MENDOCINO LAND TRUST
P.O. BOX 1094 April
MENDOCINO, CA 95460
PHONE: 707 962-0470
FAX: 707 962-0444
EMAIL: mlt@mcn.org
www.mendocinolandtrust.org
Big River Program Takes
Off: Strategic Plan,
Stewards, Interim
Management Plan
by Matt Gerhart, Big River Program
Manager
The Big River Program has moved into high gear over
the last few months with the creation of a Big River
Program Strategic Plan, the release of the draft Big River
Interim Management Plan (BRIMP), and ongoing work of
Big River Stewards to assist in the management of the
property.
The Big River Committee of the Land Trust created a
5-year Strategic Plan for the Big River that will guide the
Land Trust’s involvement with Big River in specific
program areas for the years to come. Adopted by the
Board of Trustees January 21, 2005, the Strategic Plan is
available upon request and will be posted online at the
Land Trust’s website in April.
In mid-February, the lead planning team of
Mendocino Land Trust, California State Parks, and the
State Coastal Conservancy released the draft BRIMP to
the public for review and held a public comment meeting
March 5, 2005. The plan includes a thorough compilation
of all natural resource data available for the Big River
property, including predictive lists of wildlife and plants,
extensive information on the condition of the road
network and risk factors for erosion, analysis of historical
resources and sensitive natural resource areas. Public and
technical advisory comment, solicited through a public
process, has been incorporated to aid in the development
of recommendations for enhancing State Parks’
knowledge and management of their Big River holding.
Alongside this planning work, Big River Stewards has
continued restoration work on the property. In late
January, the restoration team returned to the Laguna to
finish off removal of an infestation of French Broom that
had blocked the view from the road, and in February
tackled Broom and Jubata grass along the south side of
the property and near the main beach parking lot.
(continued on page 2)
2005
The mission of the Mendocino Land Trust is to
conserve important natural resources of Mendocino
County including wildlife habitat, open space, sce-
nic vistas, working farmlands and forests, and to
facilitate public access.
And Now for
the Rest of the
Ranch: Looking
from inside the old
growth
redwoods grove
toward the grazing
land and oak
woodlands of
Ridgewood.
Photo by John
Birchard.
Land Trust Conserves Ridgewood Ranch
Redwoods and Project Picks Up Momentum
by James R. Bernard, Executive Director
On March 2, 2005, the Land Trust closed on the purchase
of a 33-acre conservation easement on the historic Ridgewood
Ranch in Willits, California, permanently conserving two
precious acres of magnificent 800-year old redwoods, 17 acres
of mature second growth redwoods, and a portion of Walker
Creek, an important steelhead fishery. The purchase was the
first of four conservation easements that are proposed on the
5,000-acre ranch – home to the legendary racehorse Seabiscuit.
Development or subdivision will be precluded on 90% of the
Ranch which will continue to be privately owned and managed
as a working ranch.
The Land Trust could not have achieved this conservation
milestone without the support of the Save-the-Redwoods
League, the Inland Mendocino Land Trust, and a generous
donation of value by the landowner, the Golden Rule Church
Association.
The Save-the-Redwoods League provided $300,000, the
bulk of the purchase price, for the acquisition of the
conservation easement on the redwoods.
(continued on page 3)
 Board of Trustees The President’s Corner
President by Chet Anderson, President, Board of Trustees
Chet Anderson
Vice President Looking out at the greening of the Earth in the middle of a welcome vernal-
Bill Lemos equinox rainfall gives rise to thoughts beyond the immediate and present.
Secretary
Jessie Lee VanSant Thinking about the connections between forests and global carbon dioxide
and governmental budgets, what strikes me is the very long-term nature of these issues and the
Trustees
Janice Gendreau
significance of action, or inaction, by society at this time. So it is with land conservation: we
need to plan and decide today so that future generations can enjoy what we have today and,
Alan Falleri perhaps, even have what our grandparents enjoyed before us. (Think Restoration!)
