Happy Holidays

Geneva Lake Conservancy: Protecting the land and water for you

A Rockin' Holly Ball Thank You

The Board and Staff of the Geneva Lake Conservancy wish you all the best this holiday season. May it be filled with peace, joy and the simple pleasures that make for happy memories.

Healthy lakes and waterways, clean air, beautiful vistas, rolling hills, and vibrant woodlands - what are these worth to you personally?

We imagine you would say, "A lot."

Try to recall the last time you enjoyed an outdoor activity. Perhaps it was biking on a country road; waterskiing, fishing, canoeing, or kayaking on the lake; bird-watching; hiking on the Geneva Lake shore path; or just relaxing under a shade tree in your own backyard. Most likely, there is a smile upon your face.

The Geneva Lake Conservancy would like to help you keep that smile.

Imagine, if you can, a time when there was no one to advocate on behalf of the land and water, no one to stop development of large hotels and shopping centers on fragile ecological gems. Imagine no one to protect the swaths of forests and streams that dot our communities, no one to challenge those who would pollute our lakes and destroy the beauty of this area.

Thirty-three years ago, there was no one to protect Geneva Lake, no one to protect it from sewage being dumped into its pristine waters. A group of concerned citizens, passionate about the lake, came together to stop that heinous act of pollution. They formed a group - The Committee to Save Geneva Lake - that could advocate on behalf of the community and on behalf of the lake itself.

They knew too that in order to protect the lake, protecting the land around it was imperative. With that in mind, in 1992 they formed the Geneva Lake Land Conservancy, an organization that could hold voluntary land protection agreements - conservation easements - thereby protecting the land from inappropriate development forever. In blending the organizations and becoming the Geneva Lake Conservancy, they created a group that would, for more than 30 years, protect nearly 1,000 acres of open space, advocate on behalf of concerned citizens, fight inappropriate development and educate the community on the necessity and means of protecting our precious natural resources, starting with Geneva Lake itself.

And now, Geneva Lake Conservancy needs you to stand up with that original group of 10 who would no longer tolerate the ruin of Geneva Lake. Land isn't protected in the courthouse, although that certainly helps. It is protected because those who live here, and care about it, stand together in its defense.

That is why we're writing to you today and asking that you become part of the solution.

How have we protected Geneva Lake in the past?

The Conservancy's work often is measured in what is not done, in what we have stopped rather than in what has happened. We strive to change the way people think about our natural resources. We are a proactive organization and invite you to become a member to help us conserve local resources like Fontana Fen.

The Conservancy presided over the restoration of Fontana Fen by helping to stop the development of a shopping mall on the precious and rare calcareous fen, a wetland community with an incredible number of rare, threatened, and endangered plants. The Fontana Fen is also a natural water-filtering system that helps deliver clean water to Geneva Lake.

The Conservancy donated the property to the Village of Fontana government with the stipulation that the fen remain in its native state, never to be developed. Today, the Fontana Fen is used as an educational tool and beautiful natural area for residents and visitors.

Or , consider Charlie Moelter and the Moelter Wildlife Preserve. Over the last fifty years, Charlie and his family have planted thousands of trees throughout the property, dug three ponds, and created numerous trails. Now, Native Americans conduct ceremonies and festivals on the grounds, and Boy Scouts learn about the Natural world around them, all within the 240-plus acres of protected land. With the protections put in place by the Conservancy, these activities will continue into the future unthreatened.

How does the Conservancy serve the next generation?

A voluntary land protection agreement is forever. That means the land we have saved from development will be here for your children and your children's children to enjoy. It means the parks and public natural areas we have conserved in Linn Township and Fontana will remain forever a testament to our collective desire to leave green space for other citizens and visitors to enjoy.

The Conservancy protects many different kinds of land: from the 600 feet of shoreline at the Black Point Estate Museum to private property on the shores of Geneva Lake and throughout southern Walworth County.

We preserve agricultural lands, woodlands, prairies, and wetlands. We advocate for the protection of cultural and educational institutions like Yerkes Observatory, which at one time was threatened with closure and development of the last 600 feet of completely undeveloped shoreline on Geneva Lake. Our natural environment needs protection, and the Geneva Lake Conservancy is the area's only land trust dedicated to this purpose.

We ask that you stand with us in support of these important conservation priorities.

Our mission is to preserve the environmental character of the Geneva lakes area, and we want you to join the community of environmentally passionate and committed individuals to help us accomplish these important goals:

• Shape responsible growth and development in Walworth County.
  
• Set aside land for open space, natural values, and agricultural production.
  
• Educate others about the need for a sustainable balance among agriculture, commercial, residential, and recreational uses to preserve the area's unique character and quality of life.

Membership comes with contributions of $30 and greater. Please be as generous as you can. You will receive our annual report, e-mails, and notification of local conservation programs and events. Most importantly, your financial support allows us to continue our work.

In 2011, the Conservancy will be taking the steps necessary to develop unified shoreland standards for unincorporated areas. In addition to this, we will investigate the possibility for a lake commission that will protect our lakes through cohesive zoning regulations and protections. These are huge undertakings, ones that will require all our available resources to ensure that the protections we put in place today will be around for our children and grandchildren to enjoy.

We invite you to share our vision. Please join your neighbors, give generously, and help us preserve and protect the beauty and quality of life we currently enjoy. It will put a smile on your face.

Thank you for caring.

For information on how to donate to the Conservancy, please email or call Katie Sullivan (katie@genevaonline.com; 262-275-5700).