[FIG-ALL] Prairie Land Conservancy Open House this Sunday 2-4 pm

[Lisa Gruver]

Hi all,

If you own land, know people that own land, or are interested in helping to permanently protect wild spaces, forests, open lands, and sustainable ag lands, you may be interested in this open house on Sunday.  Prairie Land Conservancy covers 10 counties.  ... so please spread the word.  This is a great opportunity to come and learn more about land trusts, conservation easements, and the conservation movement in Illinois.

Lisa


PRAIRIE LAND CONSERVANCY OPEN HOUSE
The Prairie Land Conservancy will host an open house at the Prairie Hills
RC&D office on Sunday December 7th at 321 W. University Dr., Macomb, IL from
2pm-4pm. Information on conserving our region's open spaces, farmlands,
and forests along with benefits of becoming a Prairie Land Conservancy
member will be offered. Refreshments will be served. For more information,
please contact Prairie Hills RC&D at 309-833-4747.



Prairie Land Conservancy for Landowners
Today many may think of West Central Illinois as the land of corn and soybeans,
the region actually has a rich inheritance of habitat diversity shaped by the many fingers
of creeks and rivers that are tributaries to the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers.
Oak woodlands, savanna, and barrens were more common to this region than
much of the rest of the state. Although much of its original nature has since been
modified, pockets of important biological diversity still remain, such as a 14 mile stretch
of the LaMoine River and state preserves containing barrens and savannas like that
located in Argyle Lake, Wineburg-King and Siloam Springs State Parks.

Landowners now have the ability to protect and restore the conservation values
of their land with the help of the Prairie Land Conservancy [PLC], a conservation land
trust started in 2007 as a division of Prairie Hills Resource Conservation and
Development. The PLC covers a 10-county area including Adams, Brown, Fulton,
Hancock, Henderson, Knox, McDonough, Pike, Schuyler, and Warren Counties.
The PLC works with landowners to preserve natural habitats, open space,
forests, wetlands, and agricultural lands using conservation options. One option is a
conservation easement, which limits development on land. Landowners can secure
their property’s conservation values for future generations. With this tool, landowners
can permanently designate the use of their land or a portion of their land, and this
restriction is recorded in the county deed and carried with the property.
The conservation easement may result in significant property or estate tax
benefits. As landowners begin to consider these important options for West Central
Illinois’ natural heritage and their own family heritage, the PLC continues to build its
capacity for assisting landowners.

The group received a grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation
In October 2007, and with these funds hired the consulting firm of Mayes Wilson &
Associates, LLC of Huntersville, North Carolina to help them develop a strategic plan.
That planning process was completed in August of 2008 and the group is
currently seeking to encourage individuals from the 10-county area to join the PLC and
serve on its board. For more information or to arrange for a PLC presentation for your
group, contact Dave King of Prairie Hills Resource Conservation and Development at
309-833-4747.


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