At its 50th anniversary bash Saturday at the Schloemer Family Paradise Valley Farm, the Cedar Lakes Conservation Foundation (CLCF) celebrated a history of winning its “Race for Open Space.”
Since its inception in 1974 under the visionary leadership of the late Goeff Maclay, the land trust, one of the three oldest in Wisconsin, has protected 2962 acres of land in the Cedar Lakes watershed. That’s about 22% of the land in the CLCF target area.
Geoff Maclay circa 1972
He and his wife Edie von Schleinitz learned about land trusts and preservation after they purchased a cottage in 1972 on Nantucket Island, about 30 miles off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
Geoff brought back the articles of incorporation and bylaws of the Nantucket Conservation Foundation and put together a group of founding donors, who launched a new land trust – Russ Darrow, Paul Grunau, Paul Reilly, Tom Rolfs, Eugene Simon, Everett Smith, William Sprinkman, Joseph Steuer, Jim Wiebrecht and B. C. Ziegler.
Their long-range strategy took root quickly, and over the next 16 years they assembled four parcels in what is now known as the Little Cedar Kettle. That’s where Cedar Creek, flowing out of Big Cedar Lake, gets its start on its way to the Milwaukee River and Lake Michigan.
Maclay spent 40 years putting together deals to preserve land in the watershed. Over its 50 years, there have been 70 transactions when a landowner was moved to conserve family properties in perpetuity.
That’s where the patrons and donors come in, either for outright purchase or payment for development rights. Land prices have risen steadily and sharply over a half century, which means big bucks have to be raised to finish CLCF’s protection strategy.
During its first formal five-year strategic plan (2019 – 2024), CLCF acquired 14 parcels by investing more than $6 million in the purchases.
Linda Mutschler
Linda Mutschler, CLCF executive director, asked CLCF patrons Saturday to step up for another 600 acres of sensitive land purchases. For its new 2024-2028 plan, she and her board set a goal of $12 million to make it happen.
“We have an opportunity,” she wrote in a recent newsletter, “to protect this land, and that opportunity is now.
“As we have often said, there are limited number of ways to make an impact that last beyond a lifetime.
“Protecting land is one of those ways.”
Tongue in cheek, perpetuity is a long time.
People in Wisconsin overwhelmingly say in repeated polls that they support land and water conservation – more than 75% — even if there is a significant price tag.
There are now 40 land trusts across Wisconsin, including the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust that serves the rest of Washington County outside the CLCF target area. The two local trusts sometimes work together.
CLCF also partners with the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD); the Natural Resources Conservation Service; Washington County, which has allocated $500,000 for a new land and water conservation pilot grant program; and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
The fundraising at the “Somewhere in Time” event in the new Schloemer “barn” on the former Gaymont farm got off to a grand start. The Russ and Sue Darrow family pledged $500,000 as a matching grant.
Would that match amount be met? No problem. The 326 guests, stimulated by auctioneer Mike Paul, raised their numbered “paddles” for $1.8 million. Not a bad start to the new CLCF goal.
In earlier pledges three other families promised $1 million each, along with several six figure pledges to support the five-year initiative.
So, CLCF is starting its second half century with a full head of steam. On the strength of its funding prowess, three additional properties have just been purchased toward the 600-acre goal. By 2028 CLCF aims to have protected 3600 acres. That closes in on Maclay’s vision: 30% of the watershed lands conserved.
Mutschler commented, “We want the whole community to enjoy our properties and to attend our educational programs.”
Torinus was former chairman of the Wisconsin chapter of The Nature Conservancy and director of the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust.
