THREE VALLEY CONSERVATION TRUST

2009 ANNUAL REPORT

10,000 Acres!
At left, Tom & Holly Wissing on their
protected property which was the 52nd
easement signed. Tonight, they will share
their love for the land.

2009 has provided the Trust with two of

its most significant milestones - our 15th
Anniversary, and our 10,000th acre under
easement.

15 Years!
TVCT kicked off its 15th anniversary by displaying the banner shown
below on High Street for the week of September 14, and then again
at the Heron Hullabaloo celebration picnic on October 4 at the Beck
Farm.

Thane Maynard, Director of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical

Gardens, showing a Spectacled Owl (and other critters),
delivered the keynote address at the 2008 Annual Meeting.

STAFF
Larry Frimerman, Executive Director
Mary Glasmeier, Office Manager
Lois Nelson, Volunteer Monitoring Coordinator
Nicholas Yebit Fondom, Botanist, Intern
Jennifer Prather, GIS Intern, Spring Semester
Sam Cole, GIS Intern, Fall Semester
The Three Valley Conservation Trust (TVCT)
works with people and communities to conserve
the Natural environment and cultural heritage in Southwest Ohio.
ANNUAL MEETING AGENDA • 13 FEBRUARY 2010

5:15 pm Registration • Music by Arachnorhythms

6:00 pm Welcome – Dolph Greenberg, Board Chair
6:15 pm Dinner served by Marcum Center Staff
6:30pm Three Valley Conservation Trust Membership Meeting
• 2009 Accomplishments
• Update for 2010
• Honors & Appreciation
• Election of new board members

Retiring Board Members For Open Board Positions (4) For Continuing Board Position
Ray Arlinghaus Stephen Eshbaugh Amy Leedy
Margarette Beckwith Jill Hittle
Mary Moore Marlene Hoffman
Greg Peck Graham Mitchell

6:55 pm End of Membership Meeting,

7:00 pm Presentation of Wallace Edwards Award – John Blocher, Past Recipient
3rd Annual Wallace I Edwards Award Winner: James E. Reid
7:10 pm Easement Donor Remarks- Tom & Holly Wissing
7:15 pm Save An Acre And Kroger: Cal Conrad, Development Co-Chair
7:30pm Keynote – Dr. Lonnie Thompson, Director, Byrd Polar Research Institute, The Ohio State
University, Columbus, Ohio.
8:15 pm Save an Acre Tally – Cal Conrad
Door Prizes – Margarette Beckwith
8:25 pm Concluding Remarks- Dolph Greenberg, Chair
8:30 pm Adjourn Annual Meeting

Snapshot of Candidates For Open Board Positions

Graham Mitchell Marlene Hoffman
West Chester Oxford
Retired Section Manager, Head of Federal RN, McCullough Hyde Hospital, and outdoors
Facilities, Ohio EPA, and IES grad activist
Jill Hittle Stephen Eshbaugh
Eaton Oxford
Title and estate attorney Environmental Educator, Heffner Museum,
Miami University,

2009 Three Valley Conservation Trust Board of Trustees

Ray Arlinghaus* Dolph Greenberg Mary Moore*
Margarette Beckwith* Frank House Greg Peck*
Calvin Conrad Ben Jones Ron Stewart
Sam Fitton Amy Leedy Don Streit
Steve Gordon Roger Millar Chris Worrell
*Retiring Board Members
KEYNOTE SPEAKER

DR. LONNIE THOMPSON

(Photo by Thomas Nash)

Director, Byrd Polar Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus,
Ohio. Dr. Thompson will not only share stories and visual documentation of global
climate change, but will also show how land and stream conservation right here in
the Three Valley Conservation Trust area do more than enhance and protect
habitats for wildlife and rare plants. Dr. Thompson, a Distinguished University
Professor of Earth Sciences at the Ohio State University, received the 2007
National Medal of Science for his work providing irrefutable evidence of global climate change.
Thompson has led more than 50 expeditions to ice caps and glaciers on five continents in nearly three
decades of research, retrieving ice cores that contain a diary of past climate conditions around the globe,
some dating back more than 750,000 years. Thompson and his wife and research partner - Geography
Professor Ellen Mosley Thompson- clearly document that the last fifty years was the warmest period in
recorded history, and is contributing to the increased weather severity we currently experience.

