REFLECTIONS......Tom Bailey

Andrew Kalman's gift of land to the Conservancy represents a wonderful gesture by a land owner to protect important natural land and to share that land with the public and future generations.  We thank Mr. Kalman for his generosity to the Conservancy, the community, and to future generations.  but, because this particular parcel of land had been involved in one of the lawsuits that preceded the formation of the Conservancy, this gift of land is significant for a number of reasons beyond those associated with most gifts of land we have received. 

This gift confirms the wisdom of our founders in changing course from trying to protect land through litigation and adversarial use of regulatory mechanisms - a pursuit which made winners of some and losers of others - to the idea of voluntary land protection undertaken jointly by a landowner and the Conservancy with a win-win perspective.

Our founders fought a number of tough and expensive legal battles.  While they set some important legal precedents, they also learned that land protection through litigation is at best a pyrrhic victory and at worst a "black hole" that continues to devour money, time, energy and good will with no guaranteed outcome for the land and its natural resources.

This is not to say that litigation and advocacy have no place - they absolutely do.  But as tools to provide permanent protection for land as our founders had hoped, litigation and advocacy did not do the job.  The pioneers who created the Little Traverse Group and subsequently the Conservancy have proven through their experience that voluntary land protection through ownership is the best way to accomplish what they set out to achieve.  Once might say that they learned the value of using the proverbial carrot over the stick. 

A look at results shows that the carrot has a lot to recommend it.  Mr. Kalman's donation creates a nature preserve which protects delicate plant communities, an important artesian aquifer, and some increasingly rare Lake Michigan frontage.  The property will be held in trust for the public by the Conservancy, available for nature study, and appropriate recreation.  There are clear boundaries that separate this public nature preserve from surrounding private land which remains in private use, yet is enhanced by having unspoiled, protected land next door.

Wildlife populations will benefit from the protection of this land.  The economic value of surrounding developed properties will be significantly enhanced.  The scenic view from the public roadway will be protected.  Generations of children, as well as adults, will have the opportunity to explore this wondrous natural area while learning about its plants and animals.  And all of these economic, social, and aesthetic benefits proceed from voluntary transaction; a gift from a willing donor who will himself derive satisfaction from seeing this land protected. 

The effectiveness of the carrot over the stick is more broadly evident as one looks at what has taken place since our founders created the Conservancy.  The Little Traverse Group's early litigation efforts involved only a handful of cases which took years to unfold, and which yielded mixed and uncertain results.  By contrast, the Conservancy now protects well over a square mile of land each year through strictly voluntary transactions involving willing donors and sellers.  The value of the land protected each year provides our members with a five-to -ten-fold return as each dollar donated in membership to the Conservancy produces five to ten dollars worth of natural land protected. 

The completion of Mr. Kalman's donation symbolizes the completion of the full circle around which our founders' efforts have taken us.  From the low point of costly litigation with its atmosphere of contention and mistrust, land conservation efforts in this area have reached their zenith in both quality and quantity as thousands of acres are protected through voluntary, win-win transactions.

Those who love the natural beauty of the North Country and the quality of life we enjoy here owe a great debt of gratitude to our founders.  Not only did they have the courage to pursue costly, contentious lawsuits in their efforts to safeguard the North's natural character, but they also had the wisdom to change course when the outcome of their work made it clear that there were other, more productive directions to be pursued.  The then set about the arduous talk of establishing a land conservancy from the ground up, raising necessary funds and gathering the necessary expertise to create a community organization, and then gathering additional talent and resources necessary to transform it into a community institution.

As a result, we can now point to land gifts such as Andrew Kalman's and outline the virtues of voluntary land conservation and the win-win approach.  We can drive by beautiful protected properties and appreciate their beauty.  We can take a walk through protected forests or along a protected shore, breathing deeply of the pure, sweet air of the North Country and thank our founders, trustees, and donors for creating a wonderful legacy of land conservation, natural beauty, and good will.