RIVER FIELDS INC

LAND CONSERVATION: THIS CORE PROGRAM AREA FOCUSES ON THE PERMANENT PROTECTION OF NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES, INCLUDING SCENIC AND AGRICULTURAL ONES, THROUGH CONSERVATION EASEMENTS OR THE PURCHASE OF LAND IN FEE SIMPLE. WE WORK DIRECTLY WITH LANDOWNERS AND CITIZENS TO ASSIST THEM IN EITHER EXECUTING CONSERVATION EASEMENTS OR DONATING THEIR LAND IN FEE SIMPLE. WE ALSO SERVE AS AN INFORMATION CLEARINGHOUSE FOR LANDOWNERS CONCERNED WITH THE FUTURE OF THEIR LANDS WHO WANT TO KNOW WHAT SOLUTIONS EXIST. WITH NEARLY 2,200 ACRES OF CONSERVATION EASEMENTS ON CULTURAL LANDSCAPES INCLUDING FARMLAND, WETLANDS, FOREST, MEADOWS, AND OTHER VALUABLE AND FRAGILE PROPERTIES NOW PROTECTED FOREVER FROM HARMFUL DEVELOPMENT PRACTICES, RIVER FIELDS PROTECTS AN AREA OF LAND THREE TIMES THE SIZE OF NEW YORK'S CENTRAL PARK AND ADDS SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE METRO AREA'S TREE CANOPY AND CLIMATE RESILIENCY. WE HOLD EASEMENTS IN THREE COUNTIES AND OWN 65 ACRES OUTRIGHT IN JEFFERSON COUNTY. WE MAINTAIN OUR LANDS THAT WE OWN OUTRIGHT WITH ECOLOGICALLY-SOUND PRACTICES THAT PRIORITIZE PROTECTING BIODIVERSITY AND FLOOD RESILIENCE, AND WE KEEP THEM OPEN AND AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC 365 DAYS A YEAR. PROTECTING THESE EASEMENTS FROM LEGAL CHALLENGES AND MONITORING THEIR CONDITIONS TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE BEING APPROPRIATELY PROTECTED FROM HARM IS A SIGNIFICANT PART OF OUR WORK. AS OF THE END OF 2023, WE ARE CLOSE TO FINALIZING A NEW EASEMENT IN A HIGHLY DEVELOPED AND THREATENED AREA OF SOUTHWEST JEFFERSON COUNTY, ADDING MORE THAN 100 ACRES OF PRISTINE FOREST TO OUR HOLDINGS.

EDUCATION: WE BELIEVE IN ENCOURAGING AND EMPOWERING ALL CITIZENS TO PROTECT THE RIVER AND ITS SURROUNDING LANDS. WE DO THIS THROUGH SEVERAL CHANNELS, INCLUDING OUR WEBSITE, SOCIAL MEDIA, NEWSLETTER, AND OTHER AVENUES TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE PUBLIC AND EMPOWER THEM WITH INFORMATION. WE ALSO HOST EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING - ON PROTECTED PROPERTIES THAT ARE NOT USUALLY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC - ON TOPICS SUCH AS ECOLOGY, PLANT IDENTIFICATION, ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE, AND OTHER TOPICS DESIGNED FOR ALL AGES AND ABILITIES. WE ARE REGULARLY INVITED SPEAKERS AT MANY AREA CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS WHO WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE NATURAL AND CULTURAL ASSETS THAT RIVER FIELDS PROTECTS. WE ALSO MAKE FREQUENT APPEARANCES ON LOCAL MEDIA TO PROVIDE THOUGHTFUL EDUCATIONAL CONTENT TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC ABOUT THE CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF PROTECTING AND CHERISHING THE RIVER AND ITS NATURAL LANDSCAPES. RIVER FIELDS IS OFTEN LOOKED TO AS A TRUSTED AND INFORMED VOICE WHEN IT COMES TO EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ON TOPICS INCLUDING SUSTAINABLE PLANNING PRACTICES, THE CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF PROTECTING CULTURAL LANDSCAPES, AND THE IRREPLACEABLE TREASURE THAT IS OUR OHIO RIVER LANDSCAPE.