2009 WALLACE I. EDWARDS CONSERVATIONIST OF THE YEAR, 2009

JAMES REID
Selection Committee • Mike Ball , John Blocher, Ann Geddes, Eric Hollins

This year the Three Valley Conservation Trust wishes to recognize a long-time
member and conservation role model as its 2009 Wallace I. Edwards
Conservationist, James Reid. Over the past 20 years Jim has developed a second
career and a passion for land and water conservation after having worked for
Beckett Paper in Hamilton. He was tentative about this conservation interest when
he joined the Board of Directors of what was then the Four Mile Valley Land Trust
in the mid-1990s, at Wally Edwards’ invitation, but shortly afterward he became its
Chair.
Serving in that role for five years (until 2001), Jim Reid brought a business sense to the Board’s monthly
meetings, despite all the idealism and disparate interests of its members. He led the Board eventually to the
consensus that the Trust would have to acquire a paid executive director to get the needed land
conservation easements done in a systematic and timely way. After he left the Board, with its new Executive
Director in place, the Trust grew exponentially in accomplishments and conservation influence.
Jim then served several years on the Board of the Miami Valley Chapter of the Audubon Society. Here he
was able to let his photography, birding, and bird conservation interests flourish. From that, and with his
previous marketing and sales experience, he was welcomed onto the Board of Audubon Ohio where he
served for six years. He was building enthusiasm for his new passion, along with developing new friends.
But Jim’s greatest passion flourished when he began to work as a part-time manager for Miami
University’s Bachelor Reserve and Natural Areas. In this capacity he has organized and enhanced the public’s
appreciation for and use of the University’s extensive land holdings. He expanded the trail system to its
present 15 miles, strategically adding necessary bridges and then benches at the best view points. He enlisted
friends to help with the mapping program for both the trails and biotic communities, generating maps that are
now available at the kiosks established at all entry points. He has started a field trip and walking program,
including an annual Hike-a-Thon with upwards of 500 participants, many new to the Natural Areas each year.
He has created a “freshman cleanup day” for over 100 students each fall. With all of these supporters, Jim
never failed to engage as many as possible in the control of invasive species and the replanting of species lost
during past land conversions. His efforts have created a significant, supportive constituency for the Natural
Areas and for land conservation in the greater Butler and Preble County area.
Because of the importance of all these conservation initiatives for our community, Jim Reid was recognized
by The Oxford Press as a Citizen of the Year in 2001. He has opened the door to large-scale land and water
conservation across five counties, an initiative whose importance cannot now be overstated.
The Trust membership is truly in debt to him and we therefore celebrate the opportunity to recognize
him this year with the Wallace I. Edwards Award.

(The Three Valley Conservation Trust Board extends its sincere gratitude to John Ruthven for allowing the Trust to reproduce “Three Valley
Great Blue Heron” as a memento of the Wallace I. Edwards Conservationist of the Year Award.)

2009 In Review
I. Three Valley Conservation Trust Status as of 12/31/09
• Easements Held: 86 as of 12/31/2009.
• Land Area Protected: 10784 under easement, 11600 total acres protected.
• Watershed Protected: 42 miles of stream.
• Easements signed in 2010: 1 additional easement 2/12/2010
• Easements in Process: 16.

A. TVCT 2009 Recorded Easements

NAME WATERSHED RECORDED ACRES CONS VALUE TWP. COUNTY

74 Brewer Twin 2009 115 Agr/Nat German Mont.
75 Leedy Twin 2009 58.5 Agr Washington Preble
77 Call Twin 2009 73.4 Agr Twin Preble
78 Voge Twin 2009 60 Agr Twin Preble
79 Muehlenhard Indian 2009 160 Agr Reily Butler
80 Henry Four Mile 2009 18.3 Nat St. Clair Butler
81 Lanthrop Twin 2009 223.98 Agr Lanier/Twin Preble
82 Tapalman Twin 2009 300.46 Agr Twin Preble
83 Schlichter Indian 2009 159 Agr Reily Butler
84 Stewart Four Mile 2009 81.3 Nat/Agr Dixon Preble
85 Baker Twin 2009 127 Nat/Agr Jackson Mont
86 Lupinske Twin 2009 126 Nat/Agr German Mont
* Cummins Indian 2009 41.32 Nat Reily Butler

90
12000
80

10000 70

60
8000
50
# of easements
6000 40
Protected Acres stream miles
30
4000
20
2000
10

