WILLISTOWN CONSERVATION TRUST

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Public Notice of Accreditation Renewal

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The land trust accreditation program recognizes land conservation organizations that meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. Willistown Conservation Trust is pleased to announce it is applying for renewal of accreditation. A public comment period is now open.

The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, conducts an extensive review of each applicant’s policies and programs. In 2008, Willistown Conservation Trust was one of the first land trusts nationwide to be awarded accreditation by the Commission. According to Bonnie Van Alen, the Trust’s President and Executive Director: “Our accredited status should assure our contributors, easement holders, project partners and other stakeholders of our commitment to meeting the highest national standards of performance and procedures. In other words, not only are we protecting important lands, but we’re doing it in the right way and for the long term.”

The Commission invites public input and accepts signed, written comments on pending applications. Comments must relate to how Willistown Conservation Trust complies with national quality standards. These standards address the ethical and technical operation of a land trust. For the full list of standards see http://www.landtrustaccreditation.org/help-and-resources/indicator-practices.

To learn more about the accreditation program and to submit a comment, visit www.landtrustaccreditation.org, or email your comment to info@landtrustaccreditation.org. Comments may also be faxed or mailed to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, Attn: Public Comments: (fax) 518-587-3183; (mail) 36 Phila Street, Suite 2, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.

Comments on Willistown Conservation Trust’s application will be most useful by November 14, 2019.

Shocking Report Illustrates the Importance of Land Protection

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Yesterday an alarming study in the journal Science was released, which detailed the dramatic and shocking decline of birds in North America. Three billion birds have been lost in the last 50 years. This staggering drop includes not only threatened species, but also common ones like Eastern Meadowlark, Wood Thrush, Barn Swallow, Blue Jay and even Baltimore Oriole (like the one pictured here, banded this year at Rushton Woods Preserve).

For every 10 Baltimore Orioles in 1970,
4 have been lost since.

Meadowlarks rely on healthy grasslands for habitat, which have been disappearing as human development and agriculture spreads across the land. Making matters worse without those grasslands, which are also needed to filter stormwater runoff, waterways that birds also rely on are being contaminated.

For 40 years, Willistown Conservation Trust has been permanently protecting land to advance conservation, including the preservation of vital habitat. Our Bird Conservation Program has been using this land to help study birds and promote their protection, operating a banding station, studying their health. Most recently, the Bird Conservation Program and their partners have been among the leaders  in expanding the Motus Wildlife Tracking System throughout the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast United States. The Willistown Area has even been designated an Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society because of its habitat and biodiversity.

We will continue our fight to protect land and habitat that birds need to survive. And despite the frightening report, there are some things you can do to help. Here are a few simple actions you can take:

  • Keep cats indoors. It is estimated that domestic cats kill millions of birds every year.
  • Lobby your representatives in Washington, DC, to support the Migratory Bird Protection Act, the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act and other legislation that protects the environment.
  • Reduce (or better still eliminate) the use of pesticides (particularly neonicotinoids) and herbicides on your property.
  • Create habitat for birds in your own yard by maintaining shrub scrub, planting native plants, and providing water sources.
  • Participate in citizen science efforts to document bird populations.
  • Provide financial support to organizations that support bird conservation, like Willistown Conservation Trust.

While we are disheartened by the findings of this report, Willistown Conservation Trust is more motivated than ever before to continue our work to protect the land and the birds that rely on it.

We (and the birds) thank you for your continued support!

What is a Conservation Easement?

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Landowners in the Willistown area are the primary stewards of the natural and historic heritage of our countryside. Fortunately, the use of conservation easements provides a flexible option for private landowners who wish to preserve the natural resources of their lands while still meeting their financial objectives. A conservation easement is a flexible tool that protects land while leaving it in private ownership. It is a legal and binding agreement between a landowner and a qualified conservation organization such as the Willistown Conservation Trust. The easement exists in perpetuity, is recorded with the deed to the property, and applies to all future owners.

Land Preserved Forever

Conservation easements benefit the environment, the community, and the landowner. Chester County, with its abundance of open space and preserved land, published the Return on Environment study in May 2019. That report helps illustrate the many benefits of preserved land. The Trust was a proud participant in this report and you can learn more about it here on our website.

