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The snow, it was
snowing . . . the wind, it was blowing . . .
. . . and yet, we all managed to
keep warm at the 2005 Holly Ball!
As many of you know, the Holly Ball benefits the Conservancy's land
protection and community service programs.
We also like to highlight deserving
members of the community whose outstanding efforts at preservation benefit
us all. This year William O. Petersen was honored with our Conservation
Stewardship Award. His magnanimous gesture of donating the Black Point
estate to the State ofWisconsin ensures that the house is preserved
for future generations.
Our many thanks to the more than
200 guests, the tireless volunteers, our sponsors, and the many donors
whose auction items and support helped make our Holly Ball possible.
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Grandma's House
Red Wing Land Company and Keefe Real Estate
Linens
The Colman Group - Mr. and Mrs. Charles Colman
Invitations
Culture:22
Lights
Mr. and Mrs. Chuck Ebeling
Big Foot Country Club Fee
The Vasa Group - Mr. and Mrs. Robert Klockars
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Donors
Artopia
Badger High School - Mr. Arnie Oswald
Chinawest
Clear Water Outdoor
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Colman
Details Inc.
Mr. Richard Driehaus
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Ebeling
Frontier Flowers
Mr. & Mrs. Bill Gage Jr.
Mrs. Grace Hanny
Mrs. Martha Hayden
Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Jordan
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Kabler
Mrs. Marie Kropp
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Donors
Lakritz & Picus Furs
Mr. & Mrs. Larry Larkin
Mrs. Linda Larkin-Geldermann
Morgans & Co. Fine Picture Framing
Mr. Fred Noer
Mr. Steve Pope
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Ramsey
Mr. & Mrs. Rudolph Rasin
Mr. & Mrs. Kent Shodeen
Starfire Jewelry
Mr. Terrance Taylor
Urban Oasis
Ventura Jewelers - Karen Ventura
Mr. & Mrs. Edward Weed
Mrs. Cindy Wilson |
Committee
Members
Mrs. Grace Eckland
Mrs. Grace Hanny
Ms. Lynn Ketterhagen
Mrs. Marie Kropp
Mrs. Sharon O'Brien
Ms. Katie Sullivan
Volunteers
Ms. Alyssa Cashman
Mr. Gary Finley
Julie and Porter Harrett
Ms. Kelly Hayden-Staggs
Ms. Christine Krzyzewski
Ms. Bridget McCarthy
Mrs. Genie Murphy
Mrs. Cindy Wilson
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Don't forget, it's not too early
to plan to join in the festivities and help support a great local cause
by participating in Holy Ball 2006, which will be held December 2. Look
for details in the fall. And, while you're waiting for next year's Holly
Ball, don't forget to plan for the third annual Mai-Tai, No-Tai summer
party. The diligent Mai Tai Tiki gods are hard at work obtaining the
party's date and other details, but look at our Web site www.genevalakeconservancy.org
later in the spring for all the information on Geneva Lake's newest
annual summer bash!
For more pictures from the 2005
Holly Ball, please visit our Special
Events Page.
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Conservation
Stewardship Award Recipient: William O. Petersen
By: Grace Hanny
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Grace Hanny Presents the Conservation Stewardship Award to Bill Petersen
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Bill Petersen was presented with the
Conservation Stewardship Award on December 3 during the Holly Ball, the
Conservancy's annual holiday party at Big Foot Country Club attended by
more than 200 Conservancy supporters.
The Conservancy presents this award
to an individual who has shown a commitment to protecting the natural
and historic resources of the Geneva Lake area through personal action.
The Petersen family has called Geneva Lake home since 1887. Bill's great-grandfather,
Conrad Seipp, built the family's historic home, Black Point, in 1888 as
a summer cottage. The house has been occupied by the Seipp family ever
since.
Bill announced several years ago that
his family wanted to donate the property to the State of Wisconsin for
conversion into a historic site for the public to enjoy. The donation
process began in 1999 and was completed in the fall of 2005.
Bill saw Black Point as a remarkable
turn-of-the-century architectural masterpiece that not only belonged to
his family but to an age of elegance. He recognized that the home and
grounds were not only priceless but a historical treasure to share with
future generations.
Bill and his loving wife, Jane, envisioned
their home as a gift to the people. This gift became a reality because
of his vision, commitment, and persistence. The recipients of his generosity
are not only the people of Wisconsin, but you, me, our children, and our
children's children. We are very grateful for Bill's contribution to this
special place we call Geneva Lake.
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Upon accepting the award, Bill urged
everyone to visit Black Point in the future. The Black Point Historic
Preservation Board is in the process of restoring the estate as a historic
site.
At past Holly Balls, the Conservancy
has honored William Turner, Ernest and Bernice Styberg, William Gage,
Marie Kropp, Philip Harvey, John Anderson, and Melita Grunow.
