2010 annual report tri-valley conservancy newsletter

8/3/2019 2010 Annual Report Tri-Valley Conservancy Newsletter

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AnnualReport2010

Preserving Land for Future Generations


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Mission stateMent

To permanently protect the fertile soils, rangelands, open space and biological resources

and to support a viable agricultural economy in the Tri-Valley area.

Vision

Preservation of agricultural lands and natural open spaces in our area is vital to

protecting our quality of life. Tri-Valley Conservancy will foster the creation and

maintenance of a productive and balanced environment for current and future

generations of Tri-Valley area residents.

We envision a future that includes population growth and development matched by a

strong agricultural industry and a strong conservation ethic. We recognize the need toprotect land and to support a viable agricultural economy to provide food, recreation, an

watershed for the long-term health and viability of our community. We are committed t

the permanent protection of lands that are critical to the health of the environment.

Boardof directors

Rik Hansen, Chair

Jean King, Vice-Chair

Mary Roberts, Secretary

Karl Wente, Treasurer

Jon ChristensenMark Eaton

Kathy Farrell

Matthew Ford

Michael Fredrich

Miriam Miller

Jim Perry

Christopher Schlies

staff

Sharon Burnham, Executive Director

Laura Mercier, Associate Director

Barbara Graham, Ofce Manager

Monica DePalmo, Stewardship

LegaLcounseL

Shute, Mihaly and Weinberger LLP

independent auditor

Bologna Accountancy Corporation

inVestMent adVisor

Altamont Capital Management

In the end, our

society will be

dened not only by

what we create, but

by what we refuse

to destroy.

Nature Conservancys

John Sawhill

2 tri-ValleyConserVanC


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The oldest task in

human history:

to live on a piece

of land without

spoiling it.

Aldo Leopold

MessagefroMthe chair

At the beginning of 2010, we welcomed four new directors to our board: Chris Schlies,

Michael Fredrich, Jon Christensen, and Matt Ford. As Chair, it has been a delight to see

these new members become engaged with the organization, learn the ropes, and bring

their character and intelligence to our deliberations.

And deliberate we have. Part of the Conservancys culture is to bring new conservation

ideas to the board, building our understanding of the world around us and increasing our

capacity to do good work. In 2010, one of our workshops taught us about the concepts of

mitigation banking. Our other main workshop included a two-day intensive review of the

Conservancys strategic plan.

Please take a moment to visit our website, www.trivalleyconservancy.org. You can nd

our current strategic plan and view our programs, events, and conservation strategies. An

important button on the site is the one labeled Donate. The Tri-Valley Conservancy

actively protects more than 4,200 acres under agricultural and conservation easements.

Your nancial support assures that these easements remain protected, and that a non-

political conservation ethic remains strong in our local community.

Rik Hansen

3annual report 2010


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Land conserVation coMMittee

2010 brought many opportunities for TVC to continue to be active and participate in

making sure the viability of the South Livermore Valley Area Plan (SLVAP) remains intac

One of the many ways was for TVC to speak and conrm at Alameda County Board of

Supervisors meetings that TVC continues to support opposition to the proposed expansi

project of Ideal Boat and Campers on Tesla Road within the SLVAP. In addition, as the

South Livermore Valley Wine Areas wine industry has matured, the need to review existi

policies, to plan for future growth, and to address issues has become paramount. TVC

participated in multiple Town Hall Meetings hosted by Alameda County to review the

SLVAP and will continue to do so in 2011.

2010 brought one additional grant to TVC from the Altamont Landll Open Space Fun

for $300,000 approved by the City of Livermore Council, Alameda County Board of

Supervisors, and Sierra Club for the 74-acre Bobba property acquisition. TVC and the

Livermore Park and Recreation District (LARPD) are continuing to nalize the Resource

Management Plan (RMP) for the property. TVC intends to transfer the property to

LARPD; the acquisition will enable public access across the property and provide linkage

between Sycamore Grove and other parklands in the vicinity.

The TVC Land Conservation Committee also met with the City of Livermore regarding

the California High-Speed Rail (CHSR) project for the Altamont Pass. Because the

Altamont Pass option could serve as a good commuter route, the CHSR Authority isinvestigating plans to improve the conventional rail and/or install additional rails for the

Altamont corridor to complement the high-speed project. At this time the project is in t

planning stage of alternatives analysis. In 2011 TVC will continue to follow the process

and respond to the CHSR planners as they rene the alignment and stations.

