DUTCHESS LAND CONSERVANCY INC
PO BOX 138, MILLBROOK, NY 12545 dutchessland.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: DUTCHESS LAND CONSERVANCY (DLC) IS DEDICATED TO PRESERVING THE SCENIC, AGRICULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES OF DUTCHESS COUNTY, NEW YORK, AND THE SURROUNDING AREA. DLC, AS A PRIVATE NON-PROFIT LAND CONSERVATION ORGANIZATION, CARRIES OUT ITS MISSION PRIMARILY BY OBTAINING CONSERVATION EASEMENTS ON PRIVATELY HELD LAND AND MONITORING THESE EASEMENTS IN PERPETUITY. CONSERVATION EASEMENTS, ACQUIRED THROUGH EITHER DONATION OR PURCHASE, ARE LEGAL AGREEMENTS LIMITING FUTURE DEVELOPMENT IN ORDER TO PROTECT LAND FOR CONSERVATION PURPOSES. IN ADDITION, DLC PROVIDES PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE TO LANDOWNERS AND MUNICIPALITIES TO ENCOURAGE ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND PLANNING, AND EDUCATES THE PUBLIC ON MATTERS OF LAND CONSERVATION AND STEWARDSHIP. IN 2009 THE ORGANIZATION WAS AWARDED ACCREDITATION STATUS BY THE LAND TRUST ACCREDITATION COMMISSION, AN INDEPENDENT PROGRAM OF THE LAND TRUST ALLIANCE. IN 2014, THE ORGANIZATION WAS AWARDED ITS 5-YEAR ACCREDITATION RENEWAL. IN 2020, the Organization was award

THE ORGANIZATION IS DEDICATED TO PRESERVING THE SCENIC, AGRICULTURAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES OF DUTCHESS COUNTY, NEW YORK, AND THE SURROUNDING AREA.

LAND CONSERVATION: CONSERVATION EASEMENTS - In 2019, the Organization worked with numerous landowners on conservation easements covering more than 5,000 acres, and several conservation planning projects, developing resource maps, responding to inquiries about conservation easements, and visiting properties. In 2019, nine conservation easements were filed protecting 1,375 acres which brought the Organization's total land protected to approximately 42,750 acres. Purchase of Development Rights - the Organization completed five projects in 2019 and continued its work with several farmers on PDR projects in the towns of Amenia, Clinton, North East, Pine Plains, Pleasant Valley, Red Hook, Rhinebeck, and Stanford. Municipal Conservation Areas - Through the Organization's municipal conservation area assistance program, a program to help towns acquire important resource land for passive public use, the Organization has submitted a grant to purchase the Seven Wells Property to add to the Dover Stone Church Preserve, provided advice on protecting land surrounding a historic cider mill in Pouhgkeepsie, and is working on options for DLC's Whaley Lake Property as a Public Conservation Area.

STEWARDSHIP: The Organization has now protected 42,075 acres stewarding 409 easements. The Organization areal monitors all properties annually and ground monitors its easement on a three-year rotational basis. In 2019, the Organization aerially monitored all conservation easements and completed 172 on a 3-year rotational ground monitoring schedule through staff. The Organization worked on numerous stewardship matters from prior approval requests and land management questions to resolving easement issues. In 2019, the Organization again registered for Terrafirma, the Conservation Easement defense insurance program to enhance its ability to successfully enforce its easements. Each year, the Organization also works to update old baseline documentation files. Staff strive to keep up to date on internet services such as Microsoft's mapslive.com, Google Earth, and Bing, which provide very useful additional sources of aerial photography. The Organization's stewardship responsibilities continue to increase each year as more and more easements are accepted. The Organization continues to improve the tracking of easement protected property sales, communication with landowners, and maintaining a "watch list" of easement protected land on the market to check for new ownership. Throughout the year, staff files critical easement related documents in the Organization's archival storage unit in an off-site facility to ensure the long-term safety of the Organization's most valuable documents. The Organization also continued its collaboration with Columbia Land Conservancy (CLC) on its farmer landowner match program, that facilitates lease agreements between landowners seeking to have their land farmed, and farmers seeking land, as a way to keep land open.

EDUCATION: Educating people about conservation tools is an integral part of the Organization's mission. The Organization's staff regularly talk with municipalities, school groups, service and business associations, and private landowners about the importance of land preservation, sound planning, quality growth that protects important resources, land stewardship and ways to keep farmers on the land. In 2019, the Organization hosted and participated in 23 education events, reaching almost 1,000 people. The Organization collaborated with the Dutchess County Cornell Cooperative Extension, DC Soil & Water Conservation District, the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Dutchess County Planning, Caora Farm (on the Sheepdog Trials), Black Sheep Hill Farm Fest, and the Orvis Game Fair. The Organization worked with local schools including Marist and Bard College students as well as Poughkeepsie, Dover High, and Millbrook School to teach about land conservation. Staff and board members also participated in and attended numerous events throughout the year. Staff and board members attended and presented at the National Land Trust Rally (conference) in Raleigh, NC, attended the NY Land Trust Symposium in Albany, NY, numerous seminars, classes and webinars to increase knowledge, participated on numerous committees (state, regional, and local) and attended various gatherings to promote awareness of the environment, land conservation, and DLC's work. DLC's president continues to serve on the Land Trust Alliance NY Advisory Board.

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