Valley Trust

Number 35 / SUMMER 2008

NEWS
Conserving the natural environment and cultural heritage of Southwest Ohio

Save the Date! • Saturday, September 27

6:30 pm • The Knolls of Oxford

AUCTION FOR ACRES IS BACK!

Not your typical auction, and definitely not your
typical fundraising event. That’s how the new,
exciting format for the fall fundraiser is being
described. There will be the usual Three Valley signature
touch for holding fun get-togethers. But, we’re trying
new approaches, and tapping some enthusiastic talent to
put together an event NOT TO MISS! We’re negotiating
on a contemporary, state-of-the-art on-line component
to the auction (keep your fingers crossed). We’re hoping
to broaden the exposure of the items being sold, and add
another dimension to the ever-popular fun approach of
auctioneer Doug Ross.
We will be offering truly unique live and silent auction
items:
• Fine art, including 19th Century paintings, sculpture, and
unique contemporary works of art and prints
• Antiques and collectibles from across the spectrum,
including autographed sports collectibles
• Local farm fresh, naturally raised beef, lamb, and pork
(continued on page 12)

Snapshots! People & their land

Snapshots! People & Their Land provides stories of the people and the lands they protect. We hope that you will enjoy getting to
know a little about your neighbors.

Snapshot 1:
A Place for All Creatures Great and Small
Submitted by Ann Geddes
Photos courtesy of Alan miller
As one rounds the corner of Shields Road near Lewisburg, one’s
gaze is drawn immediately to the picturesque pastoral view.
One can’t help thinking that the people who must live there
know how to enjoy country life. And indeed they do. Joe and
Judith Fergus own this 110 acres of heaven and they have do-
nated a conservation easement to the Trust. And what they have
to conserve!
The big red barn that dominates the view seems taken directly
from a Currier & Ives print. And it comes complete with a herd
Preble County’s picturesque Fergus Farm
of hair sheep, specifically Katahdin and Dorper, along with a
(Continued on page 5)

Let Me
Be Frank
Frank House
Chair, Board of Trustees
Red Fox Tales
When I was a teenager, there was a bounty on foxes of
$2.50 paid in cash at the court house. The only catch was
you had to turn in their feet in order to collect. During
the Christmas break, I would catch two or three and the
bounty would be enough for me to take my girlfriend to a
movie, get something for us to eat and put a dollars worth
of gas in the car so mom and dad wouldn't get upset when
they wanted to go someplace only to discover an empty
tank ( the dollar bought 3-4 gallons ). There seemed to be
an unending supply of foxes and each evening you would
hear the different families all yipping together as though
they were preparing for some choral concert. I suspect
this situation was in part due to a rabbit population that
reminded me of lemming stories. About the time I went
off to college, the rabbit population had plummeted and
existed mostly around the house and barns.
More than twenty years had passed when we moved to
the farm (1983), which is just one half mile down the road
from where I was raised. However, there seemed to be no
foxes, but plenty of coyotes. This situation has begun to
change. We have always had chickens for fresh eggs that
we let out to forage in the pasture each morning and close
Index
Auction for Acres is Back!..............................................1
Snapshot 1: . ...................................................................1
Let Me be Frank..............................................................2
Board of Trustees............................................................2
From the Desk of Larry...................................................3
Miami’s Junior Scholars “Visit” TVCT..........................3 Margarette Beckwith
Nature Has a Way of Finding Us All .............................4
Dinner Progressed into a Delightful Evening.................6
Concert by the Creek: Great Fun!...................................6
Developing News . .........................................................7
Kids & Critters in the Creek...........................................8
“Revitalizing Rural Communities” Program at Lane ....8
Summersong by Edith Lehman.......................................8
President’s Veto on the Farm Bill Overridden ...............9
Thank You from Rand Wentworth..................................9
That Pesky Garlic Mustard ......................................... 10
Lame Duck (Session) May Help Elevate CEs .............10
How to Join the Trust....................................................11
Calendar........................................................................12
2 www.3vct.org
them up each night. Every afternoon last year a major
ruckus would occur and the peacocks would set off their
alarms. I would find a few feathers but no other trace of the
chicken. Suspecting coyotes, I began to keep the shotgun
with coyote loads in it and sure enough, when the peacocks
set off the alarm I zipped over to the barn lot only to come
face to face with a red fox. ( I didn't shoot.) They probably
had a den and were getting a daily supply of chicken
courtesy of farmer Frank. The game warden said the foxes
had changed habits in order to survive in a coyote world;
they now hunt in the day and have dens adjacent to roads
(coyotes stay away from roads).
This story does have an ending. I was in my brother’s dairy
barn the other day (on the place where I was raised) and
the cats began a strange growling noise. A large hay bale
was in the barn aisle blocking our view but on the other
side was a young red fox that had come in to drink the
milk put out for the cats. He was favoring a rear leg and
wouldn't be able to make it without the diet of Jersey milk.
His leg has since much
improved and of course
all of the small kittens
have disappeared. My
sister in law, Cathy,
took this photo of the
fox on the manure pile
just outside the barn.
Hopefully he will
improve enough to be
able to survive in the wild, and I have built a pen for the
chickens to assure a supply of fresh eggs.
I attribute the foxes’ survival on their ability to adapt and
would like to think that the easements on the farms will
continue to allow this rural lifestyle and its supporting wild
life to exist for future generations. Thank you for your
support of the Trust. z
Board of Trustees
Ray Arlinghaus Adolph Greenberg Gregory Peck
Catherine Hollins Jerry Stanley
Frank “Hank” Dupps Frank House J. Ronald Stewart
Sam Fitton Ben Jones Don Streit
Stephen Gordon Mary Moore Liz Woedl
Founded in 1994, the Three Valley Conservation Trust works with
people and communities to conserve the natural environment and
cultural heritage in Southwest Ohio. The Trust protects open space
and farmland by acquiring, through gift or purchase, conservation
and agricultural easements, and works to protect and improve
water quality in the western tributaries of the Great Miami River.
“Valley Trust News,” the newsletter for members of the Three
Valley Conservation Trust, is published four times per year.
Editors: Mary Glasmeier, Stephen Gordon
Valley Trust NewS
 From the Desk of...

