Jan-Feb 2009 Landlines Newsletter ~ Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County

8/8/2019 Jan-Feb 2009 Landlines Newsletter ~ Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County

1/8

Help plan & host this years

exciting events by joining

the 25th Anniversary

Committee. Meetings are

3rd Wednesdays at 12noon.

2009vents

Annual Conservation

Reception&

25thAnniversary Kickoff

Wednesday, January 28th

6-9pm

Beth David Green Synagogue

10180 Los Osos Valley Rd, SLO

San Luis BeautifulArt at the Octagon Barn

Saturday, May 2nd

11-5pm

Sunday, May 3rd

11-3pm

4595 South Higuera St, SLO

SLO CountyCreek Cleanup Day

Saturday, October 3rd

9am 12noon

Sites Countywide

Thanksgiving Day Hike

Thursday, November 26th

9-11am

Black Lake Eco.Area, Nipomo

Octagon BarnHoliday Lighting

Saturday, December 5th

5pm

4595 South Higuera St, SLO

Vol. 25 No. 1 -January / February 2009

Celebrating 25 Years of Land Conservation

This year marks the 25th Anniversary of The Land Conservancy of San Luis ObispoCounty. Born around a kitchen table in 1984 and incorporated on May 30, our organizatio

was created by a group of visionary ranchers and community leaders that knew the value o

land and the importance of protecting it.

Those who appreciate what they see outside of our urban centers should knowthat our county looks this way because of local ranchers and farmers.

From humble beginnings, our organization has grown and diversified to encompass conse

vation and restoration of scenic landscapes, important wild areas, family farms and ranche

and cultural, historic sites. Throughout our history we have retained our focus on helpingprivate landowners and local government agencies achieve their conservation goals.

For an organization to last 25 years, it needs a steady

and constant stream of support. There are many

people and institutions in San Luis Obispo County

that collaboratively sustain our efforts we owe our

success to them. Yet our success stems not just from

financial support, but through volunteerism, pride in

our local lands, kind words, and more. Wed like to

thank YOU, our supporters, for helping us save

special places over the last quarter-century.So whats in the future for the next 25 years?One of the first things we plan to do is celebrate, and youre invited! We hope youll join

and bring new supporters to ourAnnual Conservation Reception & 25th Anniversary

Kickofflater this month in San Luis Obispo. We also have a new look thanks to our frien

at Webfeet Integrated Marketing who have donated their services to help us bring a fresh

innovative look to our timeless conservation mission.

In preparation for another 25 years of service, the Land Conservancys Board of Trustees

spent considerable time over the last several months to prepare a new strategic plan for th

organization. With clear attainable goals we will increase the pace of local land conservatioand reduce our dependence on grants. We will also expand programs to help local people

form lasting connections with the land around them. Developing community partnerships

will remain a focus to bring more people to our effort.

Most importantly, we will keep doing what were best at

preserving local land for the benefit of people and wildlife.

We are proud to have helped protect the scenic beauty, quality of life, and natural function

of our County throughout our 25 year history, and we look forward to sharing more good

news with you in the coming year. From all of us to all of you, a happy new year!

- Gary Felsman , President & Brian Stark, Executive Director


2/8

Page 2

During our 1st Annual Holiday Lighting of the Octagon Barn, friends andsupporters gathered to celebrate holiday cheer at the festive old barn. Oohs,aaws and applause accompanied the official lighting as Jim Buenrostro, Barnvolunteer and PG&E employee, ceremoniously flipped the switch brighteningthe chilly night with cheerful colored twinkle outlining the iconic building.

Nearly a mile of LED energy-saving holiday lights, donated by PG&E,decorated the historic structure with roughly 8,000 bulbs sparkling inside andout. Highly visible from Highway 101, the Octagon Barn light display usedminimal energy. PG&E says LED holiday lights are 90 percent more efficientthan traditional, incandescent holiday lights. The Land Conservancy is showing true leadership by using this greatnew tradition to emphasize the importance of energy efficiency, said Patricia Wilmore, PG&E local area manager.

We hope the lighting of the Octagon Barn will become an annual holiday tradition.Its really neat that our local partnership with PG&E lit up this rare, historic structure

using the most advanced energy-saving technology of today.- BK Richard, Land Conservancy Board Trustee

Thanks to recent milestones, completion of the Octagon Barn Center is planned for fall 2009.

To achieve this goal, The Land Conservancy is looking for additional volunteers, committeemembers and major donors. We are planning for public events to begin in 2010.

