annual report 12-13 2012-2013 Acquisition Highlights Dear Friends, e are about to observe the 50th anniversary mindful that this inspiring challenge can only be met by W of the passage of The Wilderness Act and the the efficient and practical use of the resources provided establishment of America’s globally unique National by valued supporters like yourself. Ruby MountainsNevada Wilderness Wilderness Preservation System. As Howard Zahniser, its If there’s anything we’ve learned over the last 50 years prime architect, observed, “We are not fighting progress. of the never-ending campaign, it is that protecting our We acquired an inholding in the Ruby Mountain Wilderness last year, We are making it. We are not dealing with a vanishing nation’s extraordinary wilderness is priceless, but it is not completing the northern boundary of the wilderness. The acquisition of this wilderness. We are working for a wilderness forever.” free. We are deeply grateful for the many people like you 413-acre property provided a new extension to the 33-mile Ruby Crest National The Wilderness Land Trust remains the only land trust who share our vision and sustain our work. With your Recreational trail, which leads through the heart of the wilderness and provides specifically and solely committed to that vision and that ongoing support we can keep the promise of unbroken unparalleled recreation opportunities. The Ruby Mountain Wilderness has been goal. And as you can see from this Annual Report we’ve wilderness for generations to come. called the “Swiss Alps of Nevada” with its rugged, glacier-carved mountains and deep, lake-filled valleys. had another successful year, a year that we are proud “Working to preserve in perpetuity is a great inspiration” 373 88 of. To date, WLT has now preserved parcels in was often said by Zahniser. It’s true. We are also inspired 8 wilderness areas across states. We have completed–that by the success we continue to achieve with the support of 12 is, we’ve acquired the last of the private inholdings–in our dedicated community. wilderness areas, two in this past year alone. Elkhorn Ridge Wilderness Thank you, The Annual Report covers this work and underscores The Wilderness Land Trust recently acquired the 40-acre Camp St. Michael another hallmark of the Trust of which we are also adjacent to the Elkhorn Ridge Wilderness and we’re leasing it to a nonprofit proud–the careful management of our finances and the wilderness camp while we work to transfer it to the Bureau of Land Management. overall health of our organization. As we work to protect Reid Haughey, President Mark Trautwein, Chair Our acquisition enables kids from all over California to continue to attend this 50 our wild places from mining, logging, oil and gas drilling, The Wilderness Land Trust year old summer camp, reflecting our vision to protect the wilderness experience second home development and other threats we are Board of Directors for future generations.

Wilderness Protected in 2012-2013 MountColorado Massive Wilderness Financial Summary The 21-acre Blue Lake property was the last inholding within the Mount Massive Fiscal Year 2012-2013 Arizona wilderness area at the foot of the Continental Divide. The Wilderness Land (160 acres, Monterey County – Mt. Tipton Wilderness Trust’s acquisition of this inholding completes the 20,540-acre wilderness, and purchased) expenses (10 acres, Mohave County – transferred) provides new hiking opportunities in this popular area. Ventana Wilderness Swansea Wilderness (120 acres, Monterey County – fundraising (5 acres, Mohave County – transferred) 14% transferred) program 70% administrative California 16% Colorado Elkhorn Ridge Wilderness We keep the Promise of Wilderness. James Peak Wilderness (40 acres, Mendocino County – (318 acres, Gilpin County – transferred) purchased)* Howard Zahniser ideas for a wilderness law in 1947, spurred by and then the burden of proof shifts to those who Mount Massive Wilderness was the father of an insidious pattern of the U.S. Forest Service covet opening a wilderness. Beginning Net Assets $ 1,842,719 (21 acres, Lake County – purchased)* the Wilderness removing wild lands from their administrative- (160 acres, Alpine County – transferred) In drafting the Wilderness Act, Zahnie un- Income Act –he conceived ly-established wilderness areas by the stroke derstood that the boundaries of areas would it, drafted it, of a pen...whenever someone decided the trees Contributions $ 261,926 Nevada encompass some private lands (just as the old (640 acres, San Bernardino County – nurtured it through inside were worth cutting. The point of the law Other Income $ 528,761 Forest Service wilderness areas had). That is transferred) Ruby Mountains Wilderness a Congress which, was to make the boundary lines stay put. why there is a section about how those private Total $ 790,687 in the 1950s-early (413 acres, Elko County – purchased) It takes an act of Congress to add lands to the inholding are to be treated in the law. Santa Lucia Wilderness 1960s, had not Expenses (157 acres, San Luis Obispo County – wilderness system, and that is a good thing. For Today, our Wilderness Act–Zahnie’s Wilderness 2564 total acres yet grasped the coming environmental though it is very hard and takes a long time, Program $ 585,428 transferred) consciousness. The 109,511,000 acres in our Act–is hailed around the world as the model for Administrative $ 138,482 1930 acres transferred the process demands that advocates cultivate a what is now a worldwide movement to preserve South Fork Eel River Wilderness National Wilderness Preservation System– broad coalition of local business owners, elected Fundraising $ 120,315 and growing–stand as his memorial. large expanses of nature for nature’s sake. (520 acres, Mendocino County – 634 acres purchased officials, outdoors enthusiasts, hunters and $ 844,225 –Doug Scott Total transferred)* “Zahnie,” as his legion of friends knew him, was anglers. The security of our wilderness areas *now completed wilderness area The Wilderness Land Trust Board of Directors, Ending Net Assets $ 1,789,181 a scholarly man, who left a secure government lies in the fact that once Congress designates job to become the Executive Director of The a wilderness, fixing its boundary by law, that Author of The Enduring Wilderness: Protecting Our *Audited Wilderness Society in 1945. He began to nurture boundary can only be changed by another law– Natural Heritage through the Wilderness Act

Make Wilderness Your Legacy 2014 is a big year for The Wilderness Land Trust–it is the 50th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act, and we are celebrating it with a special campaign for our Sentinel Fund. The Sentinel Fund allows the Trust to be there ready and able to acquire key threatened inholdings in wilderness the moment they become available. To date, the Trust has acquired 373 inholdings totaling almost 40,000 acres and completing 12 wilderness areas. But with over 400,000 acres of inholdings still threatening America’s wilderness legacy, there is much work to be done. We will be redoubling our efforts to protect more wilderness inholdings in 2014, and we hope that you will redouble your support for The Wilderness Land Trust in honor of America’s 50th Anniversary of Wilderness. www.wildernesslandtrust.org/join

Front cover: (top) East Fork High Rock Wilderness, Nevada. Photo by Paul Andersen Front cover: (bottom) Mt. Massive Wilderness, Colorado. Photo by Reid Haughey Back cover: Ruby Mountains Wilderness, Nevada. Photo by David Kirk

Board of Directors Staff Jim Blomquist California Reid Haughey, President Liz Braund California Clare Bastable, Vice President Karen Fisher California David Kirk, Senior Lands Specialist Jean Hocker Virginia Aimee Rutledge, Bill Pope Washington California Program Manager Denise Schlener Washington, DC Lisa Cashel Janeway, WLT Board of Directors and Staff with Doug Scott Washington Administrative Director representatives from one of our cooperating Paul Torrence Oregon Andy Oliver, Consultant organizations, Friends of Scotchman Peaks Mark Trautwein, Chair California Wilderness (Idaho and Montana) Jacqueline Van Dine California Andy Weissner Colorado Jon Mulford, Emeritus Colorado

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