RENSSELAER LAND TRUST RECEIVES $5,000 RBC BLUE WATER PROJECT GRANT

Rensselaer Land Trust has received a $5,000 grant from the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) in support its RBC Blue Water Project.

Chosen as a grant recipient for its shared commitment to protect watersheds, Rensselaer Land Trust will use the $5,000 grant to increase watershed awareness by developing an online interactive map of Rensselaer County's watersheds, water districts and water sources.

The RBC Blue Water Project is a wide-ranging, multi-year program to help foster a culture of water stewardship. Since lack of access to clean water is considered to be one of the major threats to human health and economic development around the world, RBC is working to create a "blue water future" of sustainable water resources worldwide. The first phase of the RBC Blue Water Project is a grant program of $50 million over ten years.

"We will make information on water sources easily available to anyone with internet access, increasing awareness about the importance of water resources and how to keep water clean," Nick Conrad, President of Rensselaer Land Trust, said. "We could not accomplish our mission without the support of companies like RBC who share in our beliefs about the value of protecting nature's most precious resource."

(Water photos copyright Trix Niernberger)

The Rensselaer Land Trust has purchased lands along the Hoosic River that is a mile long near Eagle Bridge on the Rensselaer County side consisting of approximately 39 acres of agricultural lands. The Department of Environmental Conservation plans to install a boat and fishing access at one end of the property to be opened in early 2010.

The Rensselaer Land Trust has begun a new era of resource protection for our county as a modern land trust. We are initiating a $3 Million Capital Campaign to expand and accelerate our efforts to place conservation easements on critical lands. Our efforts need to be proactive in watershed protection before our water quality suffers. Rensselaer County residents have the privilege of drinking clean water from local sources at a very modest cost. Some neighboring counties are obtaining their water from the Hudson River. Protecting watersheds that feed the Hudson can also help the Hudson become a cleaner river. Let's keep our water clean!

There are three key areas our $3 million campaign will underwrite:

$600,000 for Professional Staff

The benefit of professional staff is evidenced by the great success our neighboring land trusts have achieved in their respective counties: Columbia Land Conservancy, Saratoga PLAN and Washington County's ASA. As a starting point, Rensselaer Land Trust needs to hire three full-time staff: an executive director, a director of land stewardship and a development officer.

$400,000 for Stewardship and Legal Defense

As we have researched the best practices of land trusts across the nation, we have found the need to shore up our funds for stewardship and legal defense. So far, we have been fortunate to deal with first generation property owners who truly care about our natural resources. In the future, we must have secure funding to protect the land against legal challenges and steward the land "in perpetuity" in the face of a changing landscape.

$2,000,000 for Land Acquisition

The amount of land we steward is a very small percentage of what needs to be protected. Rensselaer Land Trust needs to step up the pace by identifying larger areas of interest and partnering with others to secure our future.

New "Watershed Circle" Donors Step Up

Significant conservation efforts require significant funding! Some of our members are joining our new "Watershed Circle" by giving $3,000 or more each year, though every donation makes a difference. They are forming the backbone of a growing campaign.

Show Your Support Today

For more information about our capital campaign and how you can be a "Watershed Circle" donor, please contact us at renstrust@renstrust.org.