0 0
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
 Name Watershed Year Acres Cons Values Twp County
1 Pontius/Gitz Twin 2000 91.3 Agr/Nat Twin Preble
2 Reid Four Mile 2000 3.3 Nat Milford Butler
3 Blocher Four Mile 2001 1 Nat Oxford Butler
4 Hollenbaugh Four Mile 2001 5 Nat Oxford Butler
5 House Four Mile 2002 180 Nat Somers Preble
6 Kahn Indian 2002 5.5 Nat Reily Butler
7 Beck Four Mile 2003 148 Agr/Nat Oxford Butler
8 Dull Whitewater 2003 149 Agr Washington Darke
9 Gerber Elk 2003 762 Agr Wayne Butler
10 Howard Four Mile 2003 233 Agr/Nat Dixon Preble
11 Lake, K Twin 2003 158.5 Agr German Mont.
12 Lake, R. Twin 2003 98 Agr German Mont.
13 Smith/Glaser Seven Mile 2003 7.7 Nat Somers Preble
14 Taylor Four Mile 2003 77 Agr/Nat Oxford Butler
15 Dohn Elk 2004 65 Agr Gratis Preble
16 Filbrun Twin 2004 363 Agr Harrison Preble
17 Gilbert Twin Creek 2004 170 Agr German Mont.
18 Klak/Hey Indian 2004 16 Nat Reily Butler
19 Clevenger Twin 2005 106 Agr/Nat Twin Preble
20 Clevenger Twin 2005 102 Agr/Nat Twin Preble
21 Geddes Indian 2005 88 Nat Reily Butler
22 Gerber Elk 2005 395.4 Agr Gratis Preble
23 Hesselbrock Whitewater 2005 103 Agr Morgan Butler
24 Lake, K. Twin 2005 53.6 Agr German Mont.
25 Leedy/Call Twin 2005 21.6 Agr Washington Preble
26 Millar Four Mile 2005 9 Nat Oxford Butler
27 Puff Four Mile 2005 0.5 Nat Oxford Butler
28 Robbins Twin 2005 35 Nat Twin Preble
29 Seibel Twin 2005 159 Agr/Nat Harrison Preble
30 Voge, R. Twin 2005 81 Agr Twin Preble
31 Yost Twin 2005 12 Agr Lanier Preble
32 Bixler Twin 2006 154 Agr Clay Mont.
33 Bowen Twin 2006 99 Agr Twin Preble
34 Costanzo Seven Mile 2006 62 Nat Somers Preble
35 Fain Four Mile 2006 20 Agr Oxford Butler
36 Fergus Twin 2006 112 Nat Twin Preble
37 Filbrun Twin 2006 142 Agr Clay Mont.
38 Hesselbrock Whitewater 2006 31 Agr Morgan Butler
39 Hoke Seven Mile 2006 14 Agr Milford Butler
40 Leedy Twin 2006 465 Agr Twin Preble
41 Roark Twin 2006 135 Agr Jackson Mont.
42 Roark Twin 2006 81 Agr Jackson Mont.
43 Ulrich Twin 2006 93 Agr/Nat Jackson Mont.
44 Voge, F. Twin 2006 295.2 Agr/Nat Twin Preble
45 Ristaneo Twin 2007 528 Agr/Nat Lan/Grat/Jacks Preb/Mont
46 Tincher Indian 2007 263 Agr Reily Butler
47 Rodeffer Twin 2007 163 Agr/Nat Twin Preble
48 B Voge Twin 2007 251 Agr/Nat Twin Preble
49 Twin Valley Twin 2007 467 Agr/Nat Germ/Grat/Jacks Preb/Mont
50 Shepherd Twin 2007 117 Agr/Nat Lanier Preble
51 E Voge Twin 2007 80 Agr Twin Preble
52 Wissing Indian 2007 11 Nat Reily Butler
53 Felty Twin 2007 47 Agr/Nat Washington Preble
54 Geddes Indian 2007 100 Agr/Nat Reily Butler
55 Ulrich Twin 2007 103 Agr Washington Preble
56 Ulrich Twin 2007 75 Agr Monroe Preble
57 Ulrich Seven Mile 2007 59 Agr Washington Preble
58 Hoffmann Indian 2007 328 Agr/Nat Reily Butler
59 Glander Twin 2007 170 Agr/Nat Lanier Preble
60 Storck Indian 2007 55 Agr/Nat Reily Butler
61 Study Indian 2007 55 Agr/Nat Oxford Butler
62 Study Indian 2007 47 Agr/Nat Oxford Butler
63 Molen Seven Mile 2007 110 Agr/Nat Somers Preble
64 Brunk Twin 2007 212 Agr Twin Preble
65 Duvall Four Mile 2007 109 Agr/Nat Oxford Butler
66 DuBois Four Mile 2007 42 Agr/Nat Oxford Butler
67 Morris Little 4 Mile 2007 48 Agr/Nat Washington Union
68 Boyles Little 4 Mile 2007 52 Agr/Nat Washington Union
69 Cummins Indian 2007 15 Agr/Nat Reily Butler
70 Jackson Twin 2007 73 Agr Harrison Preble
71 Harmon Twin 2007 3 Nat Harrison Preble
72 Bruns 4 Mile 2008 119.3 Agr/Nat Israel Preble
73 Moses Twin 2008 91.3 Agr/Nat Gratis Preble
74 Brewer Twin 2009 115 Agr/Nat German Mont.
75 Jackson Twin 2009 80.8 Agr Harrison Preble
76 Leedy Twin 2009 58.5 Agr Washington Preble
77 Call Twin 2009 73.4 Agr Twin Preble
78 Voge Twin 2009 60 Agr Twin Preble
79 Muehlenhard Indian 2009 160 Agr Reily Butler
80 Henry 4 Mile 2009 18.3 Nat St. Clair Butler
81 Lanthrop Twin 2009 223.98 Agr Lanier/Twin Preble
82 Tapalman Twin 2009 300.46 Agr Twin Preble
83 Schlichter Indian 2009 159 Agr Reily Butler
84 Stewart 4 Mile 2009 81.3 Nat/Agr Dixon Preble
85 Baker Twin 2009 127 Nat/Agr Jackson Montgomery
86 Lupinske Twin 2009 126 Nat/Agr German Montgomery
* Cummins Indian 2009 4.132 Nat Reily Butler
86 Total #
easements: 10784 Acres

