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Valley Trust
NEWSNumber 35 / SPRING 2008 Conserving the natural environment and cultural heritage of Southwest Ohio
Submitted by Ann Geddes
The history of old Reily reverberates across the hills and
dales of the property of Jerry and Joann Storck – a property
now preserved for the future by a conservation easement
with the Trust signed last December.
Their 55-acre farm is spread out along Indian Creek justsouth of the Pioneer Baptist Church in NW Reily township.
The site was the home of the VanNess family, a prominent
early settler family, and even earlier the Smiths had built a
cabin under tall cottonwoods in the lowland near the creek.
Myron VanNess has preserved numerous Native American
artifacts found on the property and Jerry Storck regularly
turns up square nails and early coins near the old cabin
site with a metal detector. He also found a pipe bowl from
the early 1700s. He tells me, “I was so saddened to hear of
Myron’s death as he and his brother Cap (Calvin) had often
come to visit. But I know they would be pleased that their ancestors’ farm has been preserved.”
Jerry chuckles at himself as he tells me of when they were
walking the property when it was listed for sale. As he
stood in the area near the creek, he blurted out he “could
hear the spirits of the Shawnee.” “I laugh,” said Jerry,
“because I was not sure it was the Shawnee tribe living here
or another,” but he felt a presence of the past that needed to
be acknowledged.
Joann recalls the lengthy effort involved in realizing their
dream farm. At the time they lived
Snapshots!People & their land
Snapshot 1:
The Storcks onIndian Creek
Look Who’s Watching
the TVCT Office!This Great Horned Owl spent more than two hours
perched on the fence peering in the window at the
Three Valley Conservation Trust ofce on April 11.
Sam Fitton, wildlife biologist and TVCT Board member,
estimates the owl to be about six weeks old. See page
11 for some interesting facts about this species.(Continued on page 8)
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LetMeBeFrank
Frank HouseChair, Board of Trustees
Adolph Greenberg
Catherine Hollins
Frank House
Ben Jones
Mary Moore
Founded in 1994, the Three Valley Conservation Trust works with people and communities to conserve the natural environment and cultural heritage in Southwest Ohio. The Trust protects open spaceand farmland by acquiring, through gift or purchase, conservationand agricultural easements, and works to protect and improve
water quality in the western tributaries of the Great Miami River.
Ray Arlinghaus
Margarette Beckwith
Frank “Hank” Dupps
Sam Fitton
Stephen Gordon
We tap some of our maple trees each
February in order to make enough
syrup to supply the bed and breakfast clientele when wehave pancakes or wafes. In 2004, I had just tapped the
trees but selected the largest ones which were a couple
hundred yards behind the house and others a hundred
yards from the barns. I then received an urgent call to go to
Korea on a business trip. We had also purchased some 40
odd sheep in the fall of 2003 (they were suppose to have
lambs in February of 2004) and together with our regular
ock ended up with over 70 ewes. The weather turned cold
and snowy right after I left and Marcia was stuck trudging
through the weather carrying sap and boiling it down to
syrup. All of the sheep then decided it was time to lamb,
necessitating late night and early morning tending, which
left her short of sleep all the while the sap was boiling.
She would nod off but somehow miraculously wake at just
the right time to prevent the sap from heading toward the
candy stage.
I returned from Korea at the end of March, but Marcia
always joked that the sheep began to have lambs on the
day I left and nished on the day I came home and that
the tapped trees seemed awfully far from the house (after
that, they were kept as close as possible ). That spring’s
experience prompted her to write the following article in
April of 2004 and it sheds some light on the origins of Sugar Valley, which we took for the name of our Bed and
Breakfast.
Mpe Syp Memoes (April 2004 )
This time of year when locally made maple syrup begins to be discussed and festivals and demonstrations at Hueston’s
Woods begin, I always think back to when I was a child
growing up on a farm near Sugar Valley.
We lived on a farm one mile south of Sugar Valley. My
best friend lived on the farm across the road and we would
walk through her woods to where the sugar camps used to
be that gave Sugar Valley its name. By the time we found
it in the late 50s, there wasn’t much left – just one old
building that was falling down, but it was a fascinating
place for us to play.