David Jensen
And we need conserve now, as there is no certainty that the resources we value will be there
Staff in the future. In A Sand County Almanac, Aldo Leopold put it this way: “…A chipmunk,
emerging for a sunbath but finding a blizzard, has only to go back to bed. But a migrating
Executive Director
James Bernard goose, staking two hundred miles of black night on the chance of finding a hole in a lake, has no
easy chance for retreat. His arrival carries the conviction of a prophet who has burned his
Conservation bridges.”
Project Manager
Louisa Morris Notes from the Board:
Membership and Long-time volunteer and Board member Dick Somer resigned from the board in January to
Outreach Coordinator care for his 90-year old mother. Dick has our appreciation for his long service and our sympathy
Holly Newberger for the recent loss of his mom.
Big River Program
In February, the Board spent a productive day hard at work re-visiting the organization’s
Manager
Matt Gerhart strategic plan. (Thanks to owner Jeff Stanford, the retreat at the Stanford Inn was comfortable
and conducive to getting a lot of good work done.) The new strategic plan will frame the Land
Trust’s future conservation efforts and provide the vision for a sustainable organization.
(continued on page 3)

Navarro Point Update

By Louisa K. Morris, Conservation
Project Manager
With a wet year in progress, the Land
Trust is moving toward opening access
on the Navarro Point holding with
appropriate care for the property’s exemplary
conservation values. Care will be taken to avoid impacts
to rare plants and wetland areas during parking lot and
trail construction processes. Using a competitive bidding
process, the Land Trust has selected Paulson Excavating
(from nearby Albion) to build the parking lot.
Construction will begin on June 15, 2005 at the earliest or
as soon thereafter when the ground is dry enough to allow
for earth moving. A local consultant is in the process of
preparing a detailed map of the plant communities on the
property, which will be used to inform trail construction
and future restoration and management activities. The
Land Trust intends to design and build the trails before
June 15. If you are interested in helping out with trail
building or other aspects of this project, please contact
Louisa Morris, Conservation Project Manager, at (707)
962-0470, or lmorris@mendocinolandtrust.org.
2
Big River Program (continued from page 1)
Stewards is also gearing up work on outreach and
education activities as well as revamping the spring Big
River Bird Survey scheduled for April and May.
Please see the Calendar of Events in this newsletter for
the Stewards schedule, or contact Matt Gerhart, Big River
Program Manager, (707) 962-0470 or
mgerhart@mendocinolandtrust.org
Annual Year-End Appeal: Thank you!
The response to the Land Trust’s annual year-end
appeal was the largest in terms of number of donors and
dollar amount. To those of you who contributed, we say
thanks for your timely essential assistance. As the Land
Trust grows into its countywide service area and
continues to take on complex, demanding projects such as
Big River and Ridgewood Ranch, we need your support
more than ever. You have our commitment to make a
lasting difference conserving Mendocino County.

Letter from the
Executive Director
James R. Bernard
The Big Picture. Looking out to the world beyond
our service area of Mendocino County is worthwhile to
gain perspective. The inaugural conference of the
California Council of Land Trusts “Creating a Statewide
Voice for Local Conservation” was held March 8, 2005
in Sacramento drawing over 200 land trust
representatives to launch an organization that can speak
for our shared interests. There was consensus at the
meeting that we are in the endgame of a funding cycle
for land conservation, both at the state and federal levels.
This means that we will have to be more creative in our
conservation efforts, partner more effectively, seize
opportunities more adroitly, and need the contributions
of our members and donors more acutely. This means
that the Land Trust will support passage of SB 153, a
new bond bill introduced by our State Senator Wes
Chesbro—the Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe
Neighborhood Parks, and Coastal Protection Act—so
that we do not lose momentum and remain able to
undertake heavy-lifting when and where that is possible.
Those of us working on land conservation must think
more broadly. Under the auspices of the Sonoma Land
Trust, 30 of us met in February to consider conservation
easements and the forests of Sonoma County. Later this
spring, the Land Trust hopes to convene a meeting of all
the land conservation organizations active in Mendocino
County so that we can share experiences and
opportunities for potential collaboration.
Scoreboard. With the conservation of 33 acres of
redwoods on Ridgewood Ranch, the Land Trust has now
had a hand in conserving 9,063 acres of Mendocino
County. This is an impressive achievement. 7,408 acres
have been conveyed to State Parks--7,334 at Big River
and 74 at Caspar Headlands. We own 130 acres--55 at
Navarro Point that we manage and 75 at Caspar Beach
and the Caspar South uplands that we intend to convey.
