Archive

Heather Benham Featured in Georgia Magazine
ALT Housing Director Heather Benham was featured in the September 2010 issue of the University of Georgia's alumni publication, Georgia Magazine. Benham, who received her law and masters of historic preservation degrees from UGA in 2003, was the subject of an alumni profile by Allyson Mann.

Read the full article online:
Home Sweet Home: Heather Benham helps people buy a place of their own

ALT Receives 2010 ACHF Outstanding Rehabilitation Award for Our New Office!

The Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation presented ALT with an Outstanding Rehabilitation Award for the renovation of the Pope Street Cottage at the ACHF Annual Meeting on June 7. Heather Benham accepted the award from incoming ACHF President Jennifer Martin Lewis.

ALT Receives GA SWCS 2010 Merit Award

Athens Land Trust has won the 2010 Merit Award from the Georgia Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society. 

“The efforts of the ALT in protecting forests, working farmland, river and stream corridors, wetlands and other ecologically rich areas through conservation easements in north Georgia exemplify the Society’s mission of fostering the science and the art of soil, water, and related natural resource management to achieve sustainability,” said José Pagán, GaSWCS Awards Committee Chairman.

Read the complete press release.

ALT Honors Donor and Volunteer of the Year at GreenFest Awards On April 30, ALT presented awards for 2009 Donor and Volunteers of the Year at the GreenFest Environmental Awards ceremony. Donors of the Year: Rob and Carol Winthrop Rob and Carol Winthrop gave a generous donation from their family foundation to help ALT rehabilitate our new office home. Their donation was a boost to our sustainability efforts: our new home is preserving an important historic structure, is an example of adaptive reuse, is a certified EarthCraft Renovation, and gives us economic stability that will enable us to provide more resources to land conservation.

Nancy Stangle presents Donors of the Year Rob and Carol Winthrop with a print of Jamie Calkin's watercolor of the Pope Street Cottage.

Volunteers of the Year: Dyan Holt and Kate Blane Kate Blane has been a member of Athens Land Trust since its beginning. For the past seven years, Kate has provided information technology assistance to ALT. Kate has also used her creativity to organize three fundraising events for ALT, including the first Renaissance Holiday Dinner last December, which raised over $1,000 for ALT's capital campaign. Dyan Holt is a former staff member who has continued to volunteer even after budget constraints cut her salary. A native of Singapore, where she worked as an attorney in a variety of public service positions, Dyan has provided her expertise to our Conservation Program.  As a volunteer, Dyan has helped with everything around the office, from answering the phone, to helping with events, to working on conservation easement documents. Thank you to Rob, Carol, Kate, and Dyan!

ALT Featured in Saving Land Magazine Winter 2009 Issue

ALT is featured in the Winter 2009 issue of the Land Trust Alliance's quarterly magazine Saving Land. Community Ties: Athens Land Trust’s Dual Mission highlights ALT's work as both a conservation land trust and a community land trust. In 2008, ALT was one of the first land trusts in the country to be accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission.

Catch ALT on YouTube!

Local videographer John Hadden has created a short video about ALT that explains our housing and land conservation programs. Check it out at http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=cRzhNvzLAzA

UGA Campaign for Charities Kickoff Features ALT Homeowner

A feature article in the October 26 issue of Columns, The University of Georgia faculty and staff newspaper, tells the story of UGA employee and ALT homeowner Pat Smith. Moving story: Local organization helps UGA employee buy first home highlights the UGA Campaign for Charities, which allows UGA employees to donate to a number of charitable organizations through payroll deductions. As a member of Georgia Shares, ALT is part of the Campaign for Charities.

If you work for UGA or any state or private business that participates in Georgia Shares, you can donate to ALT by selecting organization #194072 on the form in your Campaign for Charities packet, or you can participate online at the UGA Campaign for Charities Web site. If you work for a federal agency, you can donate by checking ALT's Combined Federal Campaign number 60107.

Thank you for your support!

2009 Annual Meeting & Holiday Housewarming

Over 50 people joined us for our holiday housewarming and annual meeting at our new office on Dec. 6. Attendees toured our new home, learned about ALT’s 2009 accomplishments, and enjoyed refreshments and door prizes.