TVCT Owned Land

44 Ruder/TVCT Four Mile 1996 13.5 Nat Oxford Butler
B. Financial Status As of 12/31/09

• Unrestricted Funds- $177,023.92

• Restricted Funds
o Restricted easement grant commitment funds- Closing in February
o Stewardship Endowment $185,405.
o Operations Endowment $283,400.63, of which
 $222,581.57 is for endowment,
 $33,117.04 restricted dedicated for life insurance premium.
 $16,584.99 Rogers Endowment fund at Oxford Comm Fdn,
 $11,017.03 in Hamilton Comm Fdn Endowment
• Revenues: As of 1/29/10- $21,039 - in deposits since 12/31/09.
• 2010 Approved Budget: $208,000 projected expenses, $217,000 projected revenue.
 C. Membership Status as of 12/31/09:
• # Members – 500

II. 2009 Trust Activities

2009 has provided the Trust with two of its most significant milestones- our 15th Anniversary, and our
10,000th acre under Three Valley Conservation Trust easement. Our 15th Anniversary party at the Trust
was a memorable and uplifting experience for all who attended.
Part of 2009 was devoted to finishing government program easements – ones government funders
approved for funding in 2007 and 2008. The patience of landowners Brewer, Call, Leedy, Jackson,
Muehlenhard and Voge (the latter five approved in 2007) was tested again and again through myriad delays
in processing paperwork until finally completed this past summer. Thankfully, we all persevered, although
not long after his long awaited easement was recorded, 95 year old Herbert Muehlenhard passed away.
Easements were donated to honor parents’ love for the land and efforts to create a sanctuary at the now-
preserved Henry farm abutting the City of Hamilton.
Last minute easement donations (Lanthrop, Stewart, Cummins/McCollum) to beat the looming
expiration of the Conservation Easement Tax Incentive, signing of 2008 Ohio Farmland Preservation
Program (AEPP) easements (Tapalman, Schlichter), and 2008 program US farmland preservation/forestland
grants (FRPP) (Baker and Lupinske) all have boosted our TVCT easement acreage to 10,784.
In addition to boosting our lands protected, we held several successful events those generous
members whom assisted us by attending/helping/donating to November’s Auction for Acres ($38k net),
last Annual Meeting and the Special Dinner ($11k and $13k respectively).
As we wrap up the first decade of the Twenty-first Century, the Trust grappled with new and difficult
challenges that we hope has toughened our collective resolve. The lingering severe recession forced the
Trust to reduce its staff to only two – Office Manager Mary Glasmeier and Executive Director Larry
Frimerman – and remains a drain on our resources. Yet, the Trust presses on to protect what we have
been entrusted with by new and continuing thoughtful stewards of the land. Our mid-course correction in
2009 worked- with the help of our benefactors, Board and strong volunteers, we are finishing 2009 in the
black with revenues of $260,000 and expenses of $235,000. Our budget cutting and priority setting gives
us confidence that with member, foundation and corporate support, we can build upon this foundation to
slowly grow and enhance our capacity to provide service sustainably. How? First, (as referenced above)
we streamlined costs and our operation.
Second, we added internal policies and procedures to plan for ongoing effectiveness and building of
partnerships with landowners and communities as a part of adhering to the Land Trust Alliance’s
Standards and Practices, and ultimately, to aim toward applying for Land Trust Accreditation. The
financial crunch required that the Trust monitor our cash flow on a daily basis to make decisions that
would assure solvency. We did that, and recognized we needed better tools to make those
determinations. We brought in a new bookkeeper and new accounting firm to strengthen our real time
fiscal resources. We revamped how we invest our restricted funds. We have cut costs well beyond staff
reductions, to stabilize our budget at $210,000 going into 2010, vs. $290,000 entering 2009 (we spent
~$235,000).
Third, the Trust has signed a letter of intent to participate in the Land Trust Alliance’s Conservation
Easement Defense Insurance Fund. This would add a small amount of cost ($55-60/easement per year) to
our operation, but insure the organization from potentially catastrophic effects of possible lawsuits
(defense from eminent domain efforts, etc.) necessary to effectively defend the sanctity of these
permanent easement Agreements. Ideally, a pot of easement defense funding in excess of $1,500,000 may
be necessary to fend off possible multiple legal actions over time as a safeguard. Short of having a stockpile
of funds in the bank dedicated for such a purpose, easement defense insurance can be a key component in
maintaining the Trust’s viability.
Fourth, the Trust added to its Monitoring and Stewardship Endowment, and implemented an approach
to help to grow that fund. The Trust and the landowners with whom we work have greater a
understanding of the significant service and technical assistance TVCT provides to easement donors and
grant applicants. We are also working more closely with easement donors to build, celebrate lifelong
partnerships. To this end, the Trust developed printed policies, procedures and materials to create clear
expectations for landowners as well as others in working with the Trust on any issue. This includes a
basket of options to help easement donors cover the Trust’s costs of annually monitoring their properties
in perpetuity.
 These generous families have responded by increasing their commitments to the Trust, both for
operating funds as well as monitoring/stewardship endowment contributions. The most recent easement
donors have gone beyond that, making up front contributions for operations and monitoring and also
property transfer fees of (in two cases thus far) 3% of the land’s value. (Until 2008, the Trust had not
been as assertive in its requests of easement donors, and the economics of endowment building changed
dramatically). New conservation easement donors combined to contribute $21,000 toward operations as
well as $70,000 toward our permanent stewardship endowment fund.
At this point, the Trust has approximately $185,000 in our Monitoring and Stewardship Endowment
accounts to cover 86 easements. Clearly, one can plainly see that the Trust (like nearly all other land
trusts) needs to substantially bolster its easement monitoring and stewardship endowment and operations
endowment fund. Ideally, the Trust should have at least $4,000,000 in each of its endowments to truly be
sustainable and cover basic costs of a small staff and office into the future. In the long run, bequests and
planned gifts will be the most effective mechanism for expanding the Trust’s endowments. So, please
remember to think about including the Trust in your will!
Finally, the Trust applied for, and received announcement of a $15,000 grant award from the Greater
Cincinnati Foundation to undertake the process and steps needed to apply for and ultimately achieve
Accreditation from the Land Trust Alliance Accreditation Commission. Ultimately, this highest honor of
“Good Housekeeping” will be a testament to the tremendous efforts of the Board, and commitment of
the entire organization.
Thank you all so much for making the Three Valley Conservation Trust what it is, and for your future
efforts to help us grow sustainably!