Larry Frimerman
Executive Director

It has now been seven years since this dedicated Board
hired me as your Executive Director of the Three Valley
Conservation Trust. Who would have thought the
organization would grow into the formidable force with
the widespread political acceptance the Trust has become?
Community leadership, our board, staff, and our members
with the support of our governmental, organizational and
individual partners have made the Trust what it is.
As we protect our 80th property and our 10,000th acre
later this year, the Three Valley Conservation Trust
has made a lasting mark on the landscape here in
Southwestern Ohio and in the small portions of Union
County, IN protected by the Trust.
Every property the Trust helps to preserve is protected
forever. These conservation easement donors are local
heroes, making sacrifices and permanent gifts to society
as well as to the Trust. Federal, state and metropark
partners also make land protection gifts that go straight
to some landowners to reduce the impact on the donors’
families. However, they generally do not provide funds
to assure that your Three Valley Conservation Trust can
carry out the process of obtaining
and monitoring in perpetuity these
hidden treasures.
All of this success has come at an unforeseen cost to
the organization. The Trust’s role as county-designated
Local Sponsor for farmland preservation and green space
conservation easement funds in SW Ohio has resulted
in an “unfunded mandate.” This role has reduced our
time available to generate funds to support the heavy
time commitment needed to be successful in obtaining
state and federal support at unprecedented levels- dollar-
for-dollar pass-through commitments of $18 million for
land acquisitions, but generally, to mangle a phrase, not
one cent for contributed support. Funds are needed from
counties, local governments, foundations, companies,
as well individual benefactors to sustain our farmland
preservation and open space protection program. We are
asking each of you to find it possible to step up to the plate
to help the Trust maintain and expand its ability to keep its
part of the promise. z

Miami’s 2008 Junior Scholars “Visit” TVCT

Miami University’s Junior Scholars for 2008 converged at the Trust
for a community service project with program director, Dr. Robert
Smith. Twenty-one students from the U.S. and around the world
arrived with boundless energy to tackle the honeysuckle growth here
on Beck Farm.
Fifteen of the students, led by Larry Frimerman, Patty Stone-
Frimerman, Catherine Hollins, Ann Geddes and Ellen Phelps, trekked
to the hillside “jungle” next the to the lane. As you can see by the
photos below, they conquered the “jungle” armed with implements
of honeysuckle
destruction,
impressive teamwork
and strong work
ethic.
Six students were led
by Mary Glasmeier
in projects around
the Beck Cottage.
Windows were made
to sparkle, weeds
Hillside before..... Hillside after! (Continued on page 7)

