RVLT Receives $30,000 Gift for Preservation Efforts

The Maurice and Dorothy Stubnitz Foundation has donated $30,000 to fund two separate projects to identify and preserve the natural features of the River Raisin watershed. Up to half of the money will fund a natural features study of properties in close proximity to the river. The remainder of the grant will be used to minimize the legal expenses that would typically be borne by easement donors.

The study will identify where future conservation efforts should be directed. The RVLT board is currently researching what information is available and most useful for determining areas in greatest need of protection. An important consideration is the ability to manipulate, expand and update the information base. Contacts have been made in Lenawee and Washtenaw counties, and both are very willing to cooperate with our effort. We expect that this process will continue to evolve, and that input from various groups and individuals will shape the outcome of the project in a way that will make it useful to a wider audience than the RVLT board.

The portion of the grant for funding easements should yield immediate benefits by allowing landowners who are committed to preservation, but who can’t dedicate the money, to get the easement done.

The RVLT requires a minimum $2,000 endowment to fund the expense of defending a conservation easement in perpetuity. A perpetual easement is what the IRS requires in order for a property owner to receive a tax deduction for the charitable donation of the easement. A land trust is one of the few entities able to provide that guarantee, but cannot make such a commitment without the ability to mount a legal defense to protect the conditions of the easement. Therefore the need for the endowment.

The Stubnitz Foundation is based in Lenawee County. It has funded a wide range of cultural projects in Lenawee County and the surrounding areas. The RVLT board is committed to using these funds to maximize current and future preservation activities in and around Lenawee County. We will keep you posted on our progress in future newsletters.

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