President’s Message

Dear Friends,
The conservation value of land is enduring despite the ups and downs of the economy Unlike other assets and investments, a drop in the real estate market does not change the conservation value of land. Whether the price of real estate is increasing or decreasing, the ecological, biological, scenic and recreational resources that land offers in its natural state continues to maintain its intrinsic value. With the economic downturn, development pressure in our community may have subsided for the time being as developers and homebuilders may be less able to move forward with development projects. With land now less liquid, some landowners may be interested in donating property to reduce real estate taxes and maintenance costs. Charitable donations free up cash for land donors through income tax savings over both the short and longer term. Theoretically, lower real estate values and slower moving sales create opportunity for land conservation for those interested and able to provide conservation funding in our community. Land trusts also provide public benefit through the preservation of varied habitat and scenic viewsheds, as our land conservancy provides through its preserves.

The understanding of the integral relationships between conservation and other social issues is growing. There are critical ties between:

conservation and public health
conservation and drinking water purity and availability
conservation and local, accessible food production through gardening and composting initiatives
conservation and climate change are being highlighted in school curriculum, legislation and community initiatives such as the Bedford and, in its infancy, Pound Ridge, sustainability task forces.

The future programming of the PRLC’s Armstrong House off-the-grid ‘green’ renovation and future land steward’s home will address these many connections. We are now seeking funding to make these a reality.

As you can see, your local land conservancy is working harder and more strategically than ever! The PRLC has, and will be, increasing organizational visibility and casting a wider net in our education, outreach and fundraising efforts. Our Mapping Committee has updated our ‘priority parcels’ book which identifies the most important properties remaining for conservation in Pound Ridge. In conjunction with the “priority parcels, we have now created new ‘neighborhood groups’ which will highlight the key role that each landowner’s property plays in our community’s greater ecosystems. In 2010, we will be inviting neighbors to these get-togethers to learn and share information. We hope this outreach will inspire greater private conservation efforts, increase residents’ knowledge of the work of the PRLC, and grow our support base of families and local businesses.
Please visit our website for updates, links and greater depth of resource materials.

We hope you will join us in our efforts by making a financial contribution to our work, by volunteering on one of our many projects, come to a board meeting, and/or make a gift of land for all its benefits.

Most of all, the Board of Directors and I want to thank all of our loyal PRLC members and volunteers, the advisors and businesses who have contributed time and expertise, and the Pound Ridge families who have supported us this year.

Elyse Arnow Brill, President
November 2009