SUMMER 2008 www.3vct.org 3

Nature Has a Way of Finding Us All
By CRAIG
SPRINGER
We are what we cross
paths with, not what
we seek out but what
takes hold of us.
These associations
create our core. They
become the essence
of our being.
A little stream
grabbed a hold on
me and became a
meandering baseline,
an anchor point from
where I would take
all bearings for things to come. Creek chub, smallmouth
bass and green sunfish: they caught me. And it was angling
for them that immersed me in a narrative with the stream
and lands that drained into it.
Four Mile Creek heads among the uplands near the Ohio-
Indiana line in hills left behind by retreating glaciers. Tiny
rivulets formed in the folds of the land, mostly cleared for
corn and beans. One rivulet begets two and so on, forming
Four Mile; the creek gathers them as it glides downhill,
cutting over ancient glacial till carried far from the north.
In these quiet waters, damselflies dimple their metallic-blue
tails on the smooth glides as their eggs drop into the creek.
They waft erratically on the wing as if they have no purpose
or care. Save for entering the maw of a kingbird, they
probably do not.
Four Mile’s erosive forces elbow into the foot of a hill,
undercutting the banks that stay stitched together by
sycamore roots. In the shade of the undercut, the shards of
turquoise - little green sunfish - are there waiting for the
groceries to come to them. It is a good strategy for making
a living in a creek. Find a place to hide from herons and
kingfishers, stay in shade so unsuspecting minnows cannot
see you, and sit there and wait for food to come drifting.
The strategy must work. Green sunfish live naturally all
over the Midwest. And that speaks to their durability in
extremes, not to mention their capacity to procreate.
They look to me like a mix of smallmouth bass, bluegill
and rock bass - like an animal confused, not knowing which
evolutionary trajectory to take. A big gape allows green
sunfish to eat most anything they want; bats and shrews
have shown up in their gullets, but bugs are the favored fare.
4 www.3vct.org
Among upland streams
in the Midwest, the
smallmouth bass is king,
the green sunfish a mere
commoner.
But the literature
professor Marcus Selden
Goldman, who 90 years
ago fished Four Mile
Creek while at Miami
of Ohio, strikes a chord
in his book “In Praise
of Little Fishes”: “The
crowd in its ignorance
deems it manly and
impressive to catch
crappies and bluegill, but
scorns anything called ‘sunfish.’ The result of this attitude
is that only seasoned and thoughtful anglers know or care
to know how to identify the different species of sunfishes.”
I don’t disagree, but I know of no one who would plan
a fishing trip around green sunfish. And I must admit, I
probably wouldn’t either. But I would like to see Four
Mile again. It’s a yen in part for yesterday; a yearning to
reacquaint myself with that baseline, the habitat where I
came of age. Neil Young said it perfectly in song: “In my
mind I still need a place to go. All my changes were there.”
Too many summers have slipped downstream. But still, in
my mind’s eye a diving beetle lumbers to the surface for
air and a blue damselfly on a water willow moves its wings
lightly and gracefully. The sodden smell of sticky mud
fills my head. I can feel in my forearm the sudden tear of a
smallmouth bass taking off with a spinner. And I wouldn’t
mind the light plodding of one of those little cyan sunfish
with a mouth big enough to take whatever it can.
A creek is more than a place for bass and bream, warblers
and wood ducks. It is a habitat for people. Habitat
conservation benefits people. Creeks course through
people. A tall, fat, gray-green sycamore on a shady
undercut bend grows naked with age. Slow-moving dark
water spattered with yellow sunlight pours over fossil-
littered limestone slabs. In the shelter of a pool in a tangle
of roots, little fish wait there, the wild consequences of
time preserved in living turquoise shards. z
Reprinted by permission from the book “Upriver
and Downstream: The Best Fly-Fishing and Angling
Adventures From The New York Times” (Harmony Books)
Valley Trust NewS
Snapshot 1 (continued from
guard llama. The ancestors of buffer. To top off nature’s banquet, Joe has
present day sheep had coats of hair planted an 8-acre food plot for deer and
which gradually transitioned to turkey. Humans may appreciate the beauty
wool under domestication. How- of this place but wildlife does even more.
ever, some breeds remained true To complete the idyllic picture, there is a
to their ancestry and retained the ½-acre pond near the 1840’s brick home. I
hair characteristics such as the ones asked Joe what Judith’s interests are and he
that dot the Fergus barnyard. This says with a twinkle in his eye, “shopping.”
menagerie keeps Joe occupied after And to look inside this historic home, one
retirement as a veterinarian from can appreciate her eye and taste for elegant
practices in Dayton and environs. traditional appointments.
The majority of the acreage here is “I read about the Trust in a magazine or
leased for farming but about a third somewhere,” Joe answered when asked
has been kept in woods. A mile or about his decision to donate a conservation
so of trail wends through the wood easement. He realized that this was some-
and property and is the path of the thing he wanted to do because as he says,
annual fall hayride for friends and “I like preservation of the land. I believe in
family. The entire west side is bor- trying to keep this property as natural as
dered by Price’s Creek, a tributary I can.” z
of Twin Creek, while the remainder
of the property perimeter features
a 100-ft. wide deep quail habitat The Fergus family dogs in Price’s Creek

