Norman Area Land Conservancy Newsletter

Volume 6, Issue 1 Fall 2010

BOARD MEMBERS Joan Barker Ben Benedum Geoff Canty Dennis R. Crites, Secy. Jim McCampbell Lynne Miller Stuart Michael Ridgeway Matt Runkle Ben Southerland, Vice Chair James Spurgeon Lyntha Wesner, Chair (405) 321-2204

*** John Raeside, Treasurer FOUNDING MEMBERS Marion Bauman Patrick Copeland Robert C. Goins Harold Heiple Edwin Kessler John Raeside Jacci Rodgers Lee Rodgers Lyntha Wesner

Conservation Dreams Fulfilled by Landowners Lyntha Wesner, NALC Chair Thank you for supporting Norman Area Land Conservancy, Inc.’s mission with your membership, your encouragement and your advocacy. This summer, T. H. and Kathleen Milby reached their dream of placing a conservation easement on their property east of Noble. In addition we have been working with three landowners whose properties are in the Lake Thunderbird watershed, with financial participation from the U.S.D.A. Farm and Ranchland Protection Pro-gram and a local match from Norman’s Greenbelt Acquisition Fund. Lynne Miller Stuart, immediate past Chair, deserves full credit for her skill, sensitivity and determination in bringing positive closure to the conservation dreams of these landowners. We look forward to continuing our work with you toward our mutual goals for Norman’s future.

T.H. and Kathleen Milby Donate Tree Farm In the early 1980’s, T.H. and Kathleen Milby scoured Cleve-

land County for a place where they could work the land in the eve-nings and on weekends, hoping to produce and sell black walnut trees. Twenty-five years and thousands of trees later, they have placed their “almost 80 acres” into the Norman Area Land Conser-vancy to protect the landscape and to ensure that their farm doesn’t contribute to Norman’s urban sprawl. Teeming with wildlife, including bluebirds, blackberries and a beaver family that lives in a lodge on the small lake, the property is located southeast of Noble on Cemetery Road.

Enjoyment and study of wildlife has always been a Milby family priority. T.H. retired from OU in 1992, after serving more than 30 years in a dual appointment for University Libraries and as a professor in the Department of Botany and Microbiology. Kath-leen always worked alongside her husband in the planting and har-vesting of trees, while maintaining a busy career in nursing, nurse management and nurse education. (continued on page 3)

INSIDE — New Board Members How you can help NALC

Dedicated to Conserve, Improve, and Protect Rural

and Urban Environments of

Norman

A true conservationist is a man who knows that the world is not given by his fathers, but borrowed from his children. James J. Audubon

Committed to Norman’s Quality of Life

Volume 6, Issue 1 Page 2 Fall 2010

Joan Barker came to Norman in the 1970’s as a student at OU, where she received a bachelor’s degree in Geography and a master’s in Public Administration. She has been a contributor to the commu-nity ever since, in both career and vol-unteer capacities. Her career in social services has spanned more than 30 years, begin-ning at Action, Inc., where she wrote grants for programs serving youth, senior citizens and women; from 1983 until 2008 she was the executive di-rector of the Cleveland County Work-force Development Board. She has been active in Norman Sooner Rotary, United Way, the Chamber of Commerce and Sooner Theatre. She is a school board member for Moore Norman Technology Center and was one of the founders of the Community Services Building. When asked what might be done in Norman to improve conserva-tion, Joan would like to see more coordination and education about local sustainability efforts, com-mending various projects such as the National Center for Employee Development.

Matt Runkle is passionate about the environment, agriculture and food systems, and the spaces we occupy. With a desire to learn more about the environment and consumerism, Matt studied sociology at the University of Oklahoma, earning his degree in 2007. At the same time, he and his wife Sara launched Native Roots Market, a spe-cialty store in downtown Norman that sells organic foods and products for healthy living. Their mission is to pro-vide the “best food from the world” to our local community, meaning sea-sonal, local, organic, ethnic and healthy foods. Matt’s commitment to living “green” includes a concern that local family farms are being replaced with sterile, piecemeal housing developments and strip malls. His vision for Norman’s future growth is a proper long-range master plan, similar to Lawrence, KS, or Boulder, CO, whereby all overlapping community develop-ment activities are integrated and include large greenbelts with land in its natural state.

New Land Conservancy Board Members

www.nalcok.org

Volume 6, Issue 1 Page 3 Fall 2010

The Milby home is a tribute to their love of na-ture. Although their yard is shaded by an abun-dance of large and small trees, sunflowers ran-domly poke through the monkey grass and a corner spot of sun in the back reveals a vegeta-ble garden with rows of corn. Dozens of birds outside the window frequent the feeders and they are mirrored in the interior with wildlife paintings, sculpture and an extensive library of

books about nature. Gourd vines that climb near the bird feeder adjacent to the dining room will be harvested in the fall and transformed by Kathleen into beautiful works of art. When asked what might be done in Norman to improve conservation, Dr. Milby suggested that all of us would benefit if tree trimming and removal service personnel were required to become certified by the City before work-ing on trees.