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Conservancy
Introduces "Discovery Backpack" Program
By: Lynn Ketterhagen,
Land Protection Specialist
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Have you ever seen a feathery
friend frolicking in the forest and wondered what it was? How about a
winsome wildflower wisping in the wind that you just could not name?
Well, grab your family and head on
over to Geneva Lake Conservancy and check out one of our new Discovery
Backpacks. These backpacks will help you understand those unknown Wisconsin
birds, wildflowers, and trees you see on your nature walks.
Thanks to a grant from Lake Geneva
Garden Club, the Conservancy will be offering these self-guided backpacks
to those interested in learning more about the natural wonders in our
area. Whether a short hike or a quick drive away, there are numerous places
around the Geneva Lake area to explore with these backpacks.
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The Discovery Backpacks contain the
following items:
- Field guides on birds, trees, and
wildflowers of Wisconsin
- "Walk, Talk & Gawk: A Map
and Guide of the Geneva Lake Shore Path"
- Materials for a self-guided tour
of the Fontana Fen
- Maps for several nature parks in
the area
- Binoculars
- Hand magnifiers
There is no charge to use the backpacks,
but we do require a driver's license and a credit card to check out the
packs for the day. The packs are available on a first-come, first-serve
basis. Stop by the Conservancy to check one out today!
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Planned
Giving
By: Thomas M. Ramsey, GLC Secretary
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Through effective gift planning you
can balance personal financial goals with your interest in supporting
Geneva Lake Conservancy and realize significant tax benefits.
All Conservancy supporters who document their intent to support the organization
through a planned gift become honored members. Various types of planned
gifts are possible, ranging from a simple bequest to retirement plan gifts.
Some of the gifts may be made during your lifetime or at the time of death.
Bequests
The easiest and most common method of charitable gift planning is making
a bequest through your will. A will is the legal expression of your wishes
for the disposition of your property at death. Beneficiaries (the heirs
of the bequest) are the individuals and organizations important to you.
Whether you wish to donate your entire estate, a portion of your estate,
a fixed dollar amount, or a percentage of your assets, bequests are easy
to make.
A codicil is simply an amendment to
your existing will. If you already have a will, you can add a new gift,
change a provision, or delete a gift by making a codicil. However, please
note that making a codicil requires consulting with your attorney, who
will review your entire estate plan to ensure that the codicil achieves
your goals. It is important that you and your attorney feel confident
that your overall estate plan is best for your needs and those of your
family.
The types of bequests are:
- Unrestricted - allows Geneva Lake
Conservancy to direct your gift where it is needed the most.
- Restricted - permits the Conservancy
to use your gift in the manner you designate, such as a specific area
of interest (land conservancy, education, programs, etc.).
- Specific bequest - gives a specific
asset to the Conservancy, such as cash or securities.
Residuary bequest - gives all or a percentage of what remains in your
estate after all other specific bequests have been satisfied and all
debts and expenses have been paid.
- Contingent bequest - gives all or
a portion of your estate to the Conservancy when a named individual
beneficiary dies before you. For example, "I give $10,000 to my
cousin Mary, but if she does not survive me, the bequest should be given
to Geneva Lake Conservancy."
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Testamentary Charitable Remainder
Trust
A testamentary charitable remainder trust provides that all or a part
of your estate is left in trust, with income paid to one or more surviving
relatives for their lifetime(s) or a specified number of years. After
the last remaining beneficiary dies or the specified number of years expires,
the trust assets are transferred to the Conservancy and/or other charities
you have designated.
Charitable Remainder Trusts
There are several types of charitable remainder trusts, and you should
contact your personal financial advisor or attorney to design one that
suits your needs. These trusts provide you with immediate tax benefits
and pay either a fixed income or variable income to you or whomever you
designate for the rest of your life. This type of gift may be used effectively
to plan for retirement, care for the elderly, or to provide funds for
educational expenses for children or grandchildren. The most common are
unitrusts and annuity trusts.
Please call the Conservancy at 262-275-5700
for more information.
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What
they Are:
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Transfer of development rights (TDR)
is a method for protecting land by transferring the rights to develop
from one area (sending district) and giving them to another (receiving
district). TDR is established to transfer development rights away from
areas with low-population needs, such as areas with natural or cultural
resources that need to be preserved, to high-population areas with growth
potential. The owner of the sending district receives compensation at
the accepted market value for the loss of the development rights, and
in the process the program protects natural, scenic, or agricultural qualities
of open lands while giving urban areas an opportunity to experience continued
growth.
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Under a purchase of development rights
(PDR) program, a landowner voluntarily sells the development rights of
a parcel of land to a public agency or a charitable organization, such
as a local land trust. That agency or organization then compensates the
landowner for the value of the development rights and records the restrictions
in a conservation easement, which is attached to the property deed, protecting
the land in perpetuity. These development rights, the landowner's right
to develop or subdivide that parcel of land, are permanently relinquished,
yet the landowner retains all other rights and responsibilities associated
with the land - farming the property, maintaining and posting private
property signs, paying property taxes, even selling, transferring, or
bequeathing the land, with the understanding the restrictions against
development remain in place.