Thank you to Pacific Gas & Electric and local PG&E representatives, Patricia Wilmore &

Thomas Jones, for partnering with us to light the Octagon Barn during the 2008-2009 holiday

season.

New Technology Brightens Up the Old Barn


3/8

Page

Strategic Plan Unveils Our Future

Under the direction of our Board of Trustees, the Land Conservancy has adopted a new strategic plan that lays thefoundation for our success over the next four years. The plan calls for strategic investments in our fundraising and puoutreach programs, as well as our land conservation program. This ambitious plan will aid us in increasing the pace ofland conservation and securing our long-term future in the community.

During this time of economic turmoil, more than ever, the strongest organizations are those thatstay focused on their mission despite outside forces and that function with a strong sense of eth-

ics. These are two cornerstones of our strategic plan. Brian Stark, Executive Director

The following objectives comprise the backbone of the Land Conservancys strategic plan:1. Important conservation lands are protected for future generations.

2. Degraded habitat resources are enhanced to return their environmental benefits to the community.

3. The Land Conservancy is an enduring and effective organization capable of protecting and managing local lanand undertaking vital restoration projects within the scope of its mission.

4. The Land Conservancy has a stable, diverse, and growing base of community and financial support.

5. The Land Conservancy provides information about and access to outdoor areas to help all San Luis ObispoCounty community members develop a personal land ethic and connection to the land.

We invite you to view the full Strategic Plan online to find out what specific milestones and tasks have been identified.Visit www.LCSLO.org and view the PDF found in About Us.

Land Protection Program Expands

We welcome Margo Heekin Clarkas our new Conservation Planning Associate. Margo will assist in preparingconservation easements under Conservation Director, Bob Hill. With her background in agriculture and financial

planning, Margo has worked with local landowners and their advisors who share an interest in conserving land.

Margo earned her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Animal Science (Cal Poly SLO and Kansas State University respectively)

and has holistic ranch management experience. She has worked on ranches in Kansas and California, managed the

Ted R. Cooper Ranch in Creston, California, and been a member of the California

Beef Cattle Improvement Association. In 1990, Margo became a Certified Financial

Planner and practiced in Templeton for 13 years.

Joining the Land Conservancy provides Margo with the opportunity to use her di-

verse background and experience to give back to the community. She says, Im very

excited about being involved in helping to preserve our sense of place in San Luis

Obispo County.

An avid mountain biker, Margo serves on the board of the Central Coast Concerned

Mountain Bikers (CCMB). She also enjoys riding her road bicycle on the beautiful

back roads of San Luis Obispo County and hiking in local open spaces.This new position was created in response to the growing demands of larger, more complex conservation transactions

Through an exciting private donor programConservation Partners Guildwe engage sponsors in underwriting

the costs to expand our Conservation Program and helping us double the pace of local land conservation. The inaugu

ral member of the Conservation Partners Guildis Board Trustee, BK Richard, whose donation allowed us to hire Margo.

We are sincerely grateful for BKs generosity and leadership, and we hope that other community members will join him

as members of the Conservation Partners Guildor as donors of other critical programs.

For more information about private giving programs, contact Wende David at 544-9096 x10 or visit www.LCSLO.org.


4/8

Herb Stroh Leads Estate Planning Council

Congratulations to Herb Stroh, on his recent election as president of the Estate Planning Council of San Luis ObispHerb Stroh is Vice President of The Land Conservancy and serves on the

Executive, Finance and Land Committees. Since joining the Board in 2006, Herb has

helped The Land Conservancy build a planned giving program and provided

expertise in managing estate gifts.

I hope my leadership on the Estate Planning Council will strengthen

local planned giving programs that connect donors with important

community needs, like preserving land in San Luis Obispo County.

- Herb Stroh, Land Conservancy Vice President & Estate Planning Council President

The Estate Planning Council of San Luis Obispo was established in 1996 to bring

together professionals involved in estate planningsuch as attorneys, accountants,

trust officers, life insurance professionals and financial planners. They meet five times

a year for professional development.

Herb, a partner in the business law firm Sinsheimer Juhnke Lebens & McIvor, LLP, is a certified specialist in estateplanning, trust and probate, with 23 years of practice and teaching. He also serves as president of the Cambria Sunrise

Rotary Club and board member & treasurer of Hospice of San Luis Obispo County.

If you or someone you know is considering The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County in their estate plans,

please contact Herb Stroh at 541-2800 or Land Conservancy Executive Director, Brian Stark, at 544-9096 x12.