The next few years will be the key to protecting critical resource lands in the Tri-Valley Region

Looking to the future, as we save our fertile farmlands and scenic open space we are actively

working in partnership with local landowners, the community, nonprot organizations, and

public agencies. With our partners there are opportunities for regional trail corridors from

Mt. Diablo to Mt. Hamilton, which means that Doolan Canyon is a priority for TVC. In the

coming years TVC will continue to monitor developments in that area.

Thank you, Jon Christensen, Christopher Schlies, Bill Hoppes, and Bill Thomson, who servedon this committee with me in 2010.

Chair: Jean King

The care of the

Earth is our

most ancient and

most worthy,

and after all ourmost pleasing

responsibility.

To cherish what

remains of it and to

foster its renewal is

our only hope.

Wendell Berry

resource deVeLopMent coMMittee

Fundraising is always challenging, and the year 2010 was no exception. TVC continues to

steward the South Livermore Valley Area Plan using restricted funds. However, the importa

work we provide in other areas of the valley must be funded by donations from the public.

The sixth annual Conservation Affair held in October at the Casa Real in Pleasanton w

attended by over 200 supporters. Compared with the previous year, special events, grant

and contributions in 2010 increased our funds raised by 10 percent, and individual donoincreased their average giving by 14 percent. This growing trend toward giving to the TV

mission will help support our quality of life in perpetuity.

Fundraising cannot take place without the commitment and dedication of many people.

We are ever thankful to our volunteers for their hard work. I look forward to another gre

fundraising year in 2011.

Thank you, Matt Ford, Miriam Miller, and Michael Princevalle, who served on this committ

with me in 2010.

Chair: Kathy Farrell

tri-ValleyConserVanC4


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Message froMthe executiVe director

This will be my last chance to address the Tri-Valley Conservancy family as I will be

retiring effective June 30, 2011. It is with much thought and deliberation that I have made

this decision. I approach retirement with mixed feelings. Id like to share some of those

feelings now.

First of all, gratitude for the years I have been given, for the achievements, for the lands

we have preserved, for so many volunteers both on our Board and in programs, for the

extraordinary staff who, together with families, have made TVCs achievements possible.

An associate once told me that a person judges his or her self-worth by the work he/she isdoing or has done. But what if no matter how worthwhile that work may be, it will never

be good enough? What if ones lifes work can never exhaust that which is left to be done?

TVCs work is not nished. There is so much more to be done.

We all need clean water and air, places to play and rejuvenate, healthy and affordable food,

scenic beauty, and natural areas to experience and learn from. Land trusts protect the lands

that provide these benets.

For years now I have watched land being gobbled up in order to feed the housing need,

and I understand that the need is real. Progress and housing are inevitable. But, with

proper planning, development and preservation of natural areas and farmland is very

doable, even as we accommodate the needs of an expanding population.

I love the beauty of Alameda County, from its vineyards and ranchlands to its shorelines,

from its valleys to its hills. I want to see it remain as close as possible to what it is today.

Along the freeways, all too often one city just morphs into another. When that

happens, there is no vista to delight the soul, elevate the intellect, and soothe the

psyche. When that happens, the growing of crops and the husbandry of the land is

eliminated from our cognizance.

Cities should have dened boundaries. The remaining lands between the cities are critical

to our well-beingthey are critical to our quality of life, to our childrens future, and for

our love of the Bay area.

Please keep up the ght for preservation of our special places. Please continue to supportour cause with your time, your interest, your nancial assistance.

And so, my friends, I say farewell to this chapter of my life. Theres a gospel song which

contains the line: Let the things Ive done speak for me. I live in the hope that they speak

loud enough to have made a difference.

Sharon Burnham

annual report 2010 5

Never doubt that

a small group

of thoughtful,

committed citizens

can change the

world. Indeed, itsthe only thing that

ever has.

Margaret Mead


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stewardofthe Land $1000 +Read and George PhillipsBob BaltzerKathy Farrell - State Farm InsuranceFriends of the VineyardsMr. & Mrs. John W. Houghton, Jr

James Irvine Foundation(Ms. Regina Muehlhauser)

Jean KingDr. Ford and Mary RobertsLynn and Joan Seppala

sponsorof preserVation$500 - $999(1) AnonymousMark and Joyce EatonDonald and Miriam MillerBarry and Carolyn ShamesBill and Sandy Thomson

patronof preserVation$250 - $499Bill and Connie BishMr. and Mrs. Matthew CordesMs. Karen Dynek

Mark and Judy EckartDr. David and Dr. Karen FurstMr. and Mrs. Archer FutchMs. Emily GrifnMr. Herman Leider and