My father who is now 87, grew up on that farm and sayshe remembers when all the neighbors would get together
and take their horses with big sleds back there and start
the res. They would all work together to tap the trees and
carry the syrup and tend to the res. He said there was
a huge replace in the building for people to get warm
but that it wasn’t much more than a shed. He said all the
families had barrels that were lled with syrup brought up
on the sleds and taken to everyone’s house.
It’s easy to imagine the fun and excitement of all the
neighbors getting together after a long hard winter to all
work together to make the sugar. It would have been a lot
of work by many people over a period of time but certainlydifferent than now when you take the syrup off the shelf
without a thought. - Marcia Housez
“Valley Trust News,” the newsletter for members of the Three
Valley Conservation Trust, is published four times per year.
Editors: Stephen Gordon Mary Glasmeier
Index
Snapshot 1: The Storcks on Indian Creek ......................1
Let Me be Frank .............................................................2
Board of Trustees ...........................................................2
From the Desk of Larry.................................................. 3
“Conservation Easements 101” ......................................4
Clean Ohio AEPP Applications and Workshop ............5
Save These Dates! ..........................................................6Developing News ..........................................................7
Runners, Drummers and Bears! Oh, My! ......................7
Snapshot 2: Twin Valley Farm .......................................8
Clean Ohio Fund Renewal ...........................................10
Ohio Agricultural Day................................................ 10
Facts: The Great Horned Owl ...................................... 11
Membership Form ...................................................... 11
The Return of Auction for Acres ..................................12
Calendar .......................................................................12
Gregory Peck
Jerry Stanley
J. Ronald Stewart
Don Streti
Liz Woedl
Board of TrusTees
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Winter is a time of introspection, preparation,recommitment. For the Three Valley Conservation Trust,
it has been such a time. It has been a long, hard winter
for many. The extensive snow, bitter cold and winter
extremes have been followed by torrential early spring
rains, soaking our farm fields, uprooting our vulnerable
trees. The winter hath wrought sadness as well. We
extend our condolences and support for the families who
lost their loved ones recently.
Each of these loved ones have given of themselves and
their families to the community at large. Some have not
been named to respect the families’ privacy. Our hearts
go out to the families of Doris Taylor, James Goldey, Phil
Macklin, Robert Weber, and other Trust members who
have passed away this past winter.
Spring is a time of new beginnings, renewals, weeding,
planting, and blooming. Like nature, Three Valley is
doing the same. We are reviewing our easement records
to assure that they are as defensible in 50-100 years as
they were when signed. We are continuing to nurture
Fm he Desk f...
L arry F rimer manExEcutivE DirEctor
relationships with donors, especiallyeasement donors and members.
Staff, Board and volunteers are reaching out to build our
base of support to assure that we can effectively sustain
and add to our endowments. These efforts include securing
major gifts, corporate/organizational grants, increasing
membership and executing four major events - all designed
to fund the lands to be protected, monitor 72+ properties to
confirm compliance with our mutual agreements, and reach
out to communities to share the changes being made one
landowner and one neighborhood at a time.
‘Tis the season when we assist farmers in participatingin Ohio’s farmland preservation application process.
While we are scaling back the pace at which we complete
conservation easement transactions, we are adding
increased verification and precision with everything we do.
We’d love your feedback on how we’re doing! Let us
know how we can better strengthen our partnerships with
you and our community. z
We’d like your feedback!
email: [email protected]
call: 513/524-2150
or write: TVCTPO Box 234Oxford, OH 45056
At the 2008 Annual Meeting in February, Board member
Emeritus Orie Loucks presented the rst annual Wallace I.
Edwards Conservationist Award to Ann D. Geddes of Reily. Ms.
Geddes was awarded Citizen of the Years 2008 by the Oxford
Press as well. She is a member, easement donor, and a dedicated
volunteer at TVCT . And she still nds time to be active in many
other community efforts. What an amazing woman!
