LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Land Trust is proud to announce significant progress in its fundraising campaign to purchase a 31-acre lakeside parcel on the Big Valley shoreline near Kelseyville.
The property features lakefront, wetlands, upland wet meadow, pasture and oaks.
The protection of this parcel is part of an ambitious effort to protect the remaining wetlands and riparian forests between Clear Lake State Park and the southern edge of Lakeport.
The Land Trust has developed a conservation plan for this area called a Conceptual Area Protection Plan in partnership with the California Department of Fish and wildlife, which will imminently be considered by the Department of Fish and Wildlife's executive team for final approval by the department.
The persistence of healthy wetlands and riparian forests is essential to the health of Clear Lake, which has already suffered the loss of over 75 percent of wetlands that historically were part of the lake’s ecosystem.
Protection of the wetlands will be enabled by working with interested landowners to purchase conservation easements or fee title on lands which support shoreline and creek-side wetlands and riparian woodlands.
The current project will be the keystone of this conservation effort. The 31-acre parcel, located on Clipper Lane and owned by George Melo, includes beautiful, native wetland and shoreline forest as well as upland wet meadow, pasture, and oaks.
The Land Trust holds an option to purchase the property for $225,000 and the trust has been successful in raising $75,000 towards the purchase price thus far.
The trust has developed a “Case for Support” for the project which describes the fundraising effort and the recognition offered to donors so their contribution can be recorded in perpetuity.
Permanent recognition is available in a variety of ways, including a plaque at the Land Trust’s Rodman Preserve office, naming opportunities for trail signs, dedicated benches, and other donor displays. The case for support can be found on the Land Trust Web site at www.lakecountylandtrust.org .
The Land Trust is extremely grateful to the following donors for helping them reach the $75,200 mark.
Donors include: John Sheridan and Andrea DuFlon, $20,000; Bill and Carol Lincoln, $1,000; John and Sasha Reynolds, $1,000 Kristine Groff, $1,000; The Pitzer Family Foundation, $10,000; Bernie and Lynne Butcher, $1,000; Harry and Roberta Lyons, $1,000; Russell and Joyce Porterfield, $1,000; Charlotte Griswold, $5,000; The Lodge at Blue Lakes, $1,000; Michael Friel, $1,000; the Keeling-Barnes Family Foundation, $1,000; four anonymous donations of $5,000, $5,000, $1,000 and $1,000; the Robert Morse Bequest to the Land Trust, $10,000; the John Graham Bequest, $5,000; and $3,000 from the County of Lake Board of Supervisors through its Fish and Wildlife Advisory Committee, and a few supporters who have made smaller donations.
“These donors have generously contributed to a project that will be here in perpetuity for our children and grandchildren. This is a fantastic opportunity to do something important and leave a legacy for current and future residents of Lake County. It will help protect our lake by improving water quality and maintaining habitat for the fabulous wildlife here that we all cherish,” said Land Trust President Jon Ambrose.
If you would like to donate to this project, call the Lake County Land Trust at 707-262-0707; use the Donate Now feature on the trust’s Web site, www.lakecountylandtrust.org (designate “Melo wetlands” in comments); or send your donation to P.O. Box 711, Lower Lake, CA 95457 (designate “Melo wetlands” in the correspondence or on the subject line of the check.)