Morro Bay Winter Bird FestivalJanuary 16-19

The Land Conservancys Stewardship Manger, Daniel Bohlman, isleading a birding field trip at Filipponi Ecological Area onJanuary18th from 9am-12pm in collaboration with Morro Coast AudubonSociety during this years Winter Bird Festival.

Filipponi Ecological Area is owned by the City of San Luis Obispoand has been restored by The Land Conservancy. This 80-acrepreserve includes creekside willows, pools, wetlands and rockyoutcroppings. Birders can expect a variety of wintering sparrowsand perhaps waterfowl and raptors. A brief discussion of the siterestoration will also be covered. Birding and walking conditions maybe difficult due to mud (rubber boots suggested).

On-line registration & information available at (805) 275-4143 orwww.morrobaybirdfestival.org.

On May 2nd and 3rd, The Land Conservancy is hostingSan Luis BeautifulArt at the Octagon Barnin celebration of its 25th Anniversary. The festivalof fine art, music, and history will feature original artwork by famed artisans ofSan Luis Outdoor Painters for the Environment, like the painting on the left.

We are requesting raffle item donations at $10-$50. To donate an item, contact

Carol Courcy at 305-7327 or email: [email protected]. Thank You!Marguerite Costigan

Octagon Barn on TVSan Luis Obispo artist, writer andreporter, Joan Sullivan, produces

Picture the Past Productions- a series ofhistory in the making documentariesabout local artists and events of note.

Throughout the month of January, thehistoric Octagon Barn is featured onChannel 2, Public Access TV. Checkout the show at:

Tuesday 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Thursday 8:00 to 9:00 a.m.

Page


5/8

GPS Helps Define Restoration Success

Page 5

This past spring The Land Conservancy added handheld GPS receivers to the Landlines Wish List. Shortly after that issue went in

the mail we received not one, but two GPS units via generous donations! We thought it would be interesting to let you know what we are

doing with our newly acquired technology as reported by Stewardship Manager, Daniel Bohlman.The Land Conservancy uses GPS (Global Positioning System) technology on analmost daily basis for everything ranging from scientific and easement

monitoring to mapping of potential land acquisitions. With the addition of

these two new units we have been able to bring GPS technology into the

Guadalupe-Nipomo dunes to help us better resolve and inform our invasive

species management program.

Prior to employing GPS, The Land Conservancy would record its daily

treatment work via visual estimates - literally looking out across the treatment

area with a trained eye to estimate the total area of the treatment site.

Furthermore, when bringing this data back to the office we were unable to

parse out the actual treatment area within a Land Management Unit (naturally

defined vegetation patches), from the entire Land Management Unit. This made it

difficult to effectively track changes in invasive species expansions and contractions

over time.

Having GPS capability in the field has changed all that. Now, Land Conservancy field crew leader, Brian OSullivan

is able to capture accurate information following daily treatments. As a result we are now able to determine and map

with certainty the specific treatment area (acres) and location. This will greatly assist us in tracking changes over

time, creating accurate and truly useful maps, and assessing treatment efficacy.

Figure 1 below shows an example of what our treatment map would look like for our August work - 13.5 acres.

Note, that if any work occurred, however small, within a Land Management Unit (the black outlined shapes) the en-

tire unit would become highlighted.

Whereas GPS technology allows us to determine exactly where we worked within each Land Management Unit and

produce more detailed and functional maps. Figure 2 below shows what our August treatment area truly looks like.

The area treated is still 13.5 acres but now shows exactly where treatment occurred.

We would like to once again thankRudy Bachmann ofSpecialty Construction and Roger Longdenfor generously donating GPS units which are greatly appreciate and well used.

Figure 1 - Old Method

Don Applegate uses a GPS unit t

record a data point in the field.

Figure 2 - New Method Using GPS


6/8

Page 6

Local People, Local Land

Volunteers of all agesfrom toddlers

to senior citizens helped out at Black

Lake Ecological Area (BLEA).

Under the direction of Project

Manager, Don Applegate, about 30

volunteers had fun getting down &

dirty planting natives and enjoying this

beautiful eco-preserve.

Restoration Program

Manger,

Michael LeBrun,

was appointed torepresent District 4 on

the Countys Bicycle

Advisory Committee.

REC Solar donated$3,200 to The Land

Conservancy through their

Solar Rebate Program.

Staff from REC Solar also

participate in volunteer

work days at our SLO

restoration sites.

Thank You, REC Solar!