T.H. and Kathleen Milby Donate Tree Farm (continued from page 1)

Interview with John Potts Tuesday, July 13, 2010 Almost a year after placing 50 acres of prime central Norman real estate into the Conservancy, John Potts reflected on his decision. “I had made up my mind that I had to find a way to leave the land, but I didn’t have the answers and decided it was time to listen. The Conservancy vol-unteers taught me, educated me, and

showed me the way. There was no fear or deception or hidden agenda. Working on my behalf, I was able to do the best I could with the land. “I learned to trust them because they had the knowledge and the facts… and our in-terests were the same. I had a developing attitude of whether to do it or not, but to-ward the end of the process my fears evaporated … it was a turnaround experience for me. To me, the Conservancy is the best way to connect all of our concerns about the environment. Whether it’s animals, birds, plants, water, trees, it represents the interests of everyone.” When asked what might be done in Norman to improve conservation, he replied, “People get in a hurry and don’t stop long enough to consider the consequences or come up with a better way to do something that may be less harmful to the environ-ment.”

“When the land

is crying ‘leave

me alone’

it’s time to do

something.“ John Potts

www.nalcok.org

MORE ABOUT NALC WHO WE ARE (our purpose). The Norman Area Land Conservancy, Inc (NALC) is a local, 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation committed to preserving and protecting open space in the Norman area. HOW WE OPERATE. The NALC enters into agreements with willing local landowners to create a perpetual conservation easement on their property. With such an easement, landowners can protect their land without giving up ownership. The landowner agrees to forego development of the property, allowing it to remain in its agricultural state forever. A conservation easement can protect sites with historic value, preserve land for ranching or farming, or safeguard endangered animal or plant species. The landowner decides whether the easement will permit public access. Eligible lands generally must contain productive soil or his-torical or archaeological resources. The landowner, with the concurrence of the NALC, decides the terms of the conservation easement. The accepted easement is a legal document, filed with the country clerk. The landowner retains title to the property and can use it, sell it, or leave it to heirs. But the conservation easement remains with the land forever. The Land Conservancy becomes respon-sible for ensuring that the terms of the easement are followed in perpetuity. Under certain con-ditions, the NALC may accept outright land donations.

NALC Depends on Community Support The Conservancy is an all-volunteer organization that strives to meet expenses through pro bono and in-kind services, supplemented by annual membership renewals and charitable contributions. As the number of protected properties grows, acquisition and stewardship responsibilities increase accordingly. In addition to legal, title and closing, new properties are appraised and surveyed by specialists, then “walked” by volunteers to document land characteristics. Stewardship and protection of existing properties involves annual inspection and enforcement of the terms of the conservation easements. How Can YOU Help? Become a member or renew your membership Share your time and expertise — call Lyntha Wesner, (405) 321-2204

Volume 6, Issue 1 Page 4 Fall 2010

BENEFITS TO COOPERATING PROPERTY OWNERS. Specific benefits to property owners may include some or all of the following: 1. An income tax benefit as a charitable donation, based on any difference between the

value of the land before and after creation of the easement. 2. A lowered value for estate and gift taxes. 3. Personal fulfillment from preserving family land in its historic form. 4. Monetary benefit. In certain instances, federal funds may be available for purchase of

conservation easements. In such cases, the NALC likely would ask the landowner to make a charitable donation to help offset the cost of future stewardship expenses.

www.nalcok.org

Become a NALC member Join the Conservancy NOW and become a part of Norman’s future!

Please complete this form and send it with your tax deductible dues and contribution to: NALC, P.O. Box 1616, Norman, OK 73070 Name:____________________________________________________________________________ Address:__________________________________________________________________________ City:_____________________________State:__________________Zip:______________________ Phone: __________________________e-mail____________________________________________

Comments:

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

Corporation, Institution and Organization ( ) Regular …………………... $500* ( ) Supporting .…………….. $1,000* ( ) Sustaining………………… $5,000* ( ) Gold Sustaining ………. $10,000*

Annual Membership ( ) Regular ……………………… $25 ( ) Family ………………………… $40 ( ) Student/Senior (65+)… $18 ( ) Supporting………………….. $45* ( ) Sustaining………………….. $100* ( ) Gold Sustaining …….….. $500* *Minimum Donation

Norman Area Land Conservancy P.O. Box 1616 Norman, OK 73070 Www.nalcok.org