October 6, 2026

land preservation

A Napa art center is giving up development rights on 162 of its 217 acres; the deal protects 75% of the estate while directing up to $1.85 million back to the arts

A Napa art center is giving up development rights on 162 of its 217 acres; the deal protects 75% of the estate while directing up to $1.85 million back to the arts

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A major conservation agreement in California’s Napa Valley is set to permanently protect much of the sprawling landscape surrounding the di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art, while potentially providing the institution with up to $1.85 million to support its cultural operations. Announced August 25 by the Land Trust of Napa County, the deal brings together…

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A Pennsylvania couple bought 78.3 acres in 2022 to stop development; their conservation work has helped eliminate plans for 88 houses and 21 condos

A Pennsylvania couple bought 78.3 acres in 2022 to stop development; their conservation work has helped eliminate plans for 88 houses and 21 condos

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Paul and Cynthia Black’s conservation efforts have helped protect 78.3 acres in Pennsylvania from future development. (Photo: Phoenixville Regional Chamber of Commerce) Paul and Cynthia Black purchased 78.3 acres in Pennsylvania in 2022 with a goal beyond simply owning land that they wanted to ensure it would never be developed. Their latest conservation effort has…

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On the day his mother died, a Wyoming rancher promised their family land would never be developed; 8 years later, he protected the 2,506 acres forever

On the day his mother died, a Wyoming rancher promised their family land would never be developed; 8 years later, he protected the 2,506 acres forever

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Pic credit: Wyoming Stock Growers Land Trust Eight years ago, David Ellsbury stood at his mother’s deathbed. She only had one request. Her final wish was that their family ranch would never be developed. She didn’t want a developer to carve it up the way they had everywhere else. And that’s exactly what the Crook…

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In 1905, doctors told a Seattle shipbuilder he had only months to live; he sold his business for $3.5 million, moved to an island, gave nearly 2,700 acres away and lived another 38 years

In 1905, doctors told a Seattle shipbuilder he had only months to live; he sold his business for $3.5 million, moved to an island, gave nearly 2,700 acres away and lived another 38 years

wizbuddypointm@gmail.com010 mins

Robert Moran, former mayor of Seattle and shipbuilding magnate was told in 1905, that he only had a few months to live. Resolved to spend his last days peacefully, he sold his business interests for $3.5 million ($126 million in 2025) and moved to Orcas Island where he eventually acquired about 7,000 acres of forest….

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