We worked in partnership to conserve 45 acres--8 with
the Westport Village Society and 37 at Glass Beach with
many people in Fort Bragg. We hold 7 acres of coastal
access easements at Cantus Cove, Belinda Point, and the
Mendocino Bay Overlook. And we hold and monitor
conservation easements on five properties covering 1,440
acres. The Land Trust is actively pursuing conservation
easements on 5,690 additional acres--4,470 at
Ridgewood Ranch and 1,220 at three other locations.
4
And this does not count a growing number of projects that
meet our selection criteria and demand our attention.
The Land Trust is not just about statistics and reports
documenting our progress, but rather the compelling stories we
can tell about how our actions led to betterment of the
environment and enhanced quality of life for the humans who
enjoy those lands and waters.
Renewal. As someone who chaired an event on the first
Earth Day and later worked for one of the five organizations
that still exist from over 500 spawned during the teach-ins of
April 22, 1970, I am stepping back and reflecting on our
collective environmental accomplishments 35 years later and
recognizing that we still have a long way to go in our work to
conserve, steward, and restore. It is a time to recommit
ourselves and reinvigorate our efforts.
Planned Giving Program: Charitable
Remainder Trusts
A charitable remainder trust (CRT) is an arrangement whereby
a donor transfers cash, securities, or real estate to a trust that
provides the donor, or anyone chosen by the donor, with an
income based on a fixed percentage of the trust's assets. The
terms of the trust can be tailored to the specific financial and
philanthropic goals of the donor.
The trust's annual payments are based on a fixed percentage of
the trust's value. Each year the trust's assets are revalued and
your income payment will change and may grow over time.
CRTs can provide an excellent hedge against inflation if the
trust principal increases. Another option is a charitable
remainder annuity trust if you prefer fixed income.
Benefits / Gift Requirements
• Lifetime or Term Income - Receive payments either
for your lifetime or for a fixed term of years - you
decide.
• Immediate Tax Savings - By creating a CRT, you can
take an income tax charitable deduction in the year
you make the gift. If you fund your trust with
appreciated property, you can avoid or defer capital
gain taxes you would have paid had you sold the asset.
• Leave a Legacy - Your gift will ensure that the Land
Trust can work on behalf of future generations.
• Minimum Age - 50
• Minimum Gift Amount - $50,000 for trusts funded
with cash or securities; $100,000 for trusts funded
with real estate
(continued on page 5)

President’s Corner (continued from page 2)
Thanks to owner Derek Webb, over 50 dedicated Land
Trust volunteers were honored at an appreciation event at
the venerable Spring Ranch House on Highway One
between Little River and Mendocino. These volunteers,
and the dozens more who couldn’t make it that day, are the
lifeblood of the Land Trust. They are (YOU are!)
indispensable to conserving important habitat and open
space and to the critical restoration, maintenance and
protection of such jewels as Navarro Point, Big River and
our ocean access trails. Derek has also made three more
weekends at the House (which is set up like a historically
adventuresome B&B) available to Land Trust to sell or
auction. Check out the details in this newsletter.
Porcupine Caribou grazing.
Photo courtesy of the Caribou Commons
Project.
Caribou Commons Lecture/Slideshow
The Land Trust and the Mendocino Coast Audubon
Society are co-sponsoring a lecture/slide show by Ken
Madsen, an award-winning photographer and conservationist
from Whitehorse, Yukon. Ken’s current initiative is the
Caribou Commons Project, an international effort to protect
the calving grounds of the Porcupine Caribou Herd located
in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge now threatened
by industrial oil and gas development. A unique
collaboration among the aboriginal Gwich’in People of
northern Yukon and Alaska, northern artists, and
conservationists, the Caribou Commons Project is making
people aware of the issues and the resources at stake through
a stunning slide show presentation. The Mendocino coast
and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge are connected as
both locations provide habitat supporting migratory
shorebirds.
