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Open Space Channels Newsletter

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF VVLP

August 2011


Community Outreach Project Exceeds Goals

The Community Outreach Project, a joint undertaking of Verde Valley Land Preservation and the Friends of the Verde River Greenway, has filed its first major report with its funding entity, The Walton Family Foundation. Project director, Steve Estes, submitted the report detailing achievements related to the various expected outcomes (also called "deliverables").

The intent of this project is to engage private land managers in conservation conversations that will result in activities on some properties that either improve riverside habitat, or enhance the existence of open space in the Verde Valley - or both. In order to achieve these ends, Estes has devised a strategy that uses input from marketing and environmental consultants.

The project envisions open space and habitat improvement activities on private lands that enhance and build upon like actions occurring on public lands. Estes, therefore, engages public and private land managers to seek both separate and collaborative solutions to issues of healthy river systems and open space preservation. Estes has reported notable progress toward achieving the expected deliverables. The following are those results. Deliverables are underlined:

  • Landowner survey response rate of 10-30% - With respect to open space outreach, our sample size was small, but resulted in a 100% response rate. As for riverside habitat improvement, our sample was larger, yielding a response rate of 87%. The marketing consultatnt suggested a smaller, focused, intimate approach. Among other benefits shown in the outcomes below, this method yielded a much higher response rate than the expected outcome.


  • Two land owners begin work on preserving open space - Open space enhancement activities on private lands often involve the use of what are termed "conservation easements". Such easements place limits on development activities that can ensure open space preservation. Benefits to the land owners include the likelihood of significant federal tax relief, assurance their property is forever used in accordance with their wishes, and that they have provided a key amenity to the quality of life in their region.


    • Of the original landowners initially queried, two remain in communication with regard to taking action on their properties that would enhance open space. Additionally, one of those property owners has agreed to engage 9 owners of 12 neighboring properties in conversations regarding a multiple-property open space initiative.

  • Demonstration projects totaling 3 miles of river habitat improvement - Participating land owners have agreed to allow us access to their river areas totaling 7.16 miles of riverside habitat in the first phases of improvement. Initial activities will include surveying and mapping stretches of river on these properties with an eye to locating invasive species of plant life that are damaging to river health. Then, we look to communicate these findings with land owners, and to discuss the extent they might participate in habitat improvement activities on their properties. For those with challenges in affordability, funding is being sought to ensure habitat improvement activities occur where needed and allowed by the land owners.


  • Prescott National Forest selected two priority recreation projects, with initial planning in place - Two priority sustainable recreation projects have been secured with initial planning in place:


    • 1. The creation of a boater-floater river guide which will enhance sustainable recreation and conservation education . This project will document, design, and publish a Verde River Recreation Guide in print and in online versions. There presently exist two river guides. One between the Tuzigoot and Bridgeport bridges, and another between Beasley Flats at camp Verde and Sheep Bridge. The addition of this guide will connect the these otherwise disjointed stretches. The result is a system of river guides that covers the vast majority of the 36-mile Verde River Greenway, as well as the same for a good distance downstream.

    2. The Yavapai County Sustainable Recreation Planning effort (referred to as the Verde Front) has identified Friends of Verde River Greenway as a convener to lead a strategy action team to address river and riparian recreation along the Verde River in the Verde Valley that looks to improve access and amenities for river related recreation.

    The project now moves forward on achieving its second year's deliverables which include a minimum of 5 miles of riverside habitat improvement, 4 land owners taking action on their properties to enhance open space, progress toward or completion of the two sustainable recreation projects, and demonstrated progress in supporting policy initiatives that ensure open space in local and regional land us planning.

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    From Land Trust Alliance:
    http://www.landtrustalliance.org/events-news/alliance-news/majority-in-house-backs-new-land-conservation-bill

    Congressmen Jim Gerlach and Mike Thompson 
    Champion Bipartisan Measure

    WASHINGTON, D.C.  -May 24,2011- Today, Congressmen Jim Gerlach (R-PA) and Mike Thompson (D-CA), with a remarkable 251 original co-sponsors, introduced the Conservation Easement Incentive Act.  This bill is critical for the protection of millions of acres of the nation’s agricultural lands and natural areas that support the economies, health and cultural fabric of communities throughout the U.S.  It makes permanent an incentive due to expire at the end of this year that allows modest-income landowners to receive significant tax deductions for donating conservation easements that permanently protect important natural or historic resources on their lands.



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    VVLP is a 501-c-3 corporation and all contributions are tax deductible to the full extent of the law



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