|
Family Land can Forever Benefit The Wild Things
Recently, Mary Ann had become worried that "one of the few areas in Williamson County where it still gets dark at night" would fall prey to the same light pollution from encroaching development that affects much of the rest of the county. When Owl's Hill Nature Center approached the Suggs about using part of their land to extend their nature trail, Mary Ann and John found their solution: keep the land for nature and research a way to ensure that it will always stay that way. They knew they didn't want to go with a larger organization, preferring the closer relationships of a smaller group, and The Land Trust provided a welcome local alternative. "We liked the small scale of it and they had recently received publicity from their start." That publicity and the comfortable size of The Land Trust sent Mary Ann to the telephone to move ahead on their decision to permanently conserve their land. Mary Ann met with Eileen Hennessy, the program director, and Jean Buchanan, the executive director of Owl's Hill, to walk the property. That day "just opened my eyes to the wonders" the land afforded. Mary Ann was previously unaware of the variety of species that inhabited their land. So, armed with her new knowledge and a renewed determination to preserve the family land from encroaching development, they settled on The Land Trust. With the input from her brother in New York, they began working on a conservation plan. The Land Trust team (made up of landscape architects, wildlife specialists, photographers and others) showed the Suggs a number of alternatives, answering all their questions along the way. The two siblings wanted to designate a small portion of the property that was already quite affected by suburban housing and road construction for potential future development. So, part of the team's work included a "conservation development" plan. "I had no idea how many houses 30 acres could support with current zoning," Mary Ann said. She is quite pleased that the resulting environmentally sensitive plan allows for no more than 6 house sites, keeping to a minimum the effect that buildings can have on the natural setting for the wildlife on the other 170 acres of protected land. In November of 2001, the Suggs signed their conservation easement, and breathed an overwhelming sigh of relief. Their neighbors also now breathe easier, knowing that the Sugg easement at the north end of Beech Creek Valley and the Denmark Bell easement at the south end have begun to provide a buffer of protection for the quiet valley. Mary Ann relates how excited she felt, "It was complete relief and euphoria. I would never have had these resources [without the Land Trust]." She says that she now feels vested in The Land Trust's work and would recommend their services without reservation to landowners who have viable conservation projects. She knows what she wants and "I hope [The Land Trust] is going to continue to be a viable organization 'in perpetuity'. If conservation and the environment are important but people don't have the opportunity to donate land, they can still support The Land Trust. Their financial support and support of stewardship efforts can assist other landowners in carrying out their own conservation wishes that benefit the entire community - human and otherwise!" |
Mary Ann and John Sugg are strong-willed, independent individuals. Over the years they have put aside a number of real estate offers, abstaining from making any decisions about what to do with the land they had inherited from their father and grandfather. "In my family there was always a great respect for the land," she proudly says.
