The Nature Conservancy a 'Conned' Servancy? How conservation appears to equal development

 

 

 

 

August 14, 2006

 

 

 

By Julie Kay Smithson propertyrights@earthlink.net

 

 

West Jefferson, Ohio - A self-proclaimed "conservation" group that operated in the 1990s for more than three years on an expired charter is raising doubts about its motives and mission.

 

The Nature Conservancy, headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, has been in "non-profit hot water" more than once in other states, too. Texas was one of TNC's faux paux.

 

"Hidden Creek At The Darby," a housing development built on land directly bordering Little Darby Creek (a "National Wild and Scenic River") is project initiated by Robin W. Green. Green wears two hats: she's executive director of the Ohio Chapter of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and is also a developer. Some might consider that a contradiction.

 

At the "Hidden Creek Darby" website is an invitation of sorts: "You are invited to experience Hidden Creek at the Darby, an exclusive, residential community. Nestled along the tranquil grandeur of Darby Creek. A world of extraordinary beauty. Spectacular 2 to 5 acre ravine, forest, meadow, lake and creek homesites from $80,000 to $125,000. The peaceful serenity of a 250-acre private nature preserve. Hiking, horseback riding, canoeing, fly fishing…lie just beyond your back door. Only 17 miles from downtown Columbus."

 

There is also a "vision" statement, though the "vision" about which she rhapsodizes actually makes substantial money for herself and TNC, while also keeping the well-heeled fashionably isolated/protected, in their gated area. Protected from what? Protected, perhaps, from the real stewards of this and other streams in my neighborhood: the Amish and Mennonite farmers that have been caring for this area for two hundred years. The real stewards of this land and these waters do not build near the streams. The real stewards do not plant up to the stream's edge, in the floodplain, but there is a "field of trees" just east of West Jefferson that is -- or was -- planted in pine trees by "conservationalists" on lands once owned by Blatter's Truck Patch. Drive past this "field of trees" on the north side of U.S. Route 40 and you'll be struck by the healthy stand: of weeds. Trees? If, in fact, there are still young pine trees, they have been completely obscured by the "conservation measures" being applied.

 

"From bluffs rising out of the creek basin to the large open expanses of rolling meadows bordered by forests, this 604-acre treasure is now available to a limited number of families. Little Darby Creek, a pristine National Wild and Scenic River, meanders for over a mile through forest, meadow and dramatic ravines. Recognized nationally as one of a dozen "Last Great Places" in the Western Hemisphere, the Darby Creek system is the last remaining "pristine" system in Ohio. For the first time, this special 604 acre preserve, located only 17 miles from downtown Columbus, will be accessible to those families who will become the future generations of this very unique heritage. Hidden Creek at the Darby is a unique approach to a planned residential community of the highest quality. Executive, estate home sites, ranging from 2 - 5 acres, overlook ravines, forest, lakes, wildflower meadows and Little Darby Creek. Located on over 600 acres, only 120 homesites will be tastefully designed to enhance the natural environment. Careful attention to the location of each home will allow residents to take full advantage of the unique beauty of their property and to share spectacular vistas. The stables and meadows serve as a central focus and gathering place for the community. Specific covenants, restrictions and design guidelines promote the highest quality design and construction within Hidden Creek. The vision for Hidden Creek at the Darby is very simple - to preserve the unique character which has emerged here over the centuries; to blend the natural setting, peace and privacy of rural living with the convenience and comfort of today. The effect will be that of a few families sharing a private nature preserve. ...the emphasis will be on quiet enjoyment and casual, understated charm; an escape from the pretension and formality which have come to characterize too much of our daily lives."

 

It this how TNC "saves" "Last Great Places" -- in the form of high-dollar building lots?

 

 

Here's the Washington Post series on The Nature Conservancy:

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/nation/specials/natureconservancy/ 

 

Part One : Inside the Nature Conservancy

 

Nonprofit Land Bank Amasses Billions
The Conservancy is the world's richest environmental group, amassing $3 billion in assets by pledging to save precious places. But recently it has aligned closely with corporations. In addition to land conservation, it pursued drilling, logging and development. Its approach has led to strange bedfellows.

 

$420,000 a Year and No-Strings Fund
Officials at the Nature Conservancy say their finances are an open book, a stance charity experts describe as essential to promoting public trust. Still, simple answers can prove difficult to get.

 

Image Is a Sensitive Issue
A look inside the Nature Conservancy reveals a whirring marketing machine that has poured millions into building and protecting the organization's image, laboring to transform the charity into a household name.

 

 

Part Two: When Conservation and Business Fail to Mix

 

 

How a Bid to Save a Species Came to Grief
Mobil Oil gave the Conservancy a patch of prairie that encompassed the last native breeding ground of the most endangered bird in North America. The Conservancy wanted to turn the site into a national model of environmentally compatible drilling. But the results illustrate how the organization's philosophy and profit pursuits can put its core mission at risk.

 

 

 

For-Profit 'Flagship' Hits Shoals
Five years after the Nature Conservancy converted an abandoned U.S. Coast Guard station building into a rustic inn on Virginia's Eastern Shore as part of a $3-million for-profit venture, the group has declared the project a waste of money.

 

 

 

The Beef About the Brand
Of all the products that carry the Nature Conservancy imprimatur, perhaps the most unexpected is beef.

 

 

 

Part Three : A House in the Woods

 

 

Nonprofit Sells Land to Allies at a Loss
The Nature Conservancy has often resold raw land at a loss to supporters as part of a program to limit intrusive development, but the sales generally allow buyers to construct sprawling homes with swimming pools on the environmentally sensitive sites.

 

 

 

Landing a Big One: Preservation, Private Development
When the Conservancy acquired rare open sandplain on Martha's Vineyard it hailed it as "an important victory for conservation." While the Conservancy placed restrictions limiting some development, it also resold half of it, paving the way for Gatsbyesque vacation homes.

 

 

 

Part Four: Conserving Land and Wealth

 

 

Developers Find Payoff in Preservation
Mike Kahn, a Florida business consultant and former golf pro, advises celebrities and sports stars how they can save millions in taxes: Buy a golf course and prohibit building on the fairways.

 

 

 

Reporting on This Series

 

 

 

The Washington Post began reporting for this series of articles on the Nature Conservancy in 2001. This was interrupted by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and war in Afghanistan, and again by the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

 

Staff writers David B. Ottaway and Joe Stephens visited Conservancy operations and sites in Maine, Virginia, Wyoming, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York and Texas. They interviewed Conservancy President Steven J. McCormick four times and spoke with scores of staff and senior officials at local, state and national levels.

 

The reporters also conducted hundreds of interviews with former Conservancy employees, representatives of other environmental groups, federal environmental officials, academic and legal nonprofit specialists and tax experts inside and outside government.

 

The Post obtained thousands of pages of internal documents and e-mail communications between Conservancy officials. A number of current employees, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of losing their jobs, were interviewed.

 

The reporters also reviewed thousands of pages of documents obtained elsewhere, including court and property records in Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York, Virginia, Texas and Wyoming.

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/nation/specials/natureconservancy/ 

 

 

 

Developers Find Payoff in Preservation -- Land Trusts Help Provide Tax Breaks

 

http://www.propertyrightsresearch.org/2004/articles2/developers_find_payoff_in_preser.htm 

 

 

 

Environmentalist organizations exposed

 

http://www.propertyrightsresearch.org/environmentalist_organizations_e.htm