Woman helps protect property

JANE CLARK IS the development coordinator for the Legacy Land Trust, a private, nonprofit organization that serves northern Colorado and has offices in Fort Collins. The trust works with landowners who want to protect their land from development while keeping it in agricultural production. She has lived in Colorado since 1980 and works with the trust, which was started as the Larimer Land Trust in 1993.

The Tribune visited with Clark and discussed the trust.

Tribune: How did you get involved with the trust?

Clark: I come from Philadelphia, where I grew up with the Fairmont Park System, which has miles and miles of parks and open space. We then moved to the farm country of northern Pennsylvania where I learned about family farming, then I got into real estate and was involved in that off and on from 1976 to 1993. I came to Colorado to follow my sister who came here to go to UNC. We lived west of Loveland, and I realized the Front Range was going to see a huge influx of population. Change happens. We can't make change not happen, but I realized something like the land trust is a win-win situation.

Tribune: How does the land trust work?

Clark: We have to have landowners who work willingly with us who want to protect their land for one reason or another. The trust has no money, but we get grants and awards from various sources.

By using conservation easements, landowners can get tax benefits, protect their land, and keep using it as they always have. We have a board of directors that helps us. The board includes Dick Farr and Bud Clemons from Weld County.

Tribune: What's a conservation easement?

Clark: They are permanent deed restrictions that protect wildlife habitat and agricultural lands.

They are voluntarily donated by landowners who want to see their land protected, but they also allow for the continuation of current uses. And it provides a public benefit for everyone.

Tribune: How can people contact you?

Clark: We are always looking for membership. Members support land conservation work that protects the land, wildlife habitat and everything that comes with that. But we can't do that without landowners who want to do that with their land. I can be reached at 980-1373.

-- Bill Jackson