North Country Conservancy - Preserve Daisy Mountain Effort

Power Plant Mercury And Air Toxics Standards

On March 16, 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed the first national standard to reduce mercury and other toxic air pollution from coal and oil-fired power plants.  This document provides an overview of the benefits of the proposed clean air standards and highlights key facts and impacts associated with them.

Submit your comments (support or opposition)  by July 5 to the EPA Administrator Jackson at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States
For a short article that highlights key findings of Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States, a state of knowledge report about the observed and projected consequences of climate change for our nation and people.  is an authoritative scientific report written in plain language, with the goal of better informing public and private decision making at all levels. The report draws from a large body of scientific information including the set of 21 synthesis and assessment products from the U.S. Global Change Research Program, the assessments of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and much more. It also includes new information published since these assessments were released....for more...

Conservation Easement Incentive Act (H.R. 1964

There are now 259 co-sponsors of the Conservation Easement Incentive Act (H.R. 1964). Unfortunately, none of our representatives are on the list - see the co-sponsor map. 

This bill is critical for the protection of millions of acres of the nation's agricultural lands, forests, farmlands, and natural areas that support the economy, health and cultural fabric of our community.   H.R. 1964 makes permanent an incentive that is due to expire at the end of this year and that allows modest-income landowners to receive significant tax deductions for donating conservation easements that permanently protect important natural or historic resources on their lands.  Want to help -- go to http://www.landtrustalliance.org/policy/tax-matters/campaigns/how-you-can-help.

May 6, 2011  Land Trust Alliance Advocates Alert

We heard some fantastic examples of land trusts meeting with their elected officials over the spring district work period. Check out this ringing endorsement for making the incentive permanent from Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA) at an event hosted by Centre County Farmland Trust (using our materials). We couldn't have said it better ourselves, but would you believe he has never co-sponsored the bill? This event clearly made all the difference, but even after getting this kind of commitment, it's essential to close the loop with their staff in DC, who are actually responsible for getting their boss signed on to the bill. Now that they're back from recess, this is the time to call.

An amazing 234 Representatives have now agreed to become original co-sponsors of the Conservation Easement Incentive Act. LTA will also continue updating the full list of co-sponsors as we count down to introduction.

How Copper Mining Would Ruin Mountains In the Tucson Area
Care2.com (blog) by Gina-Marie Cheeseman January 18, 2012

... approximately 995 acres of private land owned by Rosemont Copper, 3670 acres of National Forest System land, 15 acres of Bureau of Land Management administered land and 75 acres of Arizona State Land Department land administered as a State Trust. ...more 

Proposed hydroelectric plant would use Big Chino groundwater
Verde Independent 1/20/2012 By Joanna Dodder Nellans, Contributing Reporter

The Chino Grande Ranch is a checkerboard of sections of private and state trust lands, with 28500 acres in private hands. So the State Land Department would be among a list of government agencies that would have to approve the project if it goes ...Initially, the project would need about 17,500 acre-feet of groundwater to fill the constructed reservoirs. ...Plans by Prescott, Prescott Valley and Chino Valley to supplement their municipal water supplies with groundwater from the Big Chino Aquifer have drawn concerns from environmental groups and downstream users, including Verde Valley officials.   Scientists generally agree that the Big Chino supplies at least 80 percent of the baseflow of the Upper Verde River, which is home to endangered species and was branded one of the country's most endangered rivers by the environmental group American Rivers in 2006.  more

Planning for Desert Ridge bioscience hub set to begin
Arizona Republic by Michael Clancy - Jan. 9, 2012
The Arizona State Land Department manages the State Land Trust and controls 9.2 million acres after selling or leasing 1.6 million acres. Maria Baier, who as state land commissioner says "The question is whether we bring it out now or wait for recovery. You typically would not dispose of property in a down market."  The department is required to "enhance value and optimize economic return" on the land for its beneficiaries, ...for more

Huge land exchange is blowing in the wind
Prescott Daily Courier by Joanna Dodder Nellans 12/21/2011
The fate of the largest land exchange in Arizona history is blowing in the wind as 2011 comes to a close. The Yavapai County supervisors have approved 81 lighted, 436-foot-tall wind turbines on 37000 acres of the remote Yavapai Ranch that is supposed ...for more

ASLD Official Response for Florence Copper Project
Maria Baier, ASLD Commissioner - Dec. 19, 2011

I write to reiterate the position of the Arizona State Land Department (ASLD) ... project, as described, provided no substantial threat to the State Trust Land. ...for more

Lawmaker Continues Effort to Allow Arizona to Buffer Bases with ...

Association DEFENSE COMMUNITIES December 5, 2011

The constitutional amendment would create an exception to the Arizona constitution's requirement for the state to sell property in its land trust only to the highest ...more

OHV Ambassadors get national award
Prescott Daily Courier 12/8/2011
After pilot programs with the Tonto National Forest and State Land Department at popular OHV sites in the Valley of the Sun, Arizona State Parks took on the oversight of the program in 2006 and the first official OHV Ambassador volunteers were trained ...
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112 acres for retail center could go back to state
by Peter Corbett - Nov. 14, 2011 09:00 AM   AZ Central.com
It agreed to pay $32 million for a 99-year lease of the state trust land and invest $67 million in improvements for utilities, roads and drainage. Jim Adams, Arizona State Land Department real-estate director, said Westcor paid $1.26 million in lease ...see more

Jones Looking At Parks Funding Next Year

AZ Representative (District 24) Russ Jones isn't discussing any details yet, but said he wants to run legislation next year that would help fund the Arizona State Parks system. He acknowledged that some parks are not profitable or sustainable, but said it's important to keep them open. "We do need to fundamentally look at our parks system as an asset. Not all the parks are economically sustainable, but they host unique locations and geography and history that
the state should preserve for future generations," he said. "Unfortunately, there's a cost. It's a relatively low
priority cost when you're faced with issues with public safety and education." Jones also said he's looking
at possible legislation that would provide funding for the Land Department, which is already operating on a
contingency plan due to a Maricopa County Superior Court ruling that nixed its current self-funding model.
Jones said he's been discussing "plan B and plan C," but isn't ready to unveil any of his potential
proposals. "I'm not going to really talk about that yet. I have some ideas," he said.