Snapshot 2:
The Hesselbrock Family Farm
submitted by Kate Canepa
photos courtesy of kate canepa
Carl and Margie Hesselbrock’s farm holds more than 58
years of family memories; it is a bit of history that is now
forever preserved under a conservation trust. This trust
prevents 125 acres of nearly 850 from being developed out
of its current agricultural and natural land use.
The first 125 acres of the farm, located in Morgan Town-
ship, was purchased in 1949 by Mr. Hesselbrock who says
he always knew that the wanted to farm his own land. The
land was once owned by the Bebb family; William Bebb
was the 19th governor of Ohio who was born in a log cabin
on the farm. Mr. Hesselbrock donated the cabin that was
sided with weatherboard to the community for others to
learn from and enjoy. The barn that sits on the property was
built in 1849 and was also part of the Bebb farm.
However, the Bebb’s previous ownership is not the reason
why the Hesselbrocks wanted to enter part of the farm into
the conservation trust and the historical aspect of the land Carl and Margie Hesselbrock
is more of an afterthought. They really just wanted to keep
the land from being developed. It is easy to understand why Mrs. Hesselbrock reminisced about a time when Port Union
they would want to keep their land as a farming unit as they was once larger and more distinctive than the neighboring
watch several other farming communities turn into suburbia. West Chester Township. (Continued on page 11)

SUMMER 2008 www.3vct.org 5

Dinner progressed into a delightful evening
submitted by margarette beckwith, board member
Live music, scrumptious food, and good conversation with
friends on two easement properties combined to create a
delightful evening for the Three Valley Conservation Trust’s
first progressive dinner. Tom and Wendy Duvall’s residence
on Booth Road, Oxford was the first stop, offering an array
of appetizers and drinks to the piano music of board member
Jerry Stanley. The crowd spilled out onto the rear patio with
a view of the gently sloped natural landscape to the east,
sipping wine and enjoying the pleasantly warm
spring evening.
Below: Steve Dana sings along
At the second venue, Ann with pianist Dr. Jerry Stanley,.
Geddes’ farmstead on Indian Top right; Sam Fitton leads a
Creek, a display of historic nature walk at Duvall’s.
Right: Bernadette Unger, Jim
farm photographs confirmed Rubenstein, Betty Rogers, Ernst
the importance of preserving Bever, and Lawrence Leahy.
rural landscapes and were
viewed as the guests filtered
into the nineteenth century
country house. Board member
Frank House donated and
helped serve the delicious
beef bourguignon, along with
potatoes, vegetables, and salad.
The meal culminated with a
summer fruit pudding with After a walk around the site guided by botanist Orie
sweetened whipped cream. Loucks, the guests were entertained by singer and
Mary Jo McMillian assisted in songwriter, Lisa Biales. It was a perfect conclusion to
developing the menu with the the celebration of the protected land and the mission
execution by Josette Stanley of the Trust but primarily to the generous donors who
and Ann Geddes. support the organization. z

Concert by the Creek - great fun!