Willistown Conservation Trust walks landowners through the process, beginning with understanding the landowner’s individual needs and desires in planning for the future of your property. We will then work closely with you to design a Conservation Plan which will preserve the natural and scenic characteristics of your property, meet your specific financial objectives, and further the conservation goals of the Trust and the community.

To learn more about the easement process, read our publication Heroes of the Countryside or email Erik Hetzel, Director of Land Protection.

Return on Environment: The Economic Value of Protected Open Space in Chester County, PA

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Protected open spaces provide substantial economic, environmental, and health benefits to surrounding communities, but these benefits are often overlooked or undervalued in policy debates and investment decisions. A better understanding of these benefits can demonstrate how protected open space contributes to economic development and fiscal stability and can reverse the common misconception that conserved undeveloped land is non-productive and non-revenue producing.

Chester County’s open space preservation program began in the 1980s amidst a growing public concern that the county’s vistas and landscapes were disappearing in a tide of suburban sprawl. Chester County voters overwhelmingly passed a $50 million bond referendum in 1989 for open space preservation, and funding has continued ever since. As of the end of 2018, over 28% of Chester County’s land is preserved- a testament to the coordinated effort by County leadership, municipalities, nonprofit partners and supportive citizens.

Willistown Conservation Trust was proud to partner with Chester County and other major land conservancies active in Chester County, as well as the Chester County Economic Development Council and Chester County Association of Township Officials to produce a report that estimates the economic impact of the County’s robust open space preservation initiative.

Our own Rushton Farm and Rushton Woods Preserve are the subject of one of the case studies featured in the report. Please take a moment to review the full report, which clearly shows the significant and positive effects of open space.

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Here are some articles in local press covering the Return on Environment study:

Money May Grow on Trees After All

Chester County Open Space Report “Not Surprising.”

Preserving Open Space Fueling Chester County Economy

Thirty-Five Acres Near Kirkwood Preserve Now Permanently Protected

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An additional 780 feet of the Crum Creek are protected forever. An additional 780 feet of the Crum Creek are protected forever. Another view of the newly protected stretch of creek. Another view of the newly protected stretch of creek. Therese, David, and Carter Rawson. prepare to color their property green on the Trust's protected lands map as Erik Hetzel and Bonnie Van Alen look on. Therese, David, and Carter Rawson. prepare to color their property green on the Trust’s protected lands map as Erik Hetzel and Bonnie Van Alen look on. Another 10 acres of land are now permanently protected from development, thanks to the generosity and foresight of David, Therese and Carter Rawson, who donated a conservation easement conserving the land on October 22. What is remarkable about the easement is that this is the second easement the Rawsons have donated to the Trust, creating a total of 35 contiguous acres of Rawson family land in permanent protection. The newly protected 10-acre parcel includes 780 feet of Crum Creek and densely wooded floodplain near Kirkwood Preserve. The easement protects the sensitive areas near the creek, establishing a riparian buffer zone that ensures continuing protection for the area’s delicate ecology. With one primary residence existing on the property, it limits the size of the residence and prohibits the construction of additional primary residences and subdivision of the land. Restrictions on architectural details of future improvements, lighting, and fencing further ensure that the property will always be compatible with Chester County rural architecture. The easement also encompasses an equestrian and pedestrian trail easement, which leads to the Crum Creek. The Rawson’s generosity represents an significant gift to nature, contributing to clean water and providing healthy habitat for wildlife. As with all conservation easements, the protection granted in the easement will remain in perpetuity, even if the land is sold. As part of its mission, Willistown Conservation will visit the land annually to monitor its condition and ensure that the terms of the easement are upheld. People like the Rawson family, true heroes of the countryside, have permanently protected over 7,200 acres of the Willistown area from development. As shown by a recent census, efforts by land trusts like Willistown Conservation Trust have conserved a staggering 56 million acres across the nation, an area of protected land that is double the size of all the land in national parks across the lower 48 states. For more information about how we protect land, visit our land protection pages.