Councilmember Marj LeiderLivermore Valley WinegrowersMr. and Mrs. Lloyd G. Mann

Altamont Wealth ManagementMichael PrincevalleMr. and Mrs. Douglas RattoRemo Rosa and Harriet ColeMr. and Mrs. Christopher SchliesKevin Schoenfeld and Debbie WojtowiczMs. Lori SouzaThornburg Investment Management

Jeff Williams

Mr. and Mrs. Leland Younker

partnerof preserVation$100 - $249(7) AnonymousMr. Robert Addis and Dr. Kristen IvaniMr. Len AlexanderMr. and Mrs. Robert ArmstrongMs. Linda BartonMr. and Mrs. John BingamanMr. and Mrs. Paul BischoffMr. and Mrs. Donald BradleyMrs. Sharon BurnhamMr. and Mrs. Samuel ChinPatti ColeMr. Ken CookMr. and Mrs. James DeMartini Jr.Mr. Gary Drummond and Ms. Anna SiigMs. Maryallice FaltingsMr. and Mrs. James FoltaMatt and Heather FordMichael and Diana FredrichCharlotte French and Bob CooperMr. Kim Fuller,

Livermore Valley Tennis ClubMs. Ann GaborGift in Honor of Beth ThimasMs. Tamara GalanterHarry Galles and Linda Nidever-GallesMr. William GatesMs. Carol GerichMr. and Mrs. T.J. Gilmartin

Jim and Bobbie Hadley

Mr. and Mrs. Michael HannigRik Hansen and Lucy LowhurstMr. Chuck HazenMr. and Mrs. Ray HillDave and Evonne HopkinsMr. and Mrs. William HoppesMr. and Mrs. Henry HuffMr. and Mrs. John JayMr. Thomas JeffersonMs. Linda Jeffery SailorsMr. and Mrs. Brandon KnottMr. and Mrs. John Lagrant

Mr. and Mrs. Roger LakeRobert and Anna LimHarry and Lois LutzMr. and Mrs. Gary March

Vice Mayor and Mrs. John MarchandMr. and Mrs. Stephen MasseyLaura MercierDavid and Barbara MertesDr. Jack MillsMs. Chris MohammedMs. Amara MorrisonMr. and Mrs. Michael MurphyMr. and Mrs. Jeff Narum

Mr. and Mrs. J. Robert NeelyMr. and Mrs. William NevinsMelody and Steve OSheaMr. William Perkins

Jim and Cheryl PerryMr. and Mrs. Walter PerryMr. and Mrs. Norman PetermeierPicazo VineyardsMr. and Mrs. John PinelliMr. and Mrs. John PittsGeorge and Dawn RatermannMr. and Mrs. Tom ReitterMr. and Mrs. Jeffery RichardsonMr. and Mrs. Terry RossowMr. and Mrs. Balazs RozsnyaiMr. and Mrs. Dick RyonMr. and Mrs. Andrew SageMs. Joy SchornoMichael and Diane SillsMr. and Mrs. Ray SmithMs. Barbara StearMr. and Mrs. John SutterEllen TurnerMr. and Mrs. Berthold WeisKarl WenteMr. and Mrs. Bruce WhiteMr. and Mrs. Clay WidmayerMr. and Mrs. Steven WiggintonMr. Wai-Kin Wong

friendof preserVationunder$100(1) Anonymous

Nancy Ash - Strictly Olive OilMr. and Mrs. James BenhamMr. and Mrs. Dale BervenLes and Helen BridgeMs. Sally BrownPatrick and Wendy CostanzoMr. and Mrs. Robert Cowan

Joe and Janet CristianoMr. and Mrs. David DarlingtonMr. and Mrs. Richard DixonMr. and Mrs. Kenneth DonnellDennis and Marcia ElchesenMs. Carol FohlMr. Thom Gamble and Ms. Karen KoehlerBill and Barbara GrahamMr. Dave GreinerMs. Mary Ann Hannon

Ms. Teresa HaukMr. John HobsonMr. Daniel Jones and

Ms. Joyce Norton-JonesMr. William JunkMr. and Mrs. D P KratkyMaruta LitusMr. Peter MacDonaldMr. and Mrs. Mike MalinowskiMs. Kathleen MayerMr. and Mrs. Mort MendelsohnMr. and Mrs. Russell Miller

Ralph Moir and Maryann BrenMr. Milo NordykeMr. John NorwoodMr. and Mrs. Gary OehrleOhlone Audubon Society

Jim and Tammy ReusMs. Carol RieneckerMr. and Mrs. Michael RoseMs. June SchaeferMr. and Mrs. Dane Stark