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Assigning
Value:
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The method
for valuing both TDR and PDR is roughly the same. The value of the PDR and
TDR is the difference between the agricultural or open space value and the
development value. For example, if Joe Schmoe's farm is worth $2,000 an
acre, and M&R Bigwig will pay $6,000 an acre to develop the parcel,
the land trust or government agency would pay $4,000 to buy the development
rights. Sometimes, in a TDR, a local government establishes a "TDR
Bank" to transfer development rights. In this method, developers would
purchase development rights from the local government. |
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Pros:
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- A TDR can protect large tracts of
land, which may include endangered resources, viable agricultural soils,
drinking water supplies, and wildlife habitats.
- Encourages community planning by
tying land conservation to growth management and infrastructure efficiency,
thereby directing growth to appropriate areas.
- Provides financial incentives for
landowners in both sending and receiving areas.
- Allows developers in receiving areas
to build increased density developments beyond normal zoning regulations.
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- Likewise, a PDR also can protect
large tracts of land, which may include endangered resources, viable
agricultural soils, drinking water supplies, and wildlife habitats.
- Converts land equity to cash.
- Reduction of future market value
(from development to agriculture) keeps farmland affordable for the
next generation.
- Reduced property taxes.
- Protected farmland and open space
help local governments balance their budgets by contributing more in
tax revenue than it demands in community services.
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Cons:
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- Requires a strong real estate market
in the area.
- Where considerable sprawl exists
within the sending area, it may be too late for a TDR program to be
effective.
- Homeowners may not accept increased
density in their area. Conversely, neighbors adjacent to farmland may
not be tolerant of the noises and smells associated with an operational
farm.
- Project development and administration
are complex. Inefficient management can render the program more expensive
than its overall worth to the community.
- Defining and determining a fair
market value of the development rights being lost from eligible land
in sending areas is difficult.
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- The program is expensive, and it
cannot meet farmer demand - for every farmer who has participated in
a PDR program, there are six more waiting to sell their development
rights (Bob Wagner, American Farmland Trust).
- Property owners must pay taxes on
the sale of development rights.
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Wisconsin
Examples:
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Town
of Summit in Waukesha County takes its lead from traditional TDR
programs and encourages home clustering in exchange for protecting farmland
and open space elsewhere on the same parcel of land. |
Town
of Dunn in Dane County established in 1996 the state's first PDR
program. So far it has protected more than 1,800 acres of farmland and receives
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Why
Try Either?
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One of the costs of sprawl into urban-fringe
areas, lands rich in farmland and other environmentally and culturally
worthwhile commodities, is the additional municipality costs - water and
sewer lines, improved roads, extended fire and law-enforcement protection,
and schools. Moreover, until the outlying areas have developed to any
sort of density, the area carrying the brunt of these costs will be the
municipality from which these areas extend. Not only that, but the loss
of farmland means the loss of renewable economic resources, wildlife habitats
that are not compatible with development, and open space.
The benefits of some sort of conservation
and development plan to a community may, if administered and funded properly,
far outweigh the costs. In a case study of the Town of Dunn's success,
it was determined residential uses generated 92 percent of the town's
total tax revenues and 98 percent of its expenditures, while agriculture,
forest, and open space uses combined generated only 5.5 percent of the
town's tax revenues and less than one percent of its expenditures. What
farmland and open space lack in revenue, they more than make up for in
their overall (low) cost to the taxpayer. It becomes obvious, as it did
to Town of Dunn planners, that it is a benefit to the community to maintain
and duly compensate for the maintenance of agricultural and open land.
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Local
Business Starts Group to Support State Park
By: Lynn Ketterhagen,
Land Protection Specialist
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Big Foot Beach State Park was one of
the few state parks in Wisconsin without a "Friends" group until
Sarah Schuster, owner of ClearWater Outdoor in Lake Geneva, decided to
help form Friends of Big Foot Beach State Park.
The group's mission is to enhance,
preserve, protect, restore, and promote the park through education and
interpretive work, community events and fund-raisers, property maintenance,
and improvements that may otherwise remain undone. By this summer the
group will be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supported by tax-deductible
contributions.
The Friends group is an integral way
raise awareness about the park's features to those unaware of what the
park has to offer and to enhance the quality of the experience for those
who visit the park.
The group is looking for participants to help spearhead park projects,
coordinate incorporation paperwork, develop board policies, and lead events
and fund-raising projects.
The next Friends meeting is at 7
p.m., Thursday, February 23 at Clear Water Outdoor, 744 Main
Street in downtown Lake Geneva.
For more information, call Sarah
Schuster at Clear Water Outdoor at 262-348-2420.
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