Members and friends of the TVCT shared music, food and
fun in the bucolic splendor of a SW Butler County farm on
July 12. Mike and Yvonne Yoakum
hosted the Concert by the Creek
to celebrate and bring attention
to the accomplishments of the
Trust’s successes in the area of land
conservation.
One of the first things attendees
saw upon arriving was the Old
Town Guide 147 canoe that was
raffled off at the end of the evening.
Employees of US Bank volunteered
to sell raffle tickets, serve food, and
clean up throughout the day.
Entertainment was provided by the
Mary Glasmeier and Tom
Klak warming up for the beat of OGADE; the humor and
canoe drawing.
6 www.3vct.org
“many hats” of Debbi Silverman & Mitch Liberman;
and the acoustic skill of the Day Fish Band. The down
home cooking was supplied and prepared by TVCT
volunteers, and the pig roasted by Jeff Korb.
Fun and games included a bounce house, corn hole and
an opportunity to send area mayors Don Ryan, Ron
D’Epifanio, Prue Dana, and Rhonda Freeze, and Ross
Twp. Trustee Ray Wurzelbacher to “jail” until they
could arrange “bail” donations for their release. Also
exciting was participating in the Split-the-Pot raffles
and bidding on the wonderful items donated by area
businesses and artists.
The Yoakums were wonderful hosts and did a superb
job in keeping the rain far away until the guest were
gone and site all tidied up. A special note of thanks to
them for their generosity and support. Thanks to all
who participated and help make it a summer day to
remember. z
Valley Trust NewS
 Developing News
from Lawrence Leahy, Development Director
The Development Committee has been quite active in the to showcase our office location,
last few months with Trust fundraising and ‘friend-raising’ the Beck Farm, and introduce
activities. One of our newest endeavors was to join the the Trust to area businesses that
Hamilton Chamber of Commerce; we are excited about may not be aware of the Trust. If you have ever visited the
making new contacts in the Hamilton area, and being a office, or if you have not been at the office for some time,
Chamber member will provide a great starting point. We now would be a great time to see our slightly renovated
are very thankful to an anonymous donor who provided the premises. We are tackling a spring/summer cleaning, some
funding to pay for the annual membership. landscaping and office reorganizing in preparation for the
event. It would be a great time to
As a member of the Chamber, we
have a tour of the Beck Farm, which
participated in the Business Expo in
of course is under a conservation
early July. One of the highlights was
easement. If you would like to
when the mayor of Hamilton, Don
attend this event, it is scheduled for
Ryan, stopped for a visit.
September 4, 5:00 pm-7:00 pm; please
Don and other area mayors—Prue call our Office Manager to RSVP as
Dana (Oxford) , Rhonda Freeze there will be limited space!
(Middletown), and Ron D’Epifanio
Please mark your calendar for our
(Fairfield)—as well as Ray
Wine Tasting event in Middletown
Wurzelbacher, Ross Township Trustee,
on November 8. We will host the
participated in a fundraising activity
tasting and are looking forward to
during the Concert by the Creek. We are Hamilton Mayor Don Ryan visits with
some delicious wine supplied by
very grateful for their support and hope Lawrence Leahy at the Trust booth at the
Hamilton Business Expo over 12 wineries, and great food to
to work with each of these VIPs in the
complement the wine. We are excited
future. Additionally, the Trust sends its
to have the assistance of Cal Conrad and Nicki Finkelman
heartfelt thanks to Yvonne and Mike Yoakum for hosting the
in planning and organizing this event.
“Concert by the Creek” at their home outside Ross.
Hope to see you at the Auction for Acres on September 27
In conjunction with the Oxford Chamber of Commerce, the
at the Knolls of Oxford! z
Trust is hosting the monthly ‘Business After Hours’ at the
Trust’s office in early September. This is an opportunity

Junior Scholars (continued from page 3)

pulled, and the screened porch was scrubbed clean.
This group of young people gave a gift to TVCT in the
form of completed tasks and enjoyable companionship.
The Junior Scholars Program was inaugurated at
Miami University in 1982 to provide an opportunity for
academically talented secondary students to earn college
credit and experience campus life during the summer
between their junior and senior years. In addition to
rigorous courses, the Junior Scholars enjoy a program of
social and recreational events. For more information, visit
www.muohio.edu/juniorscholars. z
.

Summer 2007 www.3vct.org 7

KIDS (AND CRITTERS) IN THE CREEK
submitted by Margarette Beckwith, Event organizer and TVCT Board Member
New Miami School 7th and 8th grade Under the guidance of Cynthia Bodley,
students with the help of the Three Director of ‘Kids in the Creek’ and Sharon
Valley Conservation Trust had the Edwards, Director of EMU (Environmental
opportunity to investigate the water Mobil Unit) the students learned about the
quality and inhabitants of local insect and other animal life in the creek.
streams, ponds and wetlands. The After a general introduction to stream
United Way of Butler County initiated ecology, the students waded into the
the summer program with the help creek and using nets and small containers
of several organizations in the area. captured the insects and other creatures
Along with the TVCT, the ‘Team of from under rocks and in the stream bed.
Champions’ program includes Colonial Another venue was dipping for water
Services, Hueston Woods State Park, critters in the pond. The next phase was
Camp Campbell Gard, New Miami drawing and identifying the specimen. The
Fire Department, and Animal Friends water body was then analyzed as to water
Humane Society. quality and positive or negative influences
The TVCT, for its session, engaged on its condition.
leaders to direct three consecutive Although for most of the students it was
Wednesday morning events which the first time they went wading in the creek
took place on the Ann Geddes and studying the habitat, it appeared to be a
easement located on Indian Creek. very positive experience. The comment of
one of the students seemed to sum up the
Above: Looking
for “critters” in reaction of the others: ‘It was the best thing I have done this
the creek. summer!’ With limited activities available to these young
people, it is hoped by all involved that the program expands
Left: Student and continues to provide a summer interlude for years to
Savannah come on this magnificent, protected easement along Indian
Marcum Creek.
examines a
sample of pond Thanks to Ann Geddes for hosting the events, Cynthia
water with Bodley and Sharon Edwards for their time and energy, and
guidance from particularly to Joel Fink, Sharon Bogan and Josie Creech, of
Ann Geddes. United Way Butler County for initiating and administering
the program. z