III. TRUST PRIORITIES FOR 2010:

With a current paid staff of two (plus volunteer monitoring coordinator Lois Nelson, of course), the
Trust will have to limit the scale and/or scope of activities which we can engage in during 2010. As such,
the Trust will continue to focus on our core mission- working with the people and communities in our
area to conserve its natural environment and cultural heritage. We will be maintaining financial viability
and continuing our land conservation program commitments to farmers and other landowners, and to
local communities. The Trust must continue to remain economically viable, and build to sustainability.
Our commitment includes monitoring and securing the 87 properties whose easement protections have
been entrusted to us, and in finishing the easements that are “in the pipeline”. It also includes meeting
application obligations for certain government programs like the Clean Ohio Fund. With these
imperatives in mind, the following represents the Trust’s objectives for 2010:

Land Protection
1. Meet Current and continuing obligations
2. Enhance procedures, details data, etc
3. Establish and Rank Priority Zones (to develop integrated conservation, membership growth and
funding development) – (including Hamilton, Dayton, Fernald)
4. Initiate Strategic Conservation Plan
5. Trust Stewardship Obligation: Trust Property

Administration
1. Pursue Accreditation with Land Trust Alliance Accreditation Commission
2. Establish Functioning Software, Non-Hardware Systems
3. Update and Invigorate Website
4. Secure Leadership for Various Trust Activities
5. Trust Office – improve workspace

Finance
1. Fine Tune Investment Policy
2. Refine Budget as Needed
 Public Information
1. Communicate the Trust’s Core Values to the Public
2. Complete Marketing Study and Develop Marketing Plan
3. See Website Update under Administration

Development
1. Implement Further the Trust Development Plan
2. Coordinate and link Fundraising (both Planned Giving and Operations) with Land Protection
Activities
3. Identify and Promote New, Creative Ways of Giving

