Juneau, AK – The Southeast Alaska Land Trust (SEALT) is pleased to announce The Acquisition Fund, a fund established specially to acquire land and facilitate conservation throughout Southeast Alaska for the benefit of current and future generations.
Earlier this year, the SEALT Board of Directors established The Acquisition Fund, a dedicated fund to purchase land and expedite land transactions for the purpose of permanent conservation.
“We’re excited to have begun building The Acquisition Fund,” said Anne Sutton, SEALT Board President. “This valuable tool will allow us to respond to important land conservation opportunities with greater speed and flexibility.”
SEALT conserves land in two main ways. One is through a legal document called a Conservation Easement – a voluntary legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust or government agency that permanently governs certain uses of the land in order to preserve its natural, recreational, historic, or cultural values. The other is through purchasing properties outright.
Most of these conservation actions are financed by the SEALT mitigation program. The mitigation program offsets the adverse environmental impacts of development by funding permanent land and species conservation. However, most mitigation funds come with restrictions on the types of lands that can be considered, and the use of these restricted funds can be a slow process for some potential land sellers.
The Acquisition Fund will enable SEALT to accept new conservation easements or purchase properties across the region that might not otherwise be feasible with mitigation funding, leverage other funding sources for conservation, and complete large or complex transactions more quickly.
Alongside SEALT’s Development Plan, SEALT has a goal of raising $250,000 in 2023 to build a robust fund that allows a nimble response to conservation opportunities. With the support of key individual supporters, including an anonymous donor who contributed $20,000 toward The Acquisition Fund, SEALT has already raised 17% of the goal of $250,000.
“We are thrilled with the early response from the community regarding The Acquisition Fund,” said Margaret Custer, SEALT Executive Director. “People recognize the significance of this fund and how it is going to personally impact them by providing community ownership over local conservation. The lands we conserve are managed for public benefit, recreation, and the preservation of wildlife habitat – all of which allow Southeast Alaska to thrive.”
The ability to act quickly often determines success in land conservation. SEALT’s near-term goal of building a significant, dedicated acquisition fund for lands with highly-valued habitat, recreation, open space, and cultural and historic areas will allow SEALT the flexibility to act swiftly for such land purchases. Without such a fund, SEALT relies on capital that can be withdrawn from their general fund, or on funding with restrictions which may not allow for certain land transactions.
“Shared open space is critical to the social, economic, and environmental health of Southeast Alaska,” said Alex Wertheimer, Treasurer for the Board of Directors and Chair of the SEALT Finance Committee. “Building from the conservation priorities of generations before us, we are proud to continue our work of preserving the best of Southeast Alaska and securing publicly accessible recreation lands for everyone in Southeast Alaska to enjoy.”
A fully funded Acquisition Fund will not only allow SEALT to act quickly, but will provide opportunity to seize unique or priority parcels. Often when land with significant ecological, recreational, or historical value comes up for sale, buyers have to act fast to make an offer on the land. Having money readily available in The Acquisition Fund will allow SEALT to conserve these highly valuable landscapes quickly that might otherwise be sold for development.
Additionally, large conservation grants require matching funds between 10-50%. By joining with supporters to meet the goal of $250,000, SEALT could leverage a grant up to one million dollars for the purpose of land conservation – effectively quadrupling SEALT’s buying power.
“We will continue to improve access to our essential recreation areas and expand conservation lands not only for the benefit of wildlife, but for current and future generations. The Acquisition Fund is going to allow us to do this,” stated Custer.
The Southeast Alaska Land Trust has been conserving lands in Southeast Alaska since 1995, and currently owns 23 conservation properties, or just over half of the 41 total properties SEALT has under conservation. Through ownership and conservation easements, the organization protects irreplaceable natural resources of the region in order to facilitate and enhance public recreation, fish and wildlife habitat, beloved community spaces, and other values important to Alaskans.
In total, the Southeast Alaska Land Trust conserves over 3,600 acres of Southeast Alaska for the benefit of the public – and seeks to conserve much more. We invite our local, regional, and nation-wide supporters to participate in this work, support The Acquisition Fund, and ensure that Southeast Alaska’s special places are accessible forever.
You can give to the Southeast Alaska Land Trust and request that your donation be maintained in The Acquisition Fund. SEALT is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, and contributions are fully tax-deductible to the amount allowed by law. Please call our office at (907) 586-3100 for more information about donating to The Acquisition Fund or donate online at https://www.southeastalaskalandtrust.org/support/acquisition-fund/.