Cohousing-L Mailing List: RE: Nature Conservancy as a land trust organization

[Rob Sandelin (Exchange) (Robsan]

The nature conservancy holds private land, but that land has to have some
special characteristics, endangered plants or habitat before they will take
ownership, and they are an ownership group, which typically wants to hold
land until they can pass it on to some other agency for management. They
hire out lawyers to write their deals for them.  I know some folks who
willed their land to the nature conservancy, which then sold the land (with
conservation easements attached) in order to buy a more "critical" swamp
down stream.  I was a neighbor who snooped around  that transaction and it
left a very bitter taste in my mouth.  The original owners wishes were not
carried through on, and the land, a very secluded and nice section of river
front, sold to a friend of the local nature conservancy director for a
fraction of its value.  It was a real insiders deal and it made me very
suspicious of the Nature Conservancy. They did put some strict development
easements on the property before selling it, but they were not what my
neighbor had wished for, which was to open his land for public enjoyment and
camping.  

This is not to say the Nature Conservancy is overall a bad organization, but
the same person is still director of the local organization and I kind o
burned my bridges with him by making a stink about  that particular deal. I
knew the family and got a copy of the title document and transfer agreement.
 The local press did a good job of embarrassing him and I was the person who
leaked the deal to the press.  I ran across this guy at a local enviros
event about 6 months ago and he still wouldn't even talk to me, so I guess
getting advice from that organization, at least locally, is probably out for
me anyway.

There's a lesson here somewhere I guess....

Rob

>-----Original Message-----
>*deep sigh*  My faith in the idea of the management of public lands in 
>perpetuity is a little bruised since I moved West.  The Forest Service
>and the BLM seem to be not the best folks to trust land to.  Have you
>looked into the Nature Conservancy?  I don't know much in depth about them,
>but they would probably be a source of good supporting legal advice for
>you.
>
>Shava
>