Arc of Appalachia Preserve System Land Steward Program
The Land Steward Program is an innovative strategy that grew out of the challenges facing nature preservation throughout the highly-developed and fragmented Eastern Forest region that once occupied the entire eastern third of the United States. In our nature preserve system here in southern Ohio, Land Stewards help the Arc of Appalachia Preserve System by using their own private funds to acquire properties of land adjacent to existing preserves on which residential houses have already been developed, where they care for the property and live out their lives.
It works like this: a Land Steward purchases a selected property of their choice among those available, donates it to the Arc, and retains life estate on the house and all or part of the acreage. This, of course, involves a large donation to the Arc, and there are significant tax advantages associated with such a gift. Because houses are relatively expensive relative to the value of vacant land, the program helps the Arc afford properties that would otherwise be beyond its budget. The Arc often additionally benefits by gaining new resident volunteers in its immediate community, and at the very least, like-minded supporters who share an enthusiastic commitment to the cause of nature preservation. Currently there are a dozen Arc of Appalachia properties with land stewards.
A Land Steward Life-style. All kinds of people are attracted to land stewardship -- with a diversity of vocations, income levels, and philosophies. The bridge that forms the connection among Land Stewards is their love for the land and their willingness to make a gift of the very land on which they live to the cause of biodiversity protection. Aspects of humanity that are shared in common among most land stewards seem to often be: humility, a deep respect for life and the intelligence of life processes, recognition that humanity has lots to learn, a natural pursuit of lifestyles that have less negative impact on other living species, and a true love for the diversity of all life. All in all, land stewards usually delight in leaving the land just "be", turning off the security lights and watching the stars, limiting the disturbance on native wildlife, seeking organic methods of food production and landscaping, and a sincere love and delight in the diversity of creatures with which we share the earth.
When a property with a house is acquired, land stewards enjoy a life-long right to reside in the house, allowing the remaining land to stay in its natural state as part of the Arc.
Land Stewards usually adopt caretaking duties on the site such as protecting the boundaries, maintaining nature trails, and picking up litter along the roadside. At the end of a Land Steward's life, the house reverts back into the Arc's care, either to be leased to a new generation of Land Stewards, or, if the building is aged and no longer of service, it is respectfully dismantled as part of the Arc's longer-term plan to fully reclaim wilderness to the area.
Land Stewardship is not for everyone. Land Stewards do not own the land outright, but rather borrow it for their lifetime. They have all the advantages of ownership except for two key points — the land cannot be sold, nor can it be willed to others. Stewards, in the simple process of purchasing the right to live in a house, perform a role of being outstanding long-term philanthropists. When it comes to their legacy, the world and all of its denizens are the beneficiaries.
Please note, because of the Arc's mission of wilderness restoration and the nature of our very small staff, Arc representatives can not work directly with people who are interested in developing vacant properties or purchasing private property in our area outside the formal Land Steward program.
If the idea of Land Stewardship interests you, now or in the future, please contact us.