Land Trust

My mom called our forestland in northern Idaho a “spot of paradise.” Mom was the first to point out a grand fir that might fall, to see a moose on the pasture, and to notice Western larch needles changing color. She passed away eight years ago, and we try to honor her by caring for our forestland. Since my brother and I live far away, all of the work falls on Dad.

This session is being offered as part of the 7th annual Loving the Land through Working Forests conference on Saturday, May 19 near Girard Township, Pennsylvania.

For more information and to register for the event, please visit: https://www.foundationforsustainableforests.org/loving-the-land.

Oregon WOW member Marti Willis bravely shares her heartbreaking story of losing her land so that we all can avoid the same pitfalls.

Let’s be honest.  No one wants to think about their own death.  However, if we flip the thinking, we can focus on how we help our loved ones in that transition period.  It is important to think about what will happen to your land in the future.  After investing heart, soul (and probably money) in your property, doesn’t it make sense to plan for a transition of that property to the next generation or to an organization of your choice? 

For us the decision to have a conservation easement on our forestland seemed like a no-brainer, but when we started analyzing all the aspects—-what we call all the “what-ifs”—-we knew we needed more time to make a decision. Once we took that time, we got all tangled in those possibilities. It was incredibly difficult to sort through emotions, thoughts, facts, and possibilities.

Kenna, who has attended two Women and Their Woods educational retreats, explains, “I think the whole family has to be involved in caring for the land—and women are at the heart of the family."

Land and water. We always talk about them together, but why?
The reason is simple: to care for the land is to care for the water.

A group of land parcels in Sullivan County, New York, known as Mongaup Sanctuary, is protected with a conservation easement with Delaware Highlands Conservancy. The 100 acres include a wetland with a creek running through it, open fields once used for farming, and woodland.

Shary Skoloff, a landowner with property on the Pennsylvania and New York border, recalls how she and her husband found a quiet piece of land, worked hard to nurture it back to a working farm and ultimately are leaving a legacy by sharing their connection to the land with the next generation.

Information about the Washington State - Idaho State Field Day taking place near Newport, WA on June 16, 2012

There are many organizational resources for forest landowners in the Inland Pacific Northwest, and I'd like to bring three to your attention here: Idaho Forest Owners Association; Inland Northwest Land Trust; and University of Idaho Extension.