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“Conservation Easements 101”Submitted by Eric Hollins
This newsletter is a wonderful educational and outreach
tool for our membership. Each issue is lled with articles
updating you on how and what the Trust is doing. You nd
heartfelt, descriptive articles describing easements and how
the donors feel about their decisions to place their propertyin permanent protection. And, we make a concerted effort
to apprise you on the many other issues affecting the Trust
and the members who loyally support us.
Also found in our newsletters are articles lled with
references to the term, “conservation
easement.” We not only write about
conservation easements. We talk
about them. And, we assume many
times that our audience and entire
membership understand just what
a conservation easement is. BUT,it became abundantly clear when
addressing a group of members that
there are those who have a clear
understanding of the term. There are
those who have a vague notion of a
conservation easement. And, there are many
others who appreciate and support the work of
the Trust, but haven’t any idea of what a conservation
easement is.
The Trust is not unique in terms of being a new concept.
(We are unique to SW Ohio in terms of what we do.) Andconservation easements aren’t a new concept. They and
land trusts have operated in the U.S. for over 100 years.
However, interest in the use of conservation easements has
grown exponentially in recent years and the number of land
trusts has grown in response to people’s concern about the
unmitigated loss of open space in their own communities.
Between 2000 and 2005, the number of acres protected
under private conservation nearly doubled nationwide.
Today, more than 1,600 land trusts operate across the
country, serving every state in the nation.
A conservation or agricultural easement is a voluntary legal
agreement between a landowner and a land trust — such as
Three Valley Conservation Trust — that protects the land
while the landowner continues to own it, and beyond. The
organization’s duty is to uphold the terms of the easement
in perpetuity.
A conservation or agricultural easement is a customized
legal agreement that permanently limits certain uses of
the land, or a portion of the land, in order to protect its
natural and/or agricultural values. The landowner retains
all other rights to the land and may sell it or transfer it to
heirs, but all future owners are bound by the easement’s
terms. An easement restricts development to the degree
that is necessary to protect the signicant conservation
values of all types of land, including farm and ranchland;
historical or cultural landscapes; scenic views; streamsand rivers; trails; wetlands; wildlife areas; working forests
and protected forests. Most easements “run with the land,”
binding the original owner and all subsequent owners to
the easement’s restrictions in perpetuity.
Some landowners placing their land under
easement receive funding from certain
competitive programs (OPWC Clean Ohio
Green Space Conservation Program,
ODA Agricultural Easement Purchase
Program, OEPA 319 Grant Program,
Farm and Ranch Lands ProtectionProgram). However, most easements
are donated. Considered a charitable
donation by the IRS, the landowner
usually is entitled to a tax deduction equal
to the value of the donated easement — the
difference in the land’s market value with
and without the easement in place. Also, estate
taxes may be substantially reduced, making it easier for
heirs to keep the property intact.
Conservation easements contribute to the economic vitality
of a region, safeguarding the resources that provide theeconomic, social and natural foundation of a community—
the protection of water quality; conservation of precious
wildlife habitat; the preservation of open space, farmland,
ranchland, and timberland. They contribute to maintaining
the rural character of rural community. z
Notes: For more information, visit www.3vct.org.
Information for this article is from the Three Valley
Conservation Trust website, FAQs of the Land Trust
Alliance web site (LTA.org) and the website of the Nature
Conservancy.
The National Land Trust Census, released on November 30, 2006, cited record numbers of acres preserved by
private land trusts. Private land conservation nearly
doubled nationwide during 2000 to 2005, soaring to 11.9
million acres. Land trusts in Ohio protected 30,447 acres
during the 2000-2005 period; this is a 150%
increase over the number of acres
conserved up until that time. Most of
the increase nationwide and in Ohio
occurred through private voluntary
land-protecting agreements,
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Trust & Agencies Work with Farmers on
Preservation Applications Due May 23:
Trust holds Workshop for Applicantsnatural resources. These agencies also can
help landowners with the ins and outs of the
Agricultural Security Area and NRCS’s cost
share programs. These available but very
limited matching grant and tax programs
provide funding options for farmers and other
landowners looking to permanently protect
their lands. “This year, the Three Valley
Conservation Trust is limited in the number
of applications it can submit on behalf of
farmers. Only the highest scoring farms are successful,
and the competition is fierce. However, clusters of
applications and easement protected properties increase
a farm’s chances,” noted Larry Frimerman, the Trust’sExecutive Director.