The presentation is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. on
April 12, 2005 at the Matheson Performing Arts Center at
Mendocino High School.
Ridgewood Ranch (continued from page 1)
Over 95% of the world’s ancient redwoods have been
lost, and very few of those left are in Mendocino County.
The League decided to be the first organization to provide
conservation funding to the Ridgewood Ranch
Conservation Project, to protect the unusual stand of old
growth redwoods.
“We hope our contribution will provide the impetus to
secure funding to protect the Ranch’s other amazing
natural and historical resources,” said Kate Anderton,
Save-the-Redwoods League Executive Director.
“The members of the Golden Rule Church Association
have been looking forward to this day for almost four
years,” said Tracy Livingston, representative of the
Church. “We agreed to sell the conservation easement at
considerably less than its value, because we believe that
conserving the redwoods and this Ranch is the right thing
to do.”
The Inland Mendocino Land Trust of Ukiah led a
successful campaign to raise local funds. In particular,
IMLT President Phyllis Curtis and Secretary Bruni Kobbe
worked diligently with donors to the redwoods
conservation easement purchase.
The next conservation easement to be completed will
be the one covering working agricultural lands on the
Ranch funded by commitments of $1 million each from the
California Farmland Conservancy and the federal Farm and
Ranch Lands Protection Program. The Land Trust is also
scheduled for consideration by the California Wildlife
Conservation Board in August for $2 million to purchase
an oak woodlands conservation easement.
A working forestland conservation easement is
proposed to be funded through the federal Forest Legacy
Program by means of a Congressional appropriation. In
the current fiscal year, the Ridgewood Ranch project was
ranked third in California and 50th nationally for federal
funding, but its legislative fate is uncertain. Land Trust
Executive Director James Bernard met in Washington,
D.C. in mid-March with Representative Mike Thompson, a
solid supporter of conserving the Ranch, to discuss how
funding could be realized through Congressional action.
Supporters of the conservation of Ridgewood Ranch are
encouraged to write Senator Dianne Feinstein who is on
the Senate Committees (Interior and Appropriations) that
are key to obtaining a successful appropriation this year.
The total purchase price of the redwoods, working
agricultural lands, oak woodlands, and working forestland
conservation easements on approximately 4,500 acres of
land, including 5 miles of steelhead creeks, 2,500 acres of
oak woodlands, and 3.5 miles of frontage on Highway 101
is $6 million. To date, the Mendocino Land Trust has
received commitments for $4.3 million and is actively
seeking the remaining funds, including at least $1 million
in privately contributed funding.
3
 Planned Giving (continued from page 4)
Making Your Property Work for You - A CRT is the
preferred vehicle for donating real estate.
How It Works - CRT Funded with Securities - Jeff, 55, and
Cheryl, 50, are life-long conservationists. So when they
updated their estate plan, they decided to create a CRT both
to reduce their taxes and support the Land Trust’s
conservation work. Jeff and Cheryl own securities that
originally cost them $50,000 and that are now worth
$100,000. They donate these securities to a CRT and name
the Mendocino Land Trust as trustee. Jeff and Cheryl choose
to receive annual payments of 5% of the value of the trust
(paid quarterly). The first year, Jeff and Cheryl will receive
$2,500. However, the trust assets are revalued annually and
the payments will change and may grow over time. They
receive an immediate income tax deduction of approximately
$20,700, and they avoid paying the capital gain tax on the
appreciated securities when the trust is created. After their
lifetimes, the Land Trust will use the trust principal for our
conservation priorities.
For further information about how CRTs work, contact
James Bernard, jbernard@mendocinolandtrust.org or (707)
962-0470.
Spring Ranch Appreciation Events
The Land Trust utilized one of the weekends donated
by Spring Ranch House owner Derek Webb to tangibly
express appreciation to volunteers and significant donors in
a congenial setting. Over 50 people attended the February
27, 2005 volunteer event to be recognized, to view
presentations about the Land Trust, and to see slides of
themselves at work. By all accounts, people enjoyed
investigating the house and generally had a good time.
Most notably, the food was lauded and was made possible
by the outstanding menu planning of Board member Janice
Gendreau who was assisted in platter preparation by Pat
Dunbar, Tawny MacMillan, James Bernard, and Chet
Anderson. Board member and Cowlicks owner Dave
Jensen contributed ice cream and personally scooped it up.
