Next month there will be a celebration of land conservation. Conservation: the word comforts me; it has no negative charge. It is green, noncontroversial, popularly embraced and non-partisan. The Oxford dictionary defines conservation as “prevention of wasteful use of a resource.” Property owners may have the will to conserve but seek the means to conserve.
In this land of milk and honey, we are so fortunate to have such a complement of organizations focused on conserving the environmentally precious jewels we have. The Crystal Valley Environmental Protection Association (CVEPA) recognizes several groups that come to the forefront of land conservation in our Three Rivers Area. The Aspen Valley Land Trust (AVLT), Pitkin County Open Space and Trails (PCOST) and Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO). All of these entities have been instrumental in the protection of countless acres of land, often working in partnership. Conservation easements come in myriad colors and shapes but the lands are consistently valuable for wildlife habitat, water benefits, scenic values, agricultural preservation, recreation and access. One intangible stands out above all — quality of life! This is why PCOST garnered perhaps the highest approval rating of any vote in Pitkin County history by voter renewal for 25 years. This is why you (hopefully) and I team up with philanthropists to support the work of AVLT. This is why the fruit of the Colorado Lottery funds goes to GOCO to continue their work in conserving Colorado. Ultimately, this contributes to the commonwealth, quality of life.
Last week Aspen’s breaking news was the record setting real estate sale of a $77 million dollar house sale. Wow, the shock factor just was not there for me, though perhaps disdain was. Less than a week later that sale was “eclipsed” by the $108 million dollar sale of another Willoughby Lane bungalow. The bright side of this excessive Monopoly game is that a healthy slice of the pie goes to PCOST through their Robin Hood-like program to conserve property.
Perhaps the more disquieting announcement this week was the $150 million sales listing of Saint Benedict’s Monastery (The Snowmass Monastery). After years of efforts to get the Monastery into conservation failed, this was a sad moment. The long history as a spiritual center for a myriad of retreatants as well as for the fathers and brothers of Saint Benedict paints a little different color to this sales offering. Hope for conservation is hardly gone as those in the know realize the protections Pitkin County has built into their code. Prayers continue at Saint Benedict’s.
Through the excitement, successes and disappointments, negotiations and drama, there has been a constant — one individual who has devoted his life to conservation, and what a legacy it has been! Thousands of acres that we all adore and many millions of dollars that have been appropriated leave a trail of ecological pearls that define a career well spent. For a quarter of a century, Dale Will has studied, cultivated, walked and talked, counseled and assisted families and individuals on how to conserve their own legacies into perpetuity. Dale is also vice president of CVEPA where he has volunteered his time for decades.
What greater satisfaction than to see wild or agricultural land protected for his grandchildren, your grandchildren and the grandchildren of so many benevolent donors and conservators of the land? In so many ways, Dale Will has been that personal but professional hand that assisted in securing the will of the people.
“Conservation is a state of harmony between men and land,” -Aldo Leopold
To learn more about the Crystal Valley Environmental Protection Association and to support our mission, visit cvepa.org