By 2008, the Clean Ohio Program will have provided
dollar for dollar direct pass-through funding for
31 farms through TVCT with the help of the other
conservation agencies, seventeen of which are through
the Ohio AEPP. To find out more about tools to protect
your farm, or for more information, contact the Trust
office at (513) 524-2150. z
The Three Valley Conservation Trust
held an Ohio Agricultural EasementPurchase Program (AEPP) application
training session on Saturday, April 12,
at the Trust office north of Oxford.
More than a dozen applicants and Trust
volunteers worked together on a chilly
spring morning toward completion of
farmland preservation applications.
The Trust, Soil and Water Conservation
Districts, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service
(NRCS) offices are working closely with farmers and local
officials to submit applications for farmland preservation
funding by the May 23 application deadline.
The Trust is the designated Local Sponsor organization
through which to apply for the Ohio AEPP, the Federal
Farm and Ranchland Protection Program, and other land
conservation programs; the Trust also provides information
on possible tax benefits for preserving family lands. The
County Soil and Water Conservation Districts provide the
calculation of soil values, and together with the Natural
Resources Conservation Service, helps farmers to develop
farm conservation plans to better protect soils and other
at the Annual Meeting
Esemet Doos: Front: Harold Puff and Larry Frimerman Back:
John Blocher, Cleo Gerber, Jerry Gerber, Donna McCollum, Hays
Cummins, Holly Wissing, Jim Reid, Tom Wissing, Amy Leedy, Hazel
Call, and Jim Leedy.
Above: Board Vice Chair Sam
Fitton and easement donor
Howard DuBois
Left: Easement donors Danielle
Mann and Marc Tincher shared
the microphone to talk about their
farm and its legacy.
Easement donor Tom Ulrich
captured the audience talking about
his land.
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Concert by the Creek
Saturday, July 124295 Cincinnati-Brookville Rd.
4:00 pm
Enjoy this family outing with roasted pig, hot dogs,
picnic side dishes and homemade desserts. Fun and
games for children and for adults, including rafes,
drawings, and even a dunking booth. The concert
begins at 6:00 pm. The musical lineup includes:
• Dr. Debbi’s Medicine Show;
• Oxford Gourd and Drum Ensemble; and
• Daysh.
Bring your blankets or lawn chairs for the concert.
$20 per person • Under 12 years - FREE
(This is a non-alcohol event.)
Advance tickets are required.
Call 513-524-2150.
6 www.3vct.org Valley Trust NewS
Save these dates in 2008!Enjoy three great events to support Three Valley Conservation Trust in 2008.
N E W !
I T ’ S B A C K !
WIN A CANOE!
N E W !
Auction for Acres
Saturday, September 27
The Knolls of Oxford6:00 pm
Auction for Acres returns in September. Enjoy heavy hors
d’oeuvres, wine, beer, soft drinks, and live music while
bidding on Silent Auction items. The Live Auction with the
always entertaining Auctioneer Doug Ross begins at 8:00
pm. Bid on trips, antiques, services, art and unusual items!
Cost per person to be announced.
All proceeds benet Three Valley Conservation Trust.
RSVP is required. Call 513-524-2150.
N E W ! It’s a Wine Tasting!
Date: November 8Brown’s Run Country Club
Watch for details in the Summer Valley Trust News.
A Country Evening for Conservation
Saturday, May 31 5942 Booth Rd. & 2550 Indian Creek Rd.
5:30 pm
Our rst big fundraiser for 2008! Please join us for afascinating evening highlighted by extraordinary locally
grown food prepared by Oxford area chefs. The event will
take place at two architecturally signicant and historic
protected farms; you can tour the farms and talk to the
landowners. Enjoy live music by local musicians.
$250 per person. All proceeds benet Three Valley Conservation Trust.
Space is limited; RSVP is required. Call 513-524-2150.