Over 150 representatives of CLTs from across the country converged on Athens for the National Community Land Trust Network's 2009 annual conference, "Growing Sustainably: From the Roots Up." ALT was the local host for the conference, which took place from Oct. 27-30 at the Foundry Park Inn. Participants attended workshops, trainings, tours, and other events. The National Community Land Trust Network provides training, public policy support and resources for the 200 community land trusts throughout the country. ALT staff will co-lead several workshops on addressing land conservation and affordable housing in land use and development decisions.

See more details about the 2009 National CLT Network Conference.

Harvest Moon 2009

The Second Annual Harvest Moon Dinner took place on September 5 on the grounds of our new home at 685 North Pope Street. Renowned chefs Hugh Acheson of Five and Ten and The National and Peter Dale of The National prepared
a four-course family style dinner for 120 guests. The delicious meal included fresh locally-grown ingredients, paired with fine wines selected from the portfolio of Northeast Sales and beer from Terrapin. The setting was designed by Epting Events to evoke the turn-of-the century period of the cottage’s construction. Over 30 volunteers helped prepare for and host the event, which raised $10,000 toward our capital campaign to fund the cottage’s renovation.

See more details about Harvest Moon 2009.

ALT Ribbon Cutting for the Blasingame Family Friday, June 26, 2009

On Friday, June 26 Niesha Blasingame, with assistance from her son Josh, cut the ribbon on the family's new EarthCraft certified home at 124 Dallas Street. ALT Board member and homeowner Shirley Smith emceed the ceremony, which was part of the annual Move to Improve Block Party. Move to Improve is a celebration of National Homeownership Month, hosted by ALT and Athens Area Habitat for Humanity, the Evans Street Neighborhood Association, Athens Housing Authority, Athens-Clarke Police Department, and the Athens-Clarke Human and Economic Development Department.

The Move To Improve Festival featured live entertainment, including inspiring music by ALT Board member and homeowner Reggie Willis, followed by bluegrass gospel group Southern Traveler from Carlton. Participants also enjoyed a cookout, face painting, and a moonwalk. The dunking booth was especially popular as the temperature was well into the upper nineties!

Above, ALT Executive Director Nancy Stangle (left) and Board President Angela Johnson (right) help the Blasingames cut the ribbon, while ALT Board member Shirley Smith looks on.

Pope Street Cottage 103rd Birthday Party

Our celebration of the 103rd birthday of the Pope Street Cottage, ALT's new office home, in June, 2009 was a wonderful time. Over 150 guests enjoyed birthday cake and light refreshments, and toured the cottage to view the progress we’ve made on the renovations of this historic structure which was generously donated to ALT by Emmanuel Episcopal Church. 

Even if you missed the birthday party, you can still donate a belated birthday gift! Check out our Gift Registry for some ideas about how we will use contributions to A Home of Our Own.

ALT Wins 2008 Magnolia Award for Excellence in Affordable Housing!

The Georgia Department of Community Affairs has presented the 2008 Magnolia Award for Excellence in Affordable Housing in the Homeownership category to ALT at the Housing Georgia Conference on Nov. 20. ALT is honored to be recognized by DCA for our efforts to provide affordable homeownership opportunities and revitalize neighborhoods in Athens. See the announcement in the Jan. 3, 2009 Athens Banner-Herald Business Briefs (scroll down to the bottom of the page.)

ALT Receives National Land Trust Accreditation

The Athens Land Trust is one of two land trusts in Georgia, and one of the first in the nation, to be accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance. The national commission awarded accreditation to 39 land trusts from across the country at its inaugural awards ceremony in Pittsburgh on September 19 during the Land Trust Alliance Rally, the largest annual gathering of land conservationists in the country. This is a milestone for the land conservation community.

"At a time when the public is demanding increasing accountability from nonprofit organizations and government, including land trusts, the new independent accreditation program provides the assurance of quality and permanence of land protection the public is looking for," said Commission Executive Director Tammara Van Ryn. "The accreditation seal will be a mark of distinction in land conservation signifying that the accredited group meets national standards for excellence, upholds the public trust and ensures that conservation efforts are permanent."

The fall issue of the Land Trust Alliance's magazine Conserving Land features "Breaking New Ground," a story on ALT and the other newly accredited land trusts.

ALT Recognized for Affordable Housing and Historic Preservation Efforts

ALT received three awards in 2008 for our work!

