Landmarks, and those who preserve them
There is land, and then there are landmarks. These properties are known
by face, if not name, to anyone who has passed them by in the course
of daily life. They possess the sort of geographical prominence and
charismatic personality that engenders affection across generations and
sometimes even across town lines. We have had the privilege over the
years of helping to protect a fair handful of these properties and we
were honored again over the last year, as a number of families worked
with us to preserve a series of diverse and spectacular places.
Motivation and perspective vary widely among the families we work with.
The only universal quality is the determination to see their land
preserved. This may seem so obvious as not to deserve mention, but
acts that appear simple and effortless when performed by others can be
damnably complex in practice.
Whether one is giving or selling, the decision to conserve family lands
requires great faith. The sacrifice of potential financial windfall
can be staggering; the surrender of that great American commodity,
freedom, challenges bedrock principles; the choice to preserve the work
of older generations can conjure family demons; the time required to
complete a transaction can undermine the best intentions. There is no
mistaking the satisfaction and reward that comes to families who
preserve their land, but neither should these family's strengths be
underestimated.
Peter and Lila Berle have made the choice at Sky Farm, as have Margaret
Whitfield and her siblings at Great Pine Farm. So too have David
Schwarz, Bob and Lyn Petricca, Marianne Leslie, Rita Musante, Gilder
Palmer and the Hoellerichs of Ayrhill Farms. Unalike as they all are,
they share something. You might call vision, or maybe an ethic. It is
hard to name, but we recognize it nonetheless.
-Tad Ames
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