two grants from the Niagara Relicensing/ Greenway Ecological Standing Committee the largest two grants ever awarded to a Land Conservancy project and an important seed grant from the Hahn Family Foundation. Once acquired, we plan to develop a trail system, provide new fishing, canoe and kayak access, provide interpretive and wayfinding signage, enhance 18 acres of grassland and savannah habitat, offer public programming, and carefully steward the property. The preserve will be a model for creating great new public spaces along the Greenway without burdening local government with increased costs. It will be the first nature preserve along the river to be owned and operated by a not-for-profit and it could be the first property acquisition funded by the Niagara River Greenway. For the Land Conservancy, the Stella Niagara Preserve is our opportunity to make a significant impact on the future of the region.