PROTECT LAND + WATER.
ThE ACQUITISION FUND PROTECTS NATURAL SPACES.
The current real estate market and the pressure of incremental development drive the need to conserve as much land as possible in the next ten years. When you contribute to the Acquisition Fund, you help build a robust fund that allows us to quickly respond to conservation opportunities. Contributions to the Acquisition Fund go directly to land acquisition.
We’re facing many stressors, but we also have many opportunities to save land now.
CONSERVATION IN REAL TIME.
The iconic “Field of Fireweed” in Juneau, then and now. SEALT had the opportunity to purchase and preserve this property but was unable to due to a lack of funding. Juneau has lost 40% of its precious wetlands to development. The critical Acquisition Fund enables us to act quickly and secure conservation opportunities as they arise. Photos by Skip Gray.
HOW DOES THE ACQUISITION FUND WORK?
The primary purpose of The Acquisition Fund is to acquire priority parcels. Instead of relying on outside organizations, inholdings can be conserved by Southeast Alaskans, with local ownership over outcomes and reflecting generational relationships with the land.
We are constantly applying for grant funding to conserve and steward land in Southeast Alaska — it is critical to our success as an organization. Often grants have the requirement that we provide matching funds. For a grant requiring a 25% match, a fully empowered Acquisition Fund could allow SEALT to leverage grant funding up to $1 million.
The Acquisition Fund can kick-start major projects by providing seed money. It can be used for due diligence like surveys and environmental assessments, or to accept donations of land without a cash contribution to establish its long-term management. An example is the Very Beary Berry Wetlands conservation site, featured below.
It's critical to have the ability to act quickly when land with high conservation value comes up for sale. The Acquisition Fund allows us to bypass the lengthy approval process and sometimes restrictions that come with other funding sources.
The 71-acre Very Beary Berry Wetlands conservation site.
The swift conservation of this habitat was possible because of a visionary donor who wanted to contribute directly land acquisition. The Very Beary Berry Wetlands project was the inspiration for the land trust and community supporters to begin building what is now The Acquisition Fund.
how is thE FUND MANAGED?
SEALT established The Acquisition Fund with private, charitable donations to spend exclusively on land acquisition projects. Donations are pooled to allow SEALT to act on opportunities as they present themselves. Funds donated to The Acquisition Fund are invested conservatively by a financial firm, so our money is always working for us and growing.
THE ACQUISITION FUND GOES TO:
Expanding and connecting resilient lands
Increasing community access
Providing community ownership over conservation outcomes in Southeast Alaska
QUESTIONS?
WE’RE HERE.
We love to hear from you.
(907) 586-3100 or info@sealt.org
Or drop by our friendly offices at 119 Seward St, Suite #2, Juneau, AK 99801.