DANBURY, Conn., January 24, 2011 – Rand Wentworth, president of the Land Trust Alliance, will be the featured speaker at The Land Trust of Danbury annual meeting being held Saturday, February 19 from 2:00 – 4:30 pm. Mr. Wentworth will share his vision of how land trusts can help stem the loss of land to development and ensure that future generations are able to enjoy the benefits of our natural environment. The meeting is being held at Warner Hall located behind White Hall on the midtown campus of Western Connecticut State University (www.wcsu.edu/campustour). Free parking is available in an adjacent garage off Fifth Avenue. Land Trust members, friends and the public are cordially invited.
The Land Trust of Danbury, one of the oldest land trusts in the country, is celebrating 40 years of protecting Danbury’s natural areas and quality of life. Since its inception, The Land Trust has acquired over 216 acres of open space for protection from development and greatly increased area residents’ awareness of the need to protect and conserve Danbury’s natural resources.
“The Land Trust of Danbury has preserved scenic views and natural habitats that the community can now enjoy for years to come thanks to its dedicated board and countless volunteers,” noted President, William Montgomery. “By advising individual, family and business landowners of alternative land preservation methods, and the possible tax benefits, The Land Trust hopes to continue to grow and build upon the successes of the past 40 years.”
The Land Trust Alliance is a national environmental organization based in Washington, DC, that serves as the leader, advocate and trainer for America’s 1700 land conservation groups. Under the leadership of Rand Wentworth, the Land Trust Alliance has built strong bi-partisan relationships with Congress and dramatically expanded federal tax incentives for conservation. Mr. Wentworth led The Alliance in creating a national accreditation program, a legal defense program to protect conservation easements, and a “University of Conservation” with a 16-course core curriculum. He is a graduate of Yale University and holds an MBA from Cornell University.