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Developing Newsfrom Lawrence Leahy, Development Director
As you may have seen in a yer we recently distributed,
and on page 6, we have scheduled our ‘Special Events’
for 2008. We are very excited to be having a new event
this year on May 31—a dinner highlighting two easement
properties.
Two events we had last year are returning, but in a different
format:
--The pig roast, now titled the ‘Concert by the Creek’,
will take place as a family event on July 12, with musical
entertainment by a variety of musicians, plus lots of good
food and activities for all ages;
--The Auction for Acres will be held at the Knolls of
Oxford on September 27, and will focus on a diverse
selection of items and great food that we believe will be
enticing for a variety of tastes.
We believe these events will not only raise revenue for the
Trust, but also will be a way to introduce the Trust to new
people. It is always important for us to reach out to our
community, so please bring a friend or neighbor to an event
when you come.
This year, as an additional way to become better known
in the area we serve, we are eager to address ‘service
organizations’ such as Kiwanis
and Rotary Clubs. In order to
help us set up and schedule these
talks, we are hoping to identify a
volunteer who would be able to
work out of his or her home by making phone calls to set
up these talks. If you would be interested helping us in
this effort, please contact me at the ofce (513-294-2141)
or my cell phone (513-461-3785). This is a terric way
to become more involved with the Trust in its efforts to
expand our presence in southwest Ohio.
There are a variety of other areas in which the Trust
continues to seek volunteers willing to give their time
and expertise. Some examples are: answering the ofce phone for 1-2 hours once or twice a week; folding
letters or materials that are mailed out to our members;
becoming involved in the planning and implementation
of our special events; or assisting with writing grant
proposals. Please contact Mary Glasmeier or me if you
are interested. We greatly appreciate the work that our
volunteers do for us, and we try to make it as much fun
as possible.
We wish you all the best for a wonderful spring season
and hope to see you at some of our 2008 events! z
The Miami chapter of the
National Association of
Environmental Professionals
and Green Oxford hosted the
first annual Earth Day 5K Race.
It was held on the Western
campus of Miami University
in Oxford Saturday, April 19th.
Although the weather was notideal, about 50 runners were at
the starting line.
OGADE (Oxford Gourd and
Drum Ensemble) braved the
weather and huddled under a
tent to keep their instruments
dry. The sun came out and
they kicked off the event with
energizing rhythms using
Runners, drummers, and rain... oh, my!various African, and unique indigenous
instruments. Lew Hoffmann, member of
TVCT and OGADE, started the race with
the loud sounding of a gourd horn.
Three Valley Conservation Trust was
chosen as the beneficiary of the event
in the spirit of Earth Day to honor their
conservation efforts in the region. All
proceeds from the event will be donated
as a contribution to the Trust’s ‘matching
fund’ initiative.
The Trust would like to thank
the students for all of their
hard work and donation. We
look forward to working with
them again next year. TVCT
members, start training for
the 2009 race!z
Above: NAEP students Elizabeth Schwandt,
Dtefan Linger, TVCT Development
Director Lawrence Leahy, Kay
Reichenbach, Megan Ansley, Sara
Pliske.
Right: Lew Hoffmann starting the race
blowing a gourd horn.
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on Main Street in Hamilton, and for 4 years they went
hunting every weekend for their dream, but nothing met
that special someplace they were looking for or, if it did, it
was priced too high. One January, this property was open
for viewing, and when they saw the back 30 (as they call
it) with the creek below and a hawk screaming overhead
they knew this was it….but, the price was not within their
budget. Resigned to losingit, they continued looking.
“Things were pretty
tense,” Joann recalls, but
6 months later there was
another open house. By a
lucky coincidence several
things came together: the
old farm building had
been refurbished, the
price had been reduced,
and Jerry had just retiredas director of special
education for Faireld
City Schools, and received
some additional funds.
“We almost ran back to
the car so we could tell the
realtor we’d take it,” Jerry
said.