Crew Leader, Brian OSullivan and

Restoration Specialists, Lance Haro,

Ryan Ihm & Matt Logue are

restoring a site near the Dana Adobe in

Nipomo. They hydro-mulched nearly 5

acres along the creek, as shown above.


7/8

Special Thanks

Wish List

Page 7

Irrigation piping & supplies (used or new; good condition )

Pop-up canopy for outreach events (10x10 or larger; good condition)

Game camera (weatherproof, outdoor, motion-detecting camera)

All donations are tax-deductible and greatly appreciated!

Contact Michael LeBrun at 544-9096 x 15 to make donation arrangements.

Board Of TrusteesGary Felsman, President

Herb Stroh,Vice PresidentLisa Wise,Treasurer

Valerie EndresBeverly GinggHerb KandelPenny RappaBK Richard

Alex RothenbergEd Carson, Emeritus

StaffExecutive Director: Brian Stark

Conservation Director: Bob Hill

Restoration Program Manager:Michael LeBrun

Membership & Development Manaand LandlinesEditor:Wende David

Stewardship Manager:Daniel Bohlman

Business Manager: Crystal Elwood

Project Managers:Mark Skinner & Don Applegate

Conservation Planning Associate:Margo Heekin Clark

Community Connection Liaison:Dave Rau

Community Program Aide:Judith Hildinger

Crew Leader: Brian OSullivan

Restoration Specialists:

Lance Haro, Ryan Ihm &Matt Logue

LANDLINES is printed on recycled paper. Sign up for our eco-friendly on-line newsletter and preview all the same great photos & stories in full color!

Nipomo ChapterContact Herb Kandel at

[email protected]

Santa MargaritaCommunity Forestry

Contact Beverly Gingg at

[email protected]

Thank Youto the following for your outstanding contributions:Catherine Oster and her volunteer crew at RSVPJoanne, Carol, Mary,

Goldie, Norma, Joan, Grace, Kathleen, Pat, Lorraine, Amy, & Elmer for

stuffing and mailing the annual appeal to our community supporters.

John & Cindy Wallace for donating an 8-ft windmill to the Octagon Barn Center.

Pam & Mike Lee atWebFeet Integrated Marketing for our fresh new look.

KCI Environmental for providing 50 mulefat plants & 8 large willow trees.Ed Carson for donating an air compressor, circular saw and framing square.

REC Solar for giving $3,200 to support local land conservation.

Ali Semon & Sara Egerer at Frame Works for collaborating with us for the 3rd

Annual Art Eco Exhibition. Check out www.SLOART.com to purchase art!

547 Marsh St., San Luis Obispo, CA 934

The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo Countyis your local, non-profit land trust working exclusively in nearby

communities. That means your donations go to work right here at home.

We use voluntary and collaborative measures, to permanently protect

lands having scenic, agricultural, habitat and cultural valuesfor the benefit of wildlife and people.

Protecting the health of our communities means assuring that landconservation keeps pace with growth. We know that our communities are

growing, and it is our job to make sure that this growth is always balanced withconservation. This is our pledge as your local land trust.

If you support what we do, please tell your friendsand encourage others to join.

Celebrating 25 Yearsof Land Preservation in SLO County547 Marsh Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401


8/8

Annual Donor Fund

___$1000 +Visionary

___$500 Guardian

___$250 Benefactor

___$100 Patron

___$50 Steward

___$30 Sustaining

___$10 Student

___$____Other

Thanks

foryour

support!

Membership is on an annual basis. All contributions are tax deductible. Please make checks payable to:

Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County - P.O. Box 12206 San Luis Obispo, CA 93406

E-mail me more info:

___________________(we do not share or spam our email list)

____ Id like to receive the newsletter via email

____ Please email me about upcoming events & volunteeri

____ Please email me about planned giving options

Y E S ! I w o u l d l ik e t o s u p p o r t t he L a n d C o n s e r v a n cy o f S a nL u i s O b i s p o C o u n t y m y l o c a l l a n d t r u s t .

Name:__________________________Address: ______________________________

In addition to membership, I will contribute to:$_____Octagon Barn Fund

Help open this community icon for public use by 2010

$_____Visionary Vistas Fund

Allows us to act quickly on time-sensitive land opportunities

$_____Healthy Lands Forever Fund

Support restoration, maintenance and legal defense

$_____Strength in Numbers Fund

Provides resources to connect our community with our miss

P.O. Box 12206

SLO, CA 93406

Phone: 805-544-9096

Fax: 805-544-5122

Email: [email protected]

w w w .L C S L O .o r g

Documents

Jan-Feb 2009 Landlines Newsletter ~ Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County