Membership
1. Increase Membership by 20% Through a Variety of Approaches

Early Steps Toward a Land Trust in Butler County

Protecting the wooded hills and steep drainages of the Four Mile Creek Valley from incremental suburban
sprawl became a passion for Wally Edwards in the early 1990s. Because he knew of my years of experience
with the Nature Conservancy he spoke with me often about forming a local Land Trust as a way to protect
in perpetuity the important elements of the Four-Mile Creek landscape. I helped him think about issues of
incorporation, fund-raising, and building public support and challenged him to think of how much land in the
form of conservation easements would be needed to make a difference.
I also reminded Wally of how the rural residents around Oxford were antagonistic to ideas from the City
of Oxford or from the University and student community. The local schism, verging on rural rebellion after
so many rural schools had been closed to create the Talawanda School District, was a fight we’d want to
avoid. To do that we’d need a Board of Directors drawn mostly from the rural area, but who would support
land conservation goals.
Issues of community-scale politics were discouraging to Wally, but he dug deeply into the start-up
processes used by other land trusts that were getting underway. During the 1993-1994 year, Wally got
together information on forming a tax exempt Four Mile Creek Land Trust modeled after the Little Miami
Inc., and Tecumseh, the Trust that was beginning to take shape in Yellow Springs. He got the incorporation
papers and a few of us signed them in September 1994. The next step was to bring in some speakers to kick
off a public discussion of land trust goals and maybe help to build a Board of Directors and some
membership.
We finally got that meeting scheduled for Sunday afternoon October 23, 1994. It was a near disaster. Lots
of rural people came but they surely were not happy with this new wrinkle which many saw as easements for
Oxford people and the ungrateful Miami students to intrude on rural land ownership rights. I spoke mainly
about my own farm-based origins and land conservation thinking, but I was attacked for having moved away
from my rural farm 40 years ago, leaving the responsibility to those who owned the land now.
There had been only the briefest reference to hiking or bike trails on Trust easement lands but that
brought a ton of concern about the littering and language of Miami’s students. The best control of hikers, we
were told, would be to stop something like a Land Trust from ever getting started in a town like Oxford!
Wally and I (and others on the program) took some time to recover. However, Wally had gone too far
with the incorporation papers (signed in September) and with writing a preliminary Constitution and Bylaws
to stop now. We knew that a local property (the three Ruder sisters’ 13.5 acres at the edge of Oxford)
could be given to the Trust as the Ruder Preserve right away, so we should keep moving. However, the
meeting with owners had taught us not to expect the rapid acceptance locally that other land trusts had seen.
We found a few people such as Dwight Baldwin, Tim Hermann, Mike Ball, Bev Thomas, Hardy Eshbaugh, and
Jim Reid, mostly from outside of Oxford, to join us on the Board. The first calendar entry that I have for a
Board meeting is Saturday May 20, 1995.
The Minutes of the November 14, 1995 Board of Trustees meeting show that a Post Office box had been
rented, U.S. Internal Revenue Service tax exempt status had been applied for, and a letter and mailing list
were being prepared to invite memberships. The big action item was unanimous approval of plans for
accepting the gift of land from the Ruder sisters (Ms. Wile, Fuller, and Bever) when the tax exempt status
was approved. Bev Thomas had prepared the minutes as Secretary (but by a year later she was Treasurer).
 The records for 1996 show much of the Trust’s effort went toward building a modest membership, to