“It’s now been 11 years
here,” said Joann, who
retired this year as an elementary school secretary at
Fairfield North. They’ve named the property “Owl MoonRanch” because that was the name of a book they often
read to their 4 children, and now 8 grandchildren, and the
name seemed to fit. While much of the property is in row
crops, for over 4 years the Storck family opened up their
farm to the public in October for an event called Pumpkin
Spshots (continued from page 1)
Junction, offering pumpkins for sale, hayrides, face
painting, potted mums, and fall foods. The whole family
participated: children, spouses and grandchildren. Jerry
dressed up and gave himself the name Dingus O’Reily
(combining Dingus from the Ballad of Dingus Magee and
O’Reily from the nearby town), and Joann was glamorous
as a gypsy in her face-painting tent.
You can tell this family
knows how to have
fun! Joann says their
real aim was to create
a memorable happy
experience for children
and for that, anything
is worth it! “A farm is
just a magical place for
children,” she says.
Sadly, the event came to
an end last year as Jerryunderwent chemotherapy
for a daunting diagnosis
of cancer. Having as
many happy days as this
couple has had and will
have will serve well for
difficult times ahead.
As Joann says, “Owl
Moon Ranch” is not just
a ranch, it’s a feeling. We
never get tired of the simplest things like watching the birds or sitting together in the evening at the shelter on
the hill and looking about. We are just so very grateful
for the opportunity to preserve our dream property and to
preserve some of the heritage of this country.” z
Snapshot 2:
Twin Valley of Preble & Montgomery Countiessubmitted by Larry Frimerman
The story of the protection of the 467 acre magnificent Twin Valley
Farms along Twin Creek in Montgomery and Preble Counties is
a classic case of vision meeting ingenuity, and partnership. The
9,000 feet of frontage on a beautiful stretch of one of the top two
streams in Ohio is only the start of the superlatives needed to
describe this property. The heavily wooded uplands and riparian
zone, exquisite native wildflowers, rich, black bottomland,
picturesque 1850 brick farmhouse and barns, and gorgeous canopy
of trees overhanging Preble County Line Rd between Gratis and
Farmersville complete the imagery.
Jerry & Jo Storck on Owl Moon Ranch
Alan Schaeffer had long ago donated a conservation easement
to Five Rivers Metroparks on a 92 acre parcel with a small
portion of Twin Creek frontage that he later sold. For years,
Dave Nolin and Five Rivers tried to follow up this acquisition
with conversation on how to protect the family’s 38 acre
pristine beech forest with stunning wildflowers. “Nothing
happened for a variety of reasons,” recounted Schaeffer, a
Dayton area lawyer. “We all have had a strong conservation
ethic, and had felt a strong tie with our farm. However,
on a visit with Nolin to walk the woods, Larry mentioned
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the possibility of protecting the whole farm through a
conservation easement. After explaining this in sufficient
depth, we were very interested.”
The entire Schaeffer Family, was strongly in support of
protecting Twin Valley Farms forever. Paula Schaeffer stated,
“This farm is beautiful, and it ought be preserved so that
future generations can enjoy it and have open spaces. Thewoods and creek, rolling hills, flat bottomland, and those
wildflowers on the 40 acre older growth forest are special
places I bring friends and family to see.”
“Wildflowers such as hypatica, fields of trillium and Blue-
Eyed Mary, Bluebells, and every other native variety are
found in that woods and elsewhere. Why wouldn’t you want
to keep it this way? We all have an obligation on this earth to
take care of what we have, and to conserve our environment.
We can all do it, even in our own homes,” she added. “I’m
so pleased to know that our farm will always remain as it is,
and thrilled that our neighbors have done the same!”Together with the Ristaneo and
several other easement protected
properties, Twin Valley Farms
now anchors a contiguous block
of some 1800 contiguous acres
of woodland, stream corridor and
farmland straddling the county line
that will have been protected under
conservation easement by the close
of 2008.
“Larry and Dave worked reallyhard to bring this to fruition-
certainly, if not for the Three Valley
Conservation Trust, none of this
would have happened,” he added.
Nolin concurs with Mr. Schaeffer
on this point. “The Three Valley
Conservation Trust has really
made a difference in building
relationships with farmers and other
landowners, and has negotiated
some terrific agreements in the
Twin Valley,” he commented.