Jim and Carol WaksdalMr. and Mrs. Darryl WestMs. Beth Wilson

Ms. Kathleen Young

corporateMatching f

Franklin Templeton InvestmenGE FoundationLLNL Home CampaignTri-Valley Community Foundat

VoLunteers

John BingamanLeona BingamanBill BishConnie BishDebi BodanSharon CallahanLindsay CallahanPaula Campbell

Elizabeth ChristensenPatti ColeGermaine CordesDanny De PalmoMonica De PalmoSteve EldridgeSean FarrellNorma FossDavid FurstCarol GerichBill GrahamKirsten HigginsEvonne Hopkins

John HoughtonConnie Kirchner

Jill KirkJessica KnottBill Laube

Vernie LaubeLes MahlerRenee MarchHolly MasseyDiana MendenhallHoward Mendenhall

JC (Jack) MoodyWalt PerryPam PicazoLinda SchmidtSandy ThomsonClay WidmayerDebra Zollinger

Tri-Valley Conservancy has

made every effort to record

names of donors in this rep

accurately and completely.

If we have inadvertently

overlooked or misstated

your name please accept ou

sincere apology and bring it

our attention.

With SincereAppreciation toThose WhoSupport Us...


In good times and

bad, we know that

people give becauseyou meet needs,

not because you

have needs.

Kay Grace


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finance coMMittee

I am pleased to report that the combined nancial statements for the year ending

December 31, 2010, reect a year of substantial growth. Net assets totaled $15,433,092,

which is an increase of $1,062,566 when compared with December 31, 2009. Most of

the increase in net assets is a result of interest/dividends on investments and a stock market

that ended 2010 with the highest close since August, 28, 2008.

Thank you, Michael Fredrich and Mary Roberts who served on this committee in 2010.

Chair: Karl Wente

Board goVernance coMMittee

This committee met regularly during 2010 to discuss the involvement of all directors in the

activities and goals for the Conservancy, select new candidates for directorship, recommend a

slate of ofcers for 2011, and make suggestions for improving the Boards structure.

Current strategic, conservation, and fundraising plans were the topics of discussion during

our two retreats in June and September for the Board of Directors. What materialized

from these two retreats was a strategic plan that provides the goals and objectives to guide

our actions through June 2014.

Once again, 100% of TVCs board members met Land Trust Alliances (LTA*) Board

Member Challenge. Tri-Valley Conservancy joined just twenty-six other land trusts

nationwide that met the highest mark in the Challenge.

*LTA is the national convener, strategist, and representative of the more than 1,700 land trusts across America.

Thank you, Mark Eaton and Rik Hansen, who served on this committee with me in 2010.

Chair: Jim Perry

Contributions/Grants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38,194. 8%Net.rom.Benefts.(Fundraiser)... .. .. .. .. 20,011. .4%Program.Income. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3,617. 1%From.reserve.account .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..399,052. 87%Total.Organization.Support.&.Revenue.. . . $460,874

Program.Expenses.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202,785. 44%Management.&.General.Expenses.. . . . . . . 207,393. 45%Fundraising.Expenses.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50,696. 11%

Total.Organization.Expenses.. . . . . . . . . .$460,874

tVc 2010 operating reVenues

Contributions/Grants 8%

Net rom Benefts 4%

From Reserve Account 87%

Program Income 1%

tVc 2010 operating expenses

Program Expenses 44%

Management & GeneralExpenses 45%

Fundraising Expenses 11%

annual report 2010 7


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The Tri-Valley Conservancy will continue to focus on

permanently protecting lands that preserve the areasrural character, scenic beauty, and diverse environmental

resources. Protecting these lands, we envision that both

human life and wildlife can survive and thrive.

We will work in partnership with local landowners, the

community, nonprot organizations, conservation agencies

and local, regional, state, and federal government agencies

to protect two major wildlife and biological corridors along

the Pleasanton and Altamont Ridges. We will protect lands

that will allow people to hike, bike, and walk throughout

the hills and vineyards to enjoy the land, thereby being

motivated to protect it. We will promote long-term

stewardship of local lands that will result in safeguarding

agriculture and water resources of the Tri-Valley area.

www.trivalleyconservancy.org

1736 Holmes Street, Bldg. B

Livermore, CA 94550-6012

tel: 925 449-8706

fax: 925 449-8709

SAVE THE DATE: OcTObEr 6, 2011

attendthe 4th annuaLceLeBratingthe VaLLey eVentat casareaLat ruByhiLLwiner


2010 annual report tri-valley conservancy newsletter

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