setting up a dedication event for the Helen S. Ruder Nature Preserve (September 15) and articulating the
long-term vision for the Trust, which I wrote, drawing on examples from Wisconsin and central Ohio. The
Ruder dedication generated our first full page newspaper story with photos, and was the focus of the first
issue of our newsletter, the Valley Trust News, November 1996.
By the late fall of ’96, Wally Edwards wanted others to take on the Board Chair leadership role, and Jim
Reid, newly retired from a leadership role in a Hamilton paper company, Agreed to serve. This led to big
changes in Board Committees (Membership, Budget, Land Transactions, Publicity, etc.) and sharply defined
meeting goals and agendas.
A big event in 1997 and ’98 was the release of $45,000 to the Trust from the City of Oxford as part of
the mitigation in Ohio EPA’s settlement regarding Oxford’s history of sewer treatment violations and
discharges into Four Mile Creek. But mainly by 1999 the all-volunteer Board was frustrated in not being able
to follow up appropriately with land owners who were inquiring about conservation easements. The lack of
land conservation accomplishments and absence of much operating expenses made it difficult for us to put
good grant proposals in front of area foundations.
A series of very difficult Board meetings in 1999-2000 had to consider either raising big money (which we
doubted we could do) and recruiting a strong Executive Director, or going out of business because we were
getting so little done for the members. As part of expanding the geography of our service area, and the
population for recruiting memberships, we changed the mission and name from Four Mile Creek to Three
Valley Conservation Trust, adding Seven Mile and Indian Creeks. Twin Creek was added later.
The result was consensus in early 2000 that we should apply for a major grant from the Cincinnati
Community Foundation for Trust staffing, and if successful, we would hire an Executive Director. Following
the interviews Liz Woedl and I had with the Foundation we did receive favorable notice of a grant, and that
meant we had to undertake a National search for and Executive Director.
I chaired the Search Committee and by May 2001 we had narrowed down to two strong candidates and
went into negotiating salary and a starting date with one. The successful candidate, Larry Frimerman started
with the Trust in early August, in a loaned space on the Dr. Beck Farm that we were still negotiating for the
day before he started. The land use revolution in Northwest Butler County was getting underway, and the
Trust has not looked back since.

Orie Loucks
9/26/09
 Annual Meeting 2008
February 7, 2009
Marcum Conference Center, Miami University
Minutes recorded by Margarette Beckwith, Acting Board Secretary

1. Frank House, Board Chairman, called the Business Meeting to order at 8:30 pm.
2. Frank asked for a motion to approve the minutes of the 2007 Annual Meeting held in 2008. The
motion was made by Liz Woedl, and seconded by Dolph Greenberg. It passed unanimously.
3. Attendees were directed to the program to review the Treasurer’s report for 2008.
4. Frank introduced the nominees for three vacancies on the Board:
Calvin Conrad
Amy Leedy
Christian Worrell.
Continuing Board members are:
Frank House
Ben Jones
Ronald Stewart.
A request for further nominations was made. None were made.
A motion to approve these appointments was made by Betty Rogers, seconded by Mary Moore.
Frank asked for a motion to close the membership portion of the meeting. A motion was made by
Gil Gordon, and seconded by Rob Cottrell. Both motions passed unanimously.
5. Frank then convened a short business meeting for the purpose of electing new officers for 2009.
Nominees were:
Dolph Greenberg for Chair
Sam Fitton and Ron Stewart as Vice Chairs
Ben Jones as Treasurer
Margarette Beckwith as Secretary
Cal Conrad moved to accept these appointments. Mary Moore seconded. It pass unanimously.
6. A motion to adjourn the meeting at 9:45 pm was made by Liz Woedl and seconded by Dolph
Greenberg. It passed unanimously.