President’s Message

Your Local Land Conservancy … 36 Years and Going Strong

In its 36 years, PRLC has worked with landowners and the Pound Ridge community to conserve about 350 acres of wildlife habitat, wooded viewsheds and undeveloped open space and to strengthen connections between land, natural resources and people. All our 15 preserves are conserved in perpetuity which means they can never be sold or developed. We’ve helped create and maintain seven trails in as many preserves in town for passive recreational use. An eighth loop trail will be formally opened at the 43-acre Armstrong Preserve this coming spring with the completion of the renovation of the off-the-grid Armstrong House and Education Center. With our kids spending an average of seven hours a day using entertainment media and only 53% of us, their parents, visiting an outdoor green space weekly, these trails are important community assets.

In 2009, we were able to preserve 7.5 acres by conservation easement. In 2010, we were the recipient of 8.5 wooded acres abutting the Reservation by an anonymous donor. This year, we hope to complete the transfer of 9.5 acres off Stone Hill Rd., a portion of which will provide important connection between larger tracts of conserved land.

For conservation efforts in town to succeed, we need everyone to do their part. Whether it’s important tax payer dollars that we authorized by vote to be spent on undeveloped land, town regulation that supports conservation efforts, town boards and leadership who are educated to protect environmental assets and engage others in transparent processes and dialogue, a comprehensive plan that addresses future development pressures, or private efforts of individuals and organizations, each piece is critical. If you have an interest in protecting land that you own, please be in touch with us. You may qualify for tax credits, tax deductions or estate benefits with a gift of a conservation easement or outright donation of land.

Quantifying our work in terms of acreage, miles of trails or membership numbers does not do justice to the full measure of land conservation work. Years down the road, our community’s health and our preserved natural landscapes will reflect today’s ethics, values, land use practices and how well we work together. Land conservation is really a people business.

Building on our work of this past year, look for us as we continue outreach and education. Whether you volunteer on projects, join us on a guided nature hike, speak to us at the market or at a community event, participate in upcoming programming and hands-on work at our community garden, learn about the importance of various habitats at our outdoor classroom events at the Armstrong Preserve or about green technology to incorporate into your home to make your family’s environmental footprint lighter, we urge you to become involved in local conservation initiatives.

This year has been busy. Due to recent storms, many dozens of hours were spent clearing trails by volunteers. The completion of our off-the-grid land steward’s residence is on the horizon supported by a quiet, yet successful, fundraising campaign, and a second round of interviewing for our land steward is underway pursuant to our State Grant. (The land steward introduced to the community through this newsletter last spring after a thorough hiring search did not ultimately take the job. In light of this setback, we negotiated a 12-month extension of our grant funding for the position, making it possible for us to seek a second candidate for the position this fall with a start date of March 1, 2012.) Program planning and outreach to partners including the schools, Bedford 2020 initiative, and other community organizations have been underway these past months.

To continue this work, we need your financial support. Our annual budget covering liability insurance so our preserves are open to the public, trail maintenance expenses, printing of educational presentation materials, website hosting and content development all require dollars. We are supported in great part only by Pound Ridge residents – your neighbors and friends. Please do your share. And – for those of you who do the most – a very big thank you!

Elyse Arnow Brill, President
Fall/Winter 2011