Resources
Programs & Resources
Evergreen Land Trust serves as an educational resource for people wishing to explore how to live sustainably. By sustainable we mean living in a way that meets the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations. Here are some tools and resources that our members find useful, and we hope you will too. Below you will find information and resource links for:
Trust Stewardship
Sustainable Agriculture
Renewable Energy
Habitat Restoration
Trust Stewardship
Local communities are increasingly at risk from unsustainable development—development that destroys valuable resource lands or makes housing unaffordable for working families. For over thirty years, Evergreen Land Trust has been successfully exploring one way to combat this trend. Land and housing is legally owned by the Trust, and relationships are established with resident-members who agree to care responsibly for Trust assets. These relationships are defined in written agreements—a sample of which can be downloaded below:
The Trust Agreement establishes a set of conditions for how the land or house will be held in perpetuity.
The Use Agreement defines the rights and responsibilities of resident stewards.
• ELT Bylaws
• ELT Policies
Other excellent resources about land trusts and cooperative trusteeship of land and housing include:
Missouri Group Bylaws
http://www.skyhousecommunity.org/paperwork/skybylaws.php
Northwest Intentional Communities Association
Intentional Communities Legal Resources
Land Trust Alliance
http://www.lta.org/index.shtml
Institute for Community Economics
Intentional Communities
National Association of Housing Cooperatives
North American Students of Cooperation
International Co-operative Alliance
Fellowship for Intentional Communities in Washington
http://directory.ic.org/intentional_communities_in_Washington
Lincoln Land Trust
www.csc.gen.or.us/lincoln_community_land_trust.htm
Sustainable Agriculture
Since the end of World War II, industrial agriculture has given us impressive productivity and convenience, but at a tremendous cost. Topsoil depletion, groundwater contamination, and the loss of family farms have become serious issues. As public concern about health and food safety grows, the market for organic and locally grown foods is gaining momentum. Moreover, food self-reliance is an important tradition to revitalize in our daily lives, as the problem of hunger in the United States becomes more prevalent. All of the Evergreen Land Trust rural properties grow food organically, and offer a variety of opportunities for interns and visitors. For technical support and advocacy regarding sustainable agriculture, we recommend these resources:
Washington State University Small Farm and Sustainable Agriculture Programs
http://agsyst.wsu.edu/altagr.htm
Washington Sustainable Food and Farming Network
Tilth Producers, a chapter of Washington Tilth Association
University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program
http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/concept.htm
Organic Seed Alliance
Organic Consumers
Renewable Energy
The threat of global warming and the steady rise in energy costs continues to drive the search for alternatives to fossil fuels. There are many options available—solar, wind, biodiesel, etc… and most importantly—energy conservation. Walker Creek is a great demonstration site of solar power and off-the-grid living. A few other resources about renewable energy in the Northwest include:
Climate Solutions
Renewable Northwest Project
Solar Washington
http://www.solarwashington.org
Northwest Biodiesel Network
Habitat Restoration
Early European settlers imagined that the natural resources of the Northwest were limitless. Today we know otherwise, as many species of plants and animals are in a state of rapid decline. Fortunately many people are passionate about preserving and restoring our natural world. In urban areas, planting native landscaping can help conserve water and provide sanctuary for birds and beneficial insects. In rural areas there are limitless opportunities to protect and restore biodiversity. River Farm’s habitat restoration program is one example, where native trees and shrubs were replanted in riparian areas to restore streamside forests and support salmon recovery. Many excellent organizations are working on ecological restoration in our region. Here are few good references:
People for Puget Sound
Resources for Sustainable Communities
Society for Ecological Restoration
WDFW Habitat Technical Assistance