The C0nservation Easement is a useful tool in land preservation. An Easement allows the current activity, which is often farming or ranching, to remain on the land in perpetuity. This provides an open space aspect and preservation of valuable riparian areas, historic places and traditional productive activity on the land. The Verde Valley Land Preservation Institute acquired our first Conservation Easement on the former Fox Ranch at the head waters of Woods Canyon watershed. This was in concert with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the owners of the property and VVLPI serving as the non-profit organization holding the easement. |
Cottonwood Journal Extra
Wednesday, June 8, 2005AGREEMENT SAVES KEL FOX RANCH
A Verde Valley ranch has been preserved and saved from any nonagricultural development because of the cooperative, creative efforts of three parties: the Verde Valley Land Preservation Institute [VVLPI], the current landowners and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program.
Situated along I-17 between Camp Verde and Flagstaff, the 50-acre remains of the Kel Fox ranch, which was first established in the 1800s, will never be converted to nonagricultural uses because of a conservation easement held by the VVLPI.
Click here for 360 degree views of Fox Ranch:
According to Dick Byrnes, of Sedona, VVLPI president, "Conservation easements offer a win-win solution for the establishment of open space in the Verde Valley. No one loses. Everyone winds and the quality of life is enhanced for present and future citizens and visitors to our Verde Valley.
In a complex transaction, the current landowner, Charles G. Myers, contacted the appropriate Federal officials involved in the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program and were instructed to submit an application.
To qualify for the protection program, the land offered must be part of all farm or ranch and must contain prime, unique or other productive soil or historical or archaeological resources, according to the press release.
The VVLPI helped facilitate a successful outcome for the property located in a high alpine meadow where the land gently slopes with water swales, catchments and some Ponderosa pine, all suitable for cattle ranching, which will continue under the conservation easement, according to the release.
The cost of securing and negotiating this conservation easement was nearly $800,000. Since this Federal program can contribute up to 50 percent, it could be of service for other conservation easements in the Verde Valley.
Under the arrangement, officials of the Verde Valley Land Preservation Institute will monitor the 50-acre parcel annually to ensure that the land in the conservation easement has not been converted to non-agricultural uses.
Reviewing the transaction, VVLPI's Marybeth Carlile, who founded the nonprofit organization in 2002, said, "The creation of the Fox Ranch easement is a major step toward the protection of our precious watershed. We hope that this will be the first among many."
"I am so pleased. I know that Kel would be , too," Kel Fox's widow, Patty Fox, of the Village of Oak Creek, said in a press release.
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