RiverLink Chooses the Forever Option

How to achieve clean water and promote economic development simultaneously are eternal questions, and RiverLink's mission.   Some would say it is impossible to do both.   Everyone wants to know that the water they drink and serve their children is pure and safe.  But the "how you get there" of clean water is often debated and can be contentious.  Everyone wants the opportunity for "a good job" and a "healthy economy" but how you achieve that without destroying or compromising the environment is another often debated and contentious issue. 

After months of meetings, hundreds of hours of soul searching, lots of research, membership surveys, interviews with key regional leaders, a review of our history and accomplishments and a look at local, regional and national mission statements and trends as well as demographic predictions - RiverLink chose the FOREVER OPTION!    

RiverLink chose CONSERVATION OF RIPARIAN AREAS - with a focus on FOREVER.  

Over the years RiverLink has acquired over 300 acres of riparian land (that is land located next to a water source with a complex set of common law legal rights).  Most of our easements are quite small, some as small as 3 acres, and they are spread all over the watershed.  RiverLink, through its strategic planning processes has committed to protect these riparian areas forever.  And, now we will more aggressively seek these riparian areas through conservation easements and official land trust accreditation.  We call it the forever option.

Conservation easements are voluntary agreements about land between a land trust and a   property owner.  The property owner retains title to the property but gives up specific agreed upon development rights to the land to the easement holder (RiverLink).  Some property owners utilize conservation easements as a public service or gift to the community, others for a tax advantage, others to promote economic renewal of surrounding lands, or to assist in greenway development.  No matter what the donors reason  for utilizing conservation easements - if it is in or attached to the riparian area and is  less than 100 acres   RiverLink will seek and  hold   the easements  in perpetuity - forever!   And it is up to the donor which rights she or she will give away or sell and then up to the easement holder to determine if the rights offered meet their criteria.

These smaller riparian areas while critically important to water quality, greenway development, flood control, alternative transportation,  and of course sustainable economic development have been completely  overlooked in the conservation scheme  locally, regionally  and statewide.  Now the smaller parcels will be protected - FOREVER!

RiverLink's dual focus mission, which includes the economic and environmental rebirth of the French Broad River watershed, is both satisfied by the FOREVER OPTION.     The benefits of open space to the economic health of an area are well known and well documented.  And for our region that so heavily relies on the "quality of life", it is especially important as a recruitment and retention tool for both people and businesses.  The benefits to the environment and water quality of protected riparian corridors are also very well documented.

So as we look to the future you will notice that RiverLink will focus even more on conservation, environmental education (we are teaching 6,000 kids a year), stream restoration, volunteer involvement of over 500 community members and park and plan development.  Greenways, open space and recreation are proven economic development strategies as well as environmentally sound strategies.

RiverLink has pursued conservation, education, restoration and recreation for over 20 years and with our renewed focus will bring even more energy and awareness to the river issues which benefit the environment and the economy.  Our efforts will also continue to bring people closer to the resource and protect the riparian corridors of the river FOREVER for everyone to use and enjoy - black, white - young and old, rich and poor alike.  Sustainable requires active engagement of both strategies - environmental protection and economic development in balance.  We do not see them as contradictory. We view each of them as essential to sustainability.  If it were easy, anyone could do it, right?