Abstract Creating a Sustainable Land Use Plan

ABSTRACT

CREATING A SUSTAINABLE LAND USE PLAN FOR SLEEPY HOLLOW CONSERVATION AREA – AN INTERNSHIP

David Scott Houser

Sustainable land use planning is a practice to conserve natural resources for their ecological benefits while also bringing economic value to a piece of land. The 1400 acres of Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area were once farmed but had recently been scarred from the overuse of all-terrain vehicles. In 2015 the Northern Kentucky University Center for Environmental Restoration (CER) bought the old farmland to conduct a stream restoration and create a sustainable land use plan for the site. I was tasked with creating the sustainable land use plan for Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area that balanced environmental protection, protection of the stream restoration buffer, and bring economic value to the property. Using a variety of site surveys, GIS mapping, meetings with local stakeholders and environmental professionals I was able to determine activities that would bring economic benefits to future tenants while protecting the environmental value and stream buffer on the property. I then reached out to several potential tenants who were or might be interested in land to start or grow their sustainable businesses. Finally, I compiled proposals from sustainable farmers and hunters interested in leasing portions of the land for approval from the director of the CER.

CREATING A SUSTAINABLE LAND USE PLAN FOR SLEEPY HOLLOW CONSERVATION AREA – AN INTERNSHIP

Internship Report

Submitted to the

Faculty of Miami University

in partial fulfillment of

the requirements for the degree of

Master of Environmental Science

David Scott Houser

Miami University

Oxford, Ohio

2015

Advisor: Dr. Jerry Green

Reader: Dr. Sarah Dumyahn

Reader: Mrs. Robbyn Abbitt

This Internship Report titled

CREATING A SUSTAINABLE LAND USE PLAN FOR SLEEPY HOLLOW CONSERVATION AREA – AN INTERNSHIP

David Scott Houser

has been approved for publication by

College of Arts and Sciences

and

The Institute for the Environment and Sustainability

______Jerry Green

______Sarah Dumyahn

______Robbyn Abbitt

Table of Contents

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………….1

Organizational and Position Details………………………………………………………6

Sustainable Land Use…………………………………………………………………...... 7

Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area Description………………………………………...... 9

Field Work……………………………………………………………………………….12

GIS Mapping………………………………………………………………………….….14

Planning Input Meetings………………………………………………………...……….23

Land Use Inquiries………………………………………………………………...……..37

Other Internship Tasks…………………………………………………………………...44

Reflection on the Sustainable Land Use Plan……………………………………………48

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………….50

Appendixes………………………………………………………………………………52

Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………..53

iii

List of Tables

Soil Type Characteristics………………………………………………………Appendix C

Hunting Seasons Guide………………………………………………………...Appendix E

Building Code Requirements………………………………………………….Appendix G

Historic Forests………………………………………………………………..Appendix H

Summary of Soil Sampling Results…………………………………………….Appendix J

First Round Proposals Revenue Projection……………………………………Appendix K

List of Figures

Fig. 1: Most Effective Restoration Chart…………………..………….………..…………3

List of Maps

Map 1: Site Map……………………………………………………...………..Appendix B

Map 2: Aerial Map…………………………………………………………….Appendix B

Map 3: Tracts Map……………………………………………………...……..Appendix B

Map 4: Soils Map………………………………………………………...……Appendix B

Map 5: Soil Sampling Map………………………………………………….…Appendix B

Map 6: Stream Buffers Map……………………………………………...……Appendix B

Map 7: Proposed Cabin Sites Map……………………………………….……Appendix B

Map 8: Lower Sleepy Hollow Ownership Map………………………...……..Appendix B

Map 9: 1876 Historical Map………………………………………………...…Appendix B

Map 10: Wyldwood Development Proposal Map………………………….….Appendix B

Map 11: 3D Map………………………………………………………...…….Appendix B

Introduction

On January 5, 2015 I began my internship as a sustainable land use planner with the Northern Kentucky University Center for Environmental Restoration (CER). My job was to explore and create land use options for the 1,378 acre Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area stream restoration site in Mason County, Kentucky. The options are to be presented to the Army Corp of Engineers who must approve all land uses on in-lieu stream mitigation sites. I was to investigate more sustainable and creative solutions for using this land than the traditional row crop farming and hunting done in the region. The goal of the CER was to set up a multi-use sustainable land use plan for one of their stream restoration sites, which they could possibly use as a concept for their project sites in the future. Stream restoration sites can become models of supporting multiple forms of sustainable livelihoods while, at the same time, protecting the stream corridors in a significant way to showcase sustainable living to the public.

The overall goal of the project was to create a sustainable land use/stewardship plan for (Appendix A) that addresses the following objectives ranked in this order of importance:

1. Protect streams and forest buffers against degradation. 2. Produce revenue for the landowner to carry out conservation work. 3. Provide a sustainable livelihood for tenants and/or contribute to the local economy. 4. Provide recreational access to the property for the community.