• 2007 Affordable Housing Award for Multifamily Development from the Athens-Clarke County Department of Human and Economic Development, recognizing Fourth Street Village
• Best New Development of 2007 Award from Athens Grow Green Coalition for Fourth Street Village
• 2008 Preservation Award for Outstanding Achievement from the Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation for long-term positive impacts to the Historic Hancock Corridor

ALT Receives Major Donation for Permanent Office Space from Emmanuel Episcopal Church

Emmanuel Episcopal Church recently donated the historic cottage at 685 N. Pope Street to the Athens Land Trust. ALT will rehabilitate the building to be used as our office. The cottage, built in 1906, has many interior historic features still intact. According to Athens Land Trust Executive Director Nancy Stangle, "Athens Land trust is very grateful to Emmanuel Episcopal Church for this donation. With our background in rehabilitating historic homes, we are very excited about having this important historic structure as our office. Having a permanent home will provide ALT with the stability and sustainability to carry out our mission more effectively."

Renovations are underway, both inside and out!

Women Build Event 2007

Spirit of the Land 2008

Spirit of the Land 2007

Spirit of the Land 2006

Hands On Athens

The 11th annual Hands on Athens took place on March 30, 31, and April 1, 2007. The Hands on Athens project founded in 1999 by the Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation and the Athens Land Trust to help restore the historic Hancock Corridor. Homeowners who meet the requirements of being low-income, owning a property that is at least fifty years old, and occupying their property apply for restoration work. Materials are either donated or purchased with donated funds, and labor is provided by hard-working, dedicated volunteers. The project has become a true community-wide effort, with the steering committee comprised of representatives from twelve community-minded organizations and by expanding the reach of the program into the East Athens neighborhoods. For the past few years, ALT members George Wright, Neal Anderson, and Al Pless have worked behind the scenes in the months leading up to the event to help identify qualified homeowners, evaluating the needs of each site, recruiting house captains, and procuring materials to repair and revitalize the outside of these lower-income residents' homes. This year ALT worked on Julia Jones’ house on Magnolia Avenue.

For additional information contact the Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation at www.achfonline.org.

Georgia Land Conservation Council Awards Grant

On September 11, 2007, the Georgia Land Conservation Council voted to award a grant of $120,000 toward the purchase an agricultural easement on 50 acres in Walton County. The acreage is part of a farm owned by Dale Wiley, who is also donating an easement on 110 acres. ALT received funding in the amount of $150,000 from the Natural Resource Conservation Service in June 2007, to pay for a portion of the easement. Located near Social Circle in Walton County, the two conservation easements will protect 160 acres on a working cattle ranch and farm. Protection of this property will preserve land near Lake Varner within the Cornish Creek Watershed which serves as the primary drinking water source for Walton and Newton Counties. The property also contains a small pond with a wading bird habitat as well as the 1843 gravesite of Susannah Huff, widow of a revolutionary war veteran.

Please see this PDF from glcp.georgia.gov for more information.

New Federal & State Laws Give Better Tax Break for Donation of Conservation Easements

Congress recently passed a law to enhance the tax benefits of protecting land by donating a voluntary conservation easement. If you own land with important natural or historic resources, donating a voluntary conservation easement can be one of the smartest ways to conserve the land you love and protect America’s natural heritage, while maintaining your private property rights and possibly realizing significant federal tax benefits. Georgia also has a new state tax credit program that supports conservation efforts.

Click here to learn more. (pdf)

THE ATHENS LAND TRUST ANNUAL MEETING
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2007
3:00 - 5:00 P.M.
861 & 865 WADDELL STREET, ATHENS

Please join us for a tour of two of ALT’s most recent rehab projects. 861 & 865 Waddell were the most dilapidated houses that ALT has undertaken, and we would like for you to see them now as beautiful energy-efficient homes. Board member elections will be held and we will give an update on ALT accomplishments during the past year. There will be refreshments and door prizes to give away. We look forward to seeing you there.

Directions from downtown Athens:
- Head west on Broad Street
- Turn left onto Rocksprings Street
- Then take the first right onto Waddell Street.
The home sites will be on your left just past Dallas Street. Parking is available just before the houses, 2 doors away in the AHA parking lot on the left

Alec Little Award

The 10th Annual Alec Little Award was presented to ALT and three of its long-time members, Laura Hall Gabriel, Nancy Stangle, and Skipper StipeMaas. The Award was established in 1992 to recognize individuals and organizations for environmental responsibility in Northeast Georgia. The Award was presented on April 19, 2002.

True Relief with U.S. Taxes: T.R.U.S.T.