Philanthropist and noted conservationist Louis Bacon was recently recognized by a conservation organisation for his efforts to preserve and protect land, wildlife and a way of life increasingly threatened by encroaching urban development.
The latest award came August 4 when the non-profit Peconic Land Trust, created in 1983 to conserve working farms and natural lands on Long Island in New York, celebrated its 30th anniversary and nearly 11,000 acres protected by honouring “the conservation legacy of the Louis Bacon family” along with the memory of the late Peter Salm and the Salm family’s ongoing efforts.
Both families, the Trust said, helped preserve land and a lifestyle where increasing urban development threatened open spaces, productive farms, watersheds, woodlands and beachfront living, potentially displacing the very magnets that drew city dwellers to Long Island’s many towns to escape the hustle and bustle of city life.
“The Trust’s professional staff carries out the necessary research and planning to identify and implement alternatives to outright development,” said its President John v.H. Halsey, adding that it could not accomplish its goal of “protecting the unique rural heritage of the region” without the assistance and support of families like the Bacons and the Salms. Both families were honoured at a celebratory luncheon with dignitaries, civic and business leaders in Southampton. Through the Moore Charitable Foundation and affiliates, Bacon’s conservation support has stretched from Colorado to crystal clear waters of the islands and ranges from protecting critical landscapes to preserving coral reefs in a fragile marine environment.
In January, he received the Audubon Society’s highest award, the Audubon Medal, joining past recipients that included Walt Disney, Rachel Carson, Ted Turner, Jimmy Carter and the Rockefeller family.
In April, Forbes magazine recognized him as one of the world’s ten greenest billionaires.
Both honours drew the attention of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg who also praised Bacon for joining the city and the National Park Service for the future restoration of 10,000 acres of parkland in Jamaica Bay, Queens.
“Raised as an avid outdoorsman, even as a young man Louis developed a reverence for the natural world,” Mayor Bloomberg said. “His lifelong passion for land and water conservation has benefitted many communities where his conservation efforts have made a real difference to those who live, work and vacation in those places, including here in New York.”
In June, 2013, Mr. Bacon announced an agreement reached in 2012 with Colorado Open Lands to place 21,000 acres of Tercio Ranch and Red River Ranch into perpetual conservation easements. This knits together a landscape-scale conservation effort which will create nearly 800,000 acres of publicly and privately connected land and follows Mr. Bacon’s 2012 donation of conservation easements to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), which protects in perpetuity approximately 167,000 acres of the Blanca Trinchera Ranch in southern Colorado. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said Bacon’s donation of the easement created one of the longest protected wildlife corridors in the world and represented the largest donated conservation easement held by the Service.
“Today’s announcement embodies a new era of conservation – one where private landowners, the local community and the government work hand-in-hand to preserve treasured areas on a truly landscape scale,” said Secretary Salazar. “Mr. Bacon’s long-term vision for this spectacular property will help protect the natural and wildlife resources that are so important to Colorado’s economy and way of life.”
In July, Mr. Bacon announced the completion of a conservation easement that protects approximately 2 ½ miles of critical habitat along Allen’s Creek at Orton Plantation between the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust and Orton Plantation Holdings, LLC.
In The Bahamas this year, through The Moore Charitable Foundation’s local affiliate, Moore Bahamas Foundation, Bacon worked with leading local groups to introduce two major initiatives. In April, Moore Bahamas Foundation and the Bahamas National Trust partnered to launch Conchservation, a campaign to build awareness about the fast dwindling conch population and create a plan to save one of the island nation’s most critical species. Waterkeeper President Robert Kennedy, Jr, lent support and wisdom from experience, speaking from the heart at the launch that drew hundreds pledging support. In June, Bacon’s Bahamas foundation partnered with the Trust again to bring together marine scientists, including popular artist Dr. Guy Harvey, for intense workshops to explore and define ways to protect the Nassau Grouper.
ABOUT THE PECONIC LAND TRUST
The Peconic Land Trust is a non-profit organisation dedicated to conserving Long Island’s working farms, natural lands and heritage. Since 1983, the Trust has worked diligently with landowners, communities, municipalities, and partner organizations to protect nearly 11,000 acres of land, conserving more working farms on Long Island than any other private conservation organization, and securing millions of dollars from the public and private sectors for land protection.
ABOUT THE MOORE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION & THE ROBINS ISLAND FOUNDATION
The Moore Charitable Foundation provides support to initiatives that enhance conservation and protection of land and water resources. Mr. Bacon and Moore Charitable have taken leadership roles in conservation philanthropy, land preservation and habitat management, receiving numerous accolades for their steadfast dedication and commitment to protecting the environment.
Robins Island Foundation, an affiliate of the Moore Charitable Foundation, is committed to protecting and restoring Long Island’s coastlines, landscapes and waterways. By protecting Long Island land and wildlife habitats from unsustainable development and non-point source pollution to safeguarding the ecological integrity of the Peconic Bay, Long Island Sound and area rivers, Robins Island Foundation embodies the solid commitment of Mr. Bacon to maintaining the environmental integrity of Long Island’s majestic environmental assets.
Caption: Peconic Land Trust President John v.H. Halsey presents award to noted conservationist Louis Bacon on the occasion of the Trust’s 30th anniversary.
