| In 1995 that dream was realized when Dionondehowa was
incorporated as a non-profit entity and received this first donation of
property a year later. In 2006, after a 4-year Capital Campaign to raise
$50,000, an additional 42 acres were added to the forever-wild land
trust. While the Sanctuary will be allowed, by law, to flourish in
perpetuity, it will be little more than a 217-acre park amidst housing
developments if the larger community does not invest in the same vision,
expanding its concept of ownership and community. Indeed the land
comprising DWS&S would have been a developer's dream: a paved,
town-maintained road providing easy access to many lots with
extraordinary views. As a land trust Dionondehowa is able to "hold"
donations of property rights from other landowners along the river
corridor, throughout the watershed and beyond. While there are tax
benefits for such donations, these are of secondary importance to those
who feel the critical necessity of allowing "nature to take its course,"
of withholding our human interference, and of appreciating from afar
some of the remaining natural beauty. |