“Revitalizing Rural
Communities” program at SUMMERSONG
the Oxford Lane Library Hoorah, hooray, hoorog!
On Thursday October 16, 2008 at 7:00 pm, Oxford Today I heard a frog
Lane Library will present a program about “revitalizing Down in the bog.
rural communities.” The speaker is Gene Krebs of Now every bog needs a frog
GreaterOhio. This program should be of interest to those ‘Cause that’s where those mosquitoes thrive
who see the rural areas as part of our “green” future. z
That come up the hill and eat you alive!
Note: There is a definite pattern to rural community decline. So hoorah, hooray, hoorog!
Now, with the rising need of farm products (due to the demand
for biogas), it seems the optimal time to re-energize the Today I heard a frog, a loggity, boggity frog.
communities as well. Please come to the program and Hoorah, hooray, hoorog!
bring your ideas. - Rebecca Evans Edith Lehman, Oxford

8 www.3vct.org Valley Trust NewS

President’s veto on the farm bill
overridden by congress
Excerpted from an article by Russ Shay, Director of Public
Policy for the Land Trust Alliance in Washington DC.
The hotly debated Farm Bill, which Congress enacted
May 22 with an override of the President’s veto, renews a
powerful tax incentive which has helped conserve a million
or more acres of farms, ranches and natural areas across
the US. The incentive had expired January 1st, but is now
retroactive to the beginning of the year and will last through
2009.
A broad coalition representing sportsmen, outdoors
enthusiasts, farmers, ranchers and national conservation
groups, strongly supported the measure. Rand Wentworth,
president of the Land Trust Alliance, said “This renewed
tax incentive for donations of conservation easements is
one of the best things Congress could do this year to help
landowners choose the conservation option over sprawl.
Especially for family farmers and ranchers of modest
income, this is a great way to help them keep productive
agricultural land from being lost.”
In conserving land, Wentworth added, “We also are
protecting clean air, clean water, wildlife habitat, local
food sources, historic landscapes and scenic beauty.” The
incentive, which applies to a landowner’s federal income
tax, will:
• Raise the deduction a donor can take for donating a
voluntary conservation agreement from 30% of their
income in any year to 50%;
• Allow farmers and ranchers to deduct up to 100% of their
income; and
thank you from lta’s Rand Wentworth
Following are excerpts from a letter dated June 30 to
Larry Frimerman, TVCT’s Executive Director, from Rand
Wentworth, President of Land Trust Alliance, for Larry’s
help with the farm bill mentioned in the article above.
Dear Larry,
I’m writing to say thank you for everything you did
to mobilize Congressional support for renewing the
conservation easement tax incentive. Your hard work paid
off in a big way! The 2008 Farm Bill, enacted by Congress
on May 22, included a two year extension of this important
conservation tool.
I know you have your hands full with the day-to-day
work of your land trust, and that it isn’t easy to take the
time to help us work on federal policy - but it’s worth the
work. The story behind this victory demonstrates just how
important your phone calls, emails and visits were to our
SUMMER 2008 www.3vct.org
• Increase the number of years over which a donor can
take deductions from 6 to 16 years.
Landowner donations to land trusts have resulted in
millions of acres of working lands and natural areas being
conserved for the future. According to the Alliance, many
conservation groups reported an annual doubling of the
number of conservation agreements completed in 2007,
in response to the same incentive that had expired in
January. Land trusts in America such as the Three Valley
Conservation Trust have together saved more than 36
million acres from development, an area the size of New
England.
The Alliance also credited the success of the measure to
the entrepreneurial spirit of the private sector, which has
taken the lead in conserving land in recent years. Said
Wentworth, “The fact is that conservation in this country
now depends greatly on the generosity of individuals. It is
the individual rancher, farmer or forester, working the land
in a way that is conservation-oriented, who will largely
define our natural heritage in the future.
Locally, the Three Valley Conservation Trust doubled its
total number of properties and acreage under conservation
easement (36 properties covering over 4000 acres) in the
sixteen months the easement measure was in effect prior
to its expiration in January, over the Trust’s first thirteen