“This has been a tremendously
successful partnership between
Five Rivers and Three Valley,”
both Nolin and Frimerman agreed
separately. z
Top: Trillium grandiora.
Above: Dave Nolin of Five Rivers
Metroparks walking the Schaeffer
property.
Left: Blue-eyed Mary.
Below: An original painting of Schaeffer’s
Twin Valley Farm.
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10 www.3vct.org Valley Trust NewS
Purchase Program (AEPP) for this year unless the
program is reauthorized. At the end of the year, the four funding rounds will have been completed, with some
limited funds available through bond repayment for ahandful of projects statewide.
To address this pending problem, a coalition of groups(including the Trust) will work with the Strickland
Administration and the Ohio General Assembly to place the initiative on the November 2008 ballot to ask
voters to continue the Clean Ohio Program and bonding pending appropriations for expenditures. However,
a bleak budgetary forecast could hamper the effortsto continue and fund this very popular and successful
program. It is vital for supporters of conservation,family farms, and sustainable economic development
to share the need for authorization of the Clean OhioProgram with their friends in the General Assembly, and
with the public at large. z
In a stunning turn of events, Governor Strickland’sadministration and the Ohio House and Senate
leadership have reached an agreement on the BuildingOhio Jobs package that includes the $400 million
renewal of the Clean Ohio program on a permanent basis. The Governor’s package was revised to now
include a total of $1.58 billion in bond-funded economicstimulus grants and loans. Governor Strickland and the
General Assembly leadership have recognized the key
role that the Clean Ohio Fund has played in generatingmomentum and local interest in land conservation, parks, trails and economic revitalization of our cities
and villages. Here in Southwest Ohio, the program has provided the vehicle for more than half of the lands theTrust and others have protected since 2002.
How important is this development? In 2008, the
remnants of funding from the Clean Ohio programwill be distributed for farmland preservation, with
a portion going for trails, brownfields, and conservation
projects in different segmentsof Ohio. In the Three Valley
Conservation Trust area of Butler, Preble, Montgomery
and Darke counties, fundingis only available through the
Ohio Agricultural Easement
Clean Ohio Renewal to beon the November Ballot
Governor, General Assembly Reach Accord on Jobs Package
Thee Vey Cosevto Tst Dect Sccess fom the Ce Oho Fd:
Program # Properties Protected Via Easement acreage
AEPP 17 3685
Conservation Fund 14 2142
Total Easements Clean Ohio 31 (see pg. 5) 5827
TVCT Present at Agriculture DayThe staff and various Board members representedthe Trust at the Dull Homestead for Agriculture Day
sponsored by the Ohio Dept. of Agriculture. LarryFrimerman, Executive Director, spoke and answered
questions at the Trust display during the workshop tours.
Robert Boggs, Director of ODA, responded to the Trustwith the following note:
“It is with my most sincere appreciation that I thank youfor taking time to educate the attendees of Agriculture
Day about farmland preservation. Land is the foundationon which agriculture exists and literacy on this issue is
important. The day was a success due in-part to your enthusiastic participation.
Your knowledge of and dedication to the preservation
of Ohio farmland is evident and well appreciated by theOhio Agricultural community. You went above
and beyond, and for that I would like to personally thankyou.” z
8/9/2019 Spring 2008 Valley Trust Newsletter, Three Valley Conservation Trust
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/spring-2008-valley-trust-newsletter-three-valley-conservation-trust 11/12SPRING 2008 www.3vct.org 11
NAME _________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS _____________________________________________________________
CITY ___________________________________ ST _________ ZIP _______________
PHONE(S) _____________________________________________________________
EMAIL ________________________________________________________________
Conserve paper & postage. Send “News” notice via email.
I would like to volunteer. Please contact me.
I give permission to list my name as a supporter.