Matt Gerhart and Chet did incredible work parking cars in
limited space during a steady rain.
A smaller number of donors attended a similarly
designed event on February 26, 2005, taking part in a
meaningful fireside dialogue about the work of the Land
Trust .
We hope and expect to recognize the contributions of
volunteers with an annual event and meet with donors
individually to express the appreciation of the Land Trust
firsthand.
Photo by: Leona Walden
Sale of Charles Stevenson Screen to Benefit
the Land Trust
A Charles Stevenson large-format screen showing egrets on
Big River is on display at the Mendocino Art Center through
the month of April. The size and format of the mural is in
character with the later-period work of the artist. There are
four panels, each seven feet tall and 33 inches wide.
Join the Land Trust at the Mendocino Art Center for 'Second
Saturday' on April 9th from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. to experience
this magnificent screen and place your bid. Margaret Calby,
the current owner of the screen, has graciously offered to
donate a portion of the $10,000 asking price for the screen to
the Land Trust. Margaret was a long-time member of the Big
River Watershed Alliance, an organization that worked for
many years on the conservation of the Big River property
and set the stage for the Land Trust’s successful purchase of
the property in July 2002.
MLT Auction of Spring Ranch
Weekend
by Holly Newberger, Membership and Outreach
Coordinator
Derek Webb, the owner of the Spring
Ranch House (www.spring-ranch.com), has generously
donated to the Land Trust three weekend get-aways to be
auctioned on e-Bay. The minimum bid for a weekend
package is $500.
The weekends for auction are April 8-10, 2005, May 20-22,
2005 and June 3-5, 2005. (These are Friday and Saturday
night stays).
Spring Ranch is the one of the northern coast's most
treasured historic coastal farms. It has been completely
refurbished using beautifully salvaged materials and antique
fixtures. Spring Ranch sleeps thirteen people in six large
bedrooms (with three bathrooms), so it would be perfect for
a family reunion or large group of friends. The farmhouse is
located one mile south of Mendocino, immediately across
Highway One from State Park access to the Coast providing
hiking and photographic opportunities for guests.
For more information contact Holly Newberger at
hnewberger@mendocinolandtrust.org 5
 Quarterly Calendar of Land Trust Events
Big River Stewards, Invasives Removal and Erosion
Control Day, April 3, 2005, Big River Parking Lot,
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Second Saturday, Mendocino Art Center, April 9, 2005,
5:00-8:00 p.m. (Charles Stevenson Big River screen event)
Caribou Commons Slide Show, April 12, 2005, 7:00 p.m.,
Matheson Performing Arts Center, Mendocino High School
Big River Beach Earth Day Events, April 23, 2005,
Invasives Removal, Beach Cleanup and Sand Castle
Contest, 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and Natural History Bike
Ride, 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Caspar Beach Earth Day Cleanup Event, April 23, 2005,
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Big River Bird Survey Training, April 24, 2005,
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Mendocino High School
MENDOCINO LAND TRUST
P.O. BOX 1094
MENDOCINO, CA 95460
PHONE: 707 962-0470
FAX: 707 962-0444
EMAIL: mlt@mcn.org
Post Office: Return Service Requested www.mendocinolandtrust.org
Big River Interim Management Plan Dialogue, April 25,
7:00 – 9:00 p.m., Mendocino Recreational and Community
Center
Big River Bird Survey Training, April 30, 2005, Big River
Parking Lot, 7:30 – 10:30 a.m.
Big River Stewards, Erosion Control Day, May 21, 2005,
Big River Parking Lot, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Land Trust Annual Meeting, May 22, 2005, 1:00 p.m.,
Caspar Community Center
For details on Big River events, contact Matt Gerhart at
mgerhart@mendocinolandtrust.org.
For all other events, contact Holly Newberger at
hnewberger@mendocinolandtrust.org or call
(707) 962-0470.
Check out our website www.mendocinolandtrust.org for
updates on MLT programs and events.
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POSTAGE
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PERMIT #3
FORT BRAGG, CA