years of operations. Perhaps more telling- not a single
donated easement was completed by TVCT during the
six months of 2008 that the Tax Incentive was not yet
in effect. z
successes in renewing the easement incentive....
...Even as many of the Farm Bill’s other tax provisions
were left on the cutting room floor, the conservation tax
incentive survived. This victory was as close as they
come and we simply couldn’t have succeeded without
your help.
We were disappointed that the incentive was not made
permanent, but we look forward to working with you to
make it so. In the meantime, this two-year extension will
help America’s land trusts conserve more than a million
acres - forever. That a legacy for future generations we
can truly be proud of. Thank you.
Warmest regards,
Rand Wentworth
President
9
that pesky Garlic Mustard
Garlic mustard is a cool season biennial
herb with stalked, triangular to heart-
shaped, coarsely toothed leaves that
give off an odor of garlic when crushed.
First-year plants appear as a rosette of
green leaves close to the ground. Rosettes
remain green through the winter and
develop into mature flowering plants the
following spring. Flowering plants of
garlic mustard reach from 2 to 3-½ feet in
height and produce buttonlike clusters of
small white flowers, each with four petals in the shape
of a cross.
Recognition of garlic mustard is critical. Several white-
flowered native plants, including toothworts (Dentaria),
sweet cicely (Osmorhiza claytonii), and early saxifrage
(Saxifraga virginica), occur alongside garlic mustard
and may be mistaken for it.
-www.nps.gov
Lame Duck [Session] May Help Elevate
Conservation Easements
The Three Valley Conservation Trust has received word
that sponsors and committee leaders in the Ohio House
of Representatives may act soon after the November
election to advance legislation, House Bill 402, to
minimize the property tax exposure for conservation
easement donors. HB 402 was introduced and sponsored
by Representatives Tracy Heard (D-Columbus) and Jon
Peterson (R-Delaware) at the request of the Coalition of
Ohio Land Trust members (including the Three Valley
Conservation Trust) and the Ohio League of Conservation
Voters. HB 402 would allow easement donors to choose
one of the following tax options:
• 50% of their “current” property tax rate, similar to
the Ohio Forestry incentive (if not under Current
Agricultural Use Valuation, or CAUV)
• or the CAUV (if eligible)
• or, if desired, the easement-donating taxpayer could
seek a reduction in actual valuation from their county
auditor.
This law would help easement donors with sensitive
habitats who wish to enhance or plant a native forest,
prairie, or wetland without risking loss of CAUV or a stiff
penalty if land is converted from exclusively productive
farm ground and if installed by entities such as Pheasants
Forever or the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Legislative
sponsors will also include a provision to exempt donors of
permanent conservation easements from the 3-year CAUV
10 www.3vct.org
Here’s one way
to get rid of it!
Make Pesto...
1 1⁄2 cups fresh garlic mustard leaves
1 clove garlic
1⁄4 cup pine nuts or walnuts
3⁄4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3⁄4 cup olive oil
In a food processor, finely chop the
garlic mustard leaves, garlic and
nuts. Slowly mix in the cheese and
olive oil. Pesto may be eaten on
bread or crackers, on spaghetti or
frozen in ice cube trays and stored
for future use in sauces. z
recoupment exposure, should the easement property no
longer remain on CAUV.
The need for this legislation became apparent when a
few Ohio easement donors discovered that they were
still paying the same property tax rates after donating
a property easement. In some cases easement donors
installed wildlife habitat measures which significantly
reduced their farming operations, and then subsequently
lost their CAUV status, and thus were subject to paying
three years’ recovery penalty of the tax savings received
over the previous three years.
Other landowners have been reluctant to permanently
protect their land with habitat-related use restrictions for
fear of losing their low property tax exposure. HB 402 will
remove that obstacle and enhance sustainable agriculture
and habitat work.
While this legislation likely would not affect most
conservation easement donors, whose working farms and
forests remain eligible for CAUV tax rates, it does provide
a “double-whammy” for those easement donors whose
lands become ineligible for CAUV.
Land trusts have been assisted by the Ohio League of
Conservation Voters and Representatives Peterson,