My position required that I first determine what the land is capable of supporting. Next, I identified land uses which should not occur on the site in order to achieve the first goal priority. Once I investigated some of the possibilities for the site, I met with stakeholders who were interested in possibly performing a sustainable service on the site; such as sustainable agriculture, hunting, recreational hiking, primitive camping, etc. These stakeholders completed proposal forms detailing their plans for the site, how many acres they want, possible resulting environmental degradation, an estimate of revenue to the landowner, and any other pertinent information. Finally I compiled the different options for a Conservation Plan (Appendix A) and forward the plan to the US Army Corps of Engineers, who will decide if the plan can advance. If

1 the plan is approved, a new land conservancy group, Sleepy Hollow Conservancy, will be created by the CER to manage the property. The sustainable land use planner position was created for this particular job by the Center for Environmental Restoration (CER) in order to create a plan for the Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area. The Director of the CER, Scott Fennell, oversees all projects. The plans for Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area are directly overseen by two people, the sustainable land use planner and the project manager. I deal directly with creating the sustainable land use plan for the site and the project manager is in charge of the stream restoration. The project manager and I each report directly to the Director, Scott Fennell.

Importance of the Position

A stream or watershed restoration is a complex problem that involves coordination from many parties, whether they are directly or indirectly involved. The parties directly involved would include the client, the practitioner, local governments, the funding party and the local community where the restoration is occurring (Gillilan, 2005; Giller, 2005). There are going to be many parties involved and keeping them active during the project will be critical for me to complete my job well. There are three overall parameters of success in a watershed restoration project including ecological success, learning success and stakeholder success (Fig. 1). These three parameters need to work together in order to obtain the most effective restoration when the project is over (Palmer, 2005). My success working with stakeholders will not only determine my job success, but the success of the entire restoration as well as success by the Center for Environmental Restoration.

The CER often just leases restoration property to hunting outfitters or sells it to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife. Until the CER bought the Sleepy Hollow Conservation area, they only managed the stream restoration and stream monitoring at the site, never dealing with whole property conservation efforts. They now want to manage the land use for the entire property by creating and conveying ownership of the land to a newly created land trust organization and having the Director run the new organization. My findings will provide the framework for the sustainable activities that will occur on site while still abiding by the US Army Corps of Engineers requirements to protect the streams indefinitely post stream restoration. Creating a land use plan for the landowner is a new concept for the CER and could become a blueprint for how to utilize stream restoration sites more sustainably in the future. This would help to bolster stakeholder success for the stream restoration project, supporting greater success to the entire for the entire project (Palmer, 2005) The CER believes there is untapped potential in many stream restoration sites for sustainable alternative uses, which I am trying to

3 identify through meetings with different project stakeholders. There is also potential to create opportunities for new stakeholders wanting to start sustainable businesses by offering them land specifically for that purpose.

Environmental Regulations

The main environmental regulation affecting the sustainable land use plan at Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area is the Clean Water Act. Section 404 of the Clean Water Act regulates the discharge of dredged or fill material into the waterways or wetlands of the United States. Groups developing land by filling in waterways or wetlands must apply for permits from the US Army Corp of Engineers that allow for the development of the proposed site. Each development plan is also subject to public review (Clean Water of 1972). In order to obtain the permitting from the US Army Corp of Engineers, the developers must first gain certification from the State where the fill will occur. This is outlined in section 401 of the Clean Water Act (Clean Water Act of 1972).

The stream restoration at Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area is considered an in-lieu fee mitigation, which means that the developer who fills wetlands pays for wetland credits from an organization who will then use the money to restore a particular number of wetlands or streams. The money for the stream restoration at Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area comes from a utility company in Kentucky who filled in wetlands for an energy project. The Northern Kentucky University CER sold the utility company the wetland credits. The money was used to buy the property and is currently being used to mitigate the streams, monitor the restoration for 5 years after the restoration is complete, and for site protection.

Part 332 of the Federal Register, Compensatory Mitigation for Losses of Aquatic Resources, outlines the in-lieu fee mitigation process. The US Army Corp of Engineers create standards for wetlands in a region, and based off their assessment, decide how many wetland credits must be bought by the developer in order for their project to be approved. The standards created are based on the condition, functions and value of the wetlands being developed. The number of wetland credits needed to fill in the development site comes from this evaluation (Compensatory Mitigation for Losses of Aquatic Resources; Final Rule).

The stream mitigation occurring at Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area must be approved by the US Army Corp of Engineers along with other activities on property that may impact stream quality and the restoration, as stated in Part 332.2 of the Federal Register (Compensatory Mitigation for Losses of Aquatic Resources; Final Rule). When creating this sustainable land use plan I had to be mindful that the US Army Corp of Engineers would eventually review the plan and either approve or disapprove it. The Director of the CER will be presenting the plan for approval so I had to ensure any proposed tenants or activities on the site would not impact the stream restoration.

