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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 20, 2008
CONTACT: Ryan Owens, (603) 357-0600
Monadnock Conservancy Succeeds in Monadnock Tomorrow Campaign
$3 million will pick up the pace of
land protection in the region
( Keene)—The Monadnock Conservancy has announced success in reaching the goal of its Monadnock Tomorrow fundraising campaign. More than 150 generous individuals, businesses, and foundations donated and pledged nearly
$3.1 million to increase the pace and permanence of land conservation in the Monadnock region.
“More than just a fundraising campaign, Monadnock Tomorrow is our ambitious agenda to preserve and steward the landscapes that define our region,” said Ryan Owens, executive director. “These are the places that enrich all our lives—the lakes and streams where we swim, the scenic views we enjoy on the daily commute, the farms that grow our food, and the woods where we hunt and hike. This would be a very different place without them.”
The hallmark of the campaign has been its dual focus on increasing the capacity to protect land now, while opportunities exist, and on ensuring sufficient reserves to watch over those lands forever. “It’s only a matter of time before we’re faced with the same challenges as towns to our east, where they’re spending millions to saves their last scraps of green space,” said Owens. “For now, we believe we can save a lot of land at a relatively low cost, but that opportunity won’t last long.” To that end, thanks to Monadnock Tomorrow the Conservancy has doubled its capacity to complete land protection projects, dedicated funds have grown, and the group played a vital financial role in saving Temple Mountain.
Since launching the campaign in 2006, the Conservancy has also created the Community Conservation Partnership, a program that empowers town officials and conservation leaders to plan and promote open space conservation in their local communities. Monadnock Tomorrow dollars will also empower families to donate conservation easements whenever possible, provide match funds to purchase easements in major greenways like the California Brook Natural Area, and establish a fund to allow the Conservancy to act quickly to conserve key imperiled lands.
Rick Church, campaign co-chair and Monadnock Conservancy trustee, summed up the group’s current outlook: “We are truly and profoundly grateful to the many Monadnock Tomorrow contributors. The campaign has made us new friends and deepened our relationships with others, and we have never been stronger financially. There is much more to come!”
Founded in 1989, The Monadnock Conservancy is a non-profit land conservation organization that serves 35 towns in the Monadnock Region. Its mission is to identify, promote, and actively seek protection of significant natural, aesthetic, and historic resources in the Monadnock Region; and to monitor and enforce the protection of lands in the trust.
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