Heard, Brinkman, Webster, Combs, and others. For more
information, contact the Trust office at (513) 524-2150. z
Valley Trust NewS
Snapshot 2 (continued from page 5)
According to the rules that govern the conservation
easement, the land can be bought, sold and divided in many
ways, but not a single declared acre can be developed. The
Hesselbrocks are quite happy about this.
Views from
the working
portion
of the
Hesselbrock
Family
Farm
The three sons are still closely connected to the farm and
help farm it. One son owns an adjacent farm, which was
at one point owned by Mrs. Hesselbrock’s family, and is
remodeling the old farmhouse. Although it is relatively close
by, it cannot be seen through the dense thicket that divides
the two properties.
Besides enjoying the hardworking serenity and privacy of
a farming life, the Hesselbrocks enjoy traveling. They have
owned three motor homes and have spent time out west
in areas including California and Yellowstone Park. San
Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Giant Sequoias
have been favorite attractions. Nine years ago they took a
trip of a lifetime and went to Europe, visiting the Germanic
countries of Germany and Austria.
The couple is quite happy with their lifestyle and look
forward to more time on the farm. They appreciate the ability
to keep some land from being developed. z
“Did you know that you can name the
Three Valley Conservation Trust
in your estate?”
SUMMER 2008 www.3vct.org
three valley conservation trust
Conserving the natural
environment and cultural
heritage of Southwest Ohio
NAME _________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS ______________________________________________________________
CITY ___________________________________ ST _________ ZIP _______________
PHONE(S) ______________________________________________________________
EMAIL _________________________________________________________________
Conserve paper & postage. Send “News” notice via email.
 I would like to volunteer. Please contact me.
 I give permission to list my name as a supporter.
MEMBERSHIP LEVELS
All receive the Valley Trust News (via mail or email)
Trust Benefactors
 Great Blue Heron Group - $10,000+
Free reservations for all Trust events, Chair’s Reception,
Tour of at least one easement site
 Founder’s Society - $2,500+
Free reservations for two Trust events, Chair’s Reception,
Tour of at least one easement site
 Conservationist - $1,000 - $2,499
Free reservations for two at Annual Meeting, Chair’s Reception
Trust Partners
 Guardian - $500 - $999
Free reservations for two at Annual Meeting
 Contributor - $250 - $499
Free reservations for two at Annual Meeting
 Sponsor - $100 - $249  Member - $50 - $99
 Student - $25  Other - $_______
 My company has a matching gift program, I will send the form.
 CHECK  MC  VISA
CC# __________________________________ Exp. Date ____ /____
3 digit code_____ _________________________________________
PRINT NAME AS IT APPEARS ON YOUR CARD
_________________________________________________________
SIGNATURE
Total Amount Enclosed $_____________
Mail and make payable to: Three Valley Conservation Trust
TVCT, PO Box 234, Oxford, Ohio 45056.
11
Auction for Acres (continued from page 1) Calendar
• Goods and services of all kinds from area supporting
businesses and individuals September
• Antique oriental rugs 3 Board Meeting, 7 pm, SW Reg. Water Dist.
Enjoy your beverage of choice and snacks, accompanied by 4 Business After Hours, TVCT
live music while contemplating the silent auction items. Then 27 Auction for Acres, The Knolls of Oxford
heavy hors d’oeuvres will be presented followed by the “really
October
big show” of lively bidding interspersed with a different, upbeat
1 Board Meeting, 7 pm, TVCT
musical group. 
November
You can help... 5 Board Meeting, 7 pm, TVCT
by donating or soliciting items 8 Wine Tasting
(perhaps use of a vacation home, an
original work of art, antiques, estate
jewelry, etc.) We welcome volunteers We’d like your feedback!
to help put this event together. Call on your friends,
relatives or businesses for support. Please call the office office_manager@3vct.org
(513-524-2150) if you’d like to help or contact auction chair 513/524-2150
Dick Sollmann directly (513-523-5531) e-mail to rsollmann@ TVCT, PO Box 234, Oxford, OH 45056
woh.rr.com.

Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
5920 Morning Sun Road, PO Box 234 PAID
Oxford, Ohio 45056 Permit No. 171
513-524-2150 • 513-524-0162 fax Oxford, OH
45056
www.3vct.org
Larry Frimerman, Executive Director
Lawrence Leahy, Development Director
Mary Glasmeier, Office Manager

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