MEMBERSHIP LEVELS
All receive the Valley Trust News (via mail or email)
Trust Benefactors
Great Blue Heron Group - $10,000+Free reservations for all Trust events, Chair’s Reception,Tour of at least one easement site
Founder’s Society - $2,500+Free reservations for two Trust events, Chair’s Reception,Tour of at least one easement site
Conservationist - $1,000 - $2,499
Free reservations for two at Annual Meeting, Chair’s Reception
Trust Partners
Guardian - $500 - $999 Free reservations for two at Annual Meeting
Contributor - $250 - $499Free reservations for two at Annual Meeting
Sponsor - $100 - $249 Member - $50 - $99
Student - $25 Other - $_______
My company has a matching gift program, I will send the form.
CHECK MC VISA
CC# __________________________________ Exp. Date ____ /____
3 digit code_____ _________________________________________PRINT NAME AS IT APPEARS ON YOUR CARD
________________________________________________________SIGNATURE
Total Amount Enclosed $____________
Mail and make payable to: Three Valley Conservation Trust
TVCT, PO Box 234, Oxford, Ohio 45056.
three valley conservation trust
Conserving the natural
environment and cultural
heritage of Southwest Ohio
“Did you know
that you can name the
Three Valley Conservation Trust
in your estate?”
There are usually 2 eggs per clutch, with a clutch
ranging in size from 1 to 5 eggs (5 is very rare).
The average egg breadth is 46.5 mm (1.8 inches),
the average length is 55.2 mm (2.2 inches) and the
average weight is 51 grams (1.8 oz). The incubation
period ranges from 30 to 37 days, averaging 33 days.
Brooding is almost continuous until the offspring are
about 2 weeks old, after which it decreases. Young
owls move onto nearby branches at 6 weeks and start
to y about a week later. The offspring have still been
seen begging for food in late October (5 months after
leaving the nest) and most do not separate from their
parents until right before they start to reproduce for
the next clutch (usually December). Birds may not
breed for another year or two, and are often vagrants
(“oaters”) until they establish their own territories.
All adult Great Horned Owls are permanent residents
of their territories. Eggs, nestlings and edgings may
be preyed on by foxes, coyotes, wild or feral cats.
There are almost no predators of adults, but they may
be killed in confrontations with eagles, Snowy Owls
and, mostly, other Great Horned Owls, which may
end in the eating of the dead owl.z
Facts:
Great Horned Owl
(from Wikipedia)
8/9/2019 Spring 2008 Valley Trust Newsletter, Three Valley Conservation Trust
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/spring-2008-valley-trust-newsletter-three-valley-conservation-trust 12/12
Non-Prot Org.
U.S. Postage
P A I DPermit No. 171
Oxford, OH
45056
www.3vct.org
Larry Frimerman, Executive Director
Lawrence Leahy, Development Director
Mary Glasmeier, Ofce Manager
Thi l tt i i t d l d d i l il bl i di it l f t
5920 Morning Sun Road, PO Box 234Oxford, Ohio 45056
513-524-2150 • 513-524-0162 fax
Calendar
MAY
7 Board Meeting, 7 pm, TVCT
23 AEPP Deadline
26 Memorial Day (Ofce closed)
29 Coalition of Ohio Land Trusts
Conference, Delaware, OH
31 A Country Evening for
Conservation, 5:00 pm.
See page 6
JUNE
4 Board Meeting, 7 pm, TVCT
JULY
2 Board Meeting, 7 pm, TVCT
4 Independence Day (Ofce closed)
12 Concert by the Creek, 4:00 pm.
See page 6.
THE RETURN OFAUCTION FOR ACRES
is planned for September 27, bringing back the best deals
in the area while spreading the word that TVCT continues
to protect and preserve our natural resources. It can’t be
done without you. We need your help and support.
VOlunTEEr nOw for one of the subcommittees!
DOnaTE iTEMS for the live auction, such as: art,
antiques, sports memorabilia, travel and trips, condo
stays, summer homes, etc., tickets to concerts, sporting
events, or theatre, certicates for services, decorative items,
talent, party entertainment, wine, a side of beef, or a lamb,or a hog. BE CrEaTiVE. You tell us.
To volunteer or donate an item for the auction, e-mail
Committee Chair Dick Sollmann at [email protected]
or call the TVCT ofce at (513) 524-2150.
R e d u c e Wa s t e :
R E C E I V E, R
e - r ea d
& R e c y c l e !
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