We just wanted to send out some love to all of you who are doing such a great job of social distancing and staying at home right now in support of our healthcare providers, health facilities and the most vulnerable among us. It is clear that this could go on for a while, so thank you for the sacrifices you are making to take such good care of each other and this beautiful part of the world!
The staff at SFCT is continuing to work remotely, and believe me we are not bored, even though it is hard to juggle all that is happening right now. You’ll see below that we just closed on a big conservation easement, and we’ve got many more conservation projects in the works.
We are gratified to know that many of you have been sustained by the open spaces of our region and that our local trails have many friends and new users these days. SFCT is proud to have played a part in the creation of the trails that are helping us cope right now. And even though we are doing our part in socially isolating and staying at home, we are still managing to provide you with trail maintenance, new amenities, and even new trails!
So while everyone’s lives are being affected in so many ways by Covid-19, SFCT is still hard at work. We are so grateful for the support of our volunteers and donors who help us protect the land you love and provide you with safe access to the trails for your health and well being. Please support our work with a gift today if you can.
We send you our very best. Please take good care of yourself and your loved ones!
MORE LAND PRESERVED!
On March 27th, we closed on an amended and restated conservation easement on West Canyon #4 in the Galisteo Basin Preserve with our landowner partners, the Commonweal Conservancy. The amended and restated conservation easement adds 548.56 acres to the existing 250-acre easement, for a total of 798.56 acres at the heart of the Galisteo Basin Preserve. This expands the protected area at the Galisteo Basin Preserve to a contiguous 6,150.5-acre conservation area that permanently protects wildlife habitat, migration corridors, scenic vistas, cultural resources and publicly accessible trails. It also creates more of a buffer on the west side of the Galisteo Springs conservation easement, the source of water for more than 350 generations of ancient and modern peoples. This additional protected acreage also grants public access to up to five miles of future trails that will connect to the Galisteo Basin Preserve’s larger 30-mile trail network. Ted Harrison and Gretchen Grogan at the Commonweal Conservancy have, once again, made possible the protection of this wonderful area.
MORE LAND PRESERVATION TO COME
We have two more conservation easements almost ready for closing: The Rio Fernando in Taos is the 20-acre property that the Taos Land Trust is turning into a conservation park as well as the location of their offices; and the Big Fence, a 370-acre conservation easement covering four parcels on Rowe Mesa and owned by the Forest Trust. Then after this, 7 more projects are in the works! That’s why we are working hard remotely so we can continue to protect the land, air and water that makes our part of the world so special!