Project Partners

The partners for this project include:

1. Northern Kentucky University Center for Environmental Restoration (CER) 2. Northern Kentucky Stream and Wetland Restoration Program (NKSWRP) 3. Campbell Conservancy 4. Sleepy Hollow Conservancy

The Northern Kentucky University CER is the organization who bought the land for Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area for the purpose of restoring the streams and laying the ground work for the sustainable land use plan. They are responsible for enforcing the conservation easement required by the US Army Corp of Engineers. This includes getting the sustainable land use plan approved by the US Army Corp of Engineers. The NKSWRP is an organization within the CER who will be conducting the stream restoration project on the property. NKSWRP is made up of the same individuals as the CER but are the ones completing the field work. Northern Kentucky University is not permitted to own land, so for purposes of the restoration, the land was given to the Campbell Conservancy, a land trust organization out of Campbell County, Kentucky. They will simply hold the deed to the property but must do what the CER and NKSWRP instructs, as noted in the conservation deed restriction. Lastly, the Sleepy Hollow Conservancy is an organization that will be created by the director of the CER and will take ownership of the property from the Campbell Conservancy.

The CER will instruct the Campbell Conservancy to give the deed to the newly created organization, who will then implement the sustainable land use plan. The Sleepy Hollow Conservancy will be created in 2015 and will be led by the director of the CER to ensure the conservation deed restrictions are enforced on the property.

Organizational and Position Details

Organization Purpose and Structure

The Center for Environmental Restoration (CER) at Northern Kentucky University works with private landowners, government agencies, and non-profits to protect the regional environment through the restoration of streams, forests, wetlands and meadows. Along with restoration projects, the center also focuses on providing pre-professional work experience and income to NKU interns. They also provide research and educational resources to NKU faculty and other educators. The CER has completed, or has underway, over 200 projects. The CER is fully funded by project revenue and receives no money from Northern Kentucky University (Northern Kentucky University, Center for Environmental Restoration). The project revenue comes from wetland credits companies must buy if they develop over wetlands or watersheds.

The program at the CER I worked with specifically was the Northern Kentucky Stream and Wetland Restoration Program (NKSWRP). Under contract with the Army Corps of Engineers and partnering with the Northern Kentucky University Research Foundation, NKSWRP provides price-competitive mitigation services for public or private entities that have impacted aquatic ecosystems. All mitigation projects must replace ecosystem services and functions, as required by federal law. Mitigation sites are permanently protected by conservation easements in order to protect sites for future generations to enjoy (Northern Kentucky University, Northern Kentucky Stream and Wetland Restoration Program).

Internship Practices

This internship position was newly created for this specific job, creating a sustainable land use plan for a stream restoration project site; a task the CER has never taken on before. This is an experimental land use planning operation, therefore there aren’t any preconceived accepted practices. The practices that helped me succeed in creating the sustainable land use plan were to:

1. Maintain regular contact with stakeholders. 2. Hold regular meetings with possible leasers. 3. Establish what sustainable ventures can legally operate on the property. 4. Establish what activities the land is capable of supporting. 5. Create strict guidelines for possible leasers in order to protect the stream corridors. 6. Discuss conservation and financial goals with the land owner.

Internship Logistics

The two main overall duties of my internship position were to: 1) find the baseline environmental setting of the property and 2) to find land use options that will sustain Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area in the future. All my duties were performed either at Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights, KY or in Maysville, KY; where Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area is located. I report to the Director of the Center for Environmental Restoration, Scott Fennell.

Sustainable Land Use

What is sustainable land use?

Sustainability is the use of resources in a way that society meets its present needs without compromising the needs of future generations (WCED, 1987). Land use is the arrangements, activities and inputs people undertake on a piece of land to produce, change, or maintain it (FAO). Therefore, sustainable land use is how people produce, change, or maintain a piece of

7 land that will help to meet societal needs today without compromising the resources needed to sustain future generations.

One example of an organization practicing sustainable land use management is The Nature Conservancy (TNC). They are creating tenant farms on some of their nature preserves along with selling land to farmers that have conservation easements put in place by TNC. Two examples of these TNC operations include Sunny Valley Preserve and Gonzales Farm.

One way TNC has been implementing sustainable land use management practices on their preserves is by leasing farm plots while they continue implementing conservation projects. Sunny Valley Preserve in Connecticut is a 1,850 acre site consisting of farmland, forests, wetlands, and meadows on 19 parcels within the whole site. TNC has leased out three parcels of the preserve to local farmers who farm sustainably and sell their products to the local community. TNC also monitors the natural areas of the preserve to help promote conservation efforts. Finally, there are trails on the preserve that take hikers around the natural areas and the farm sites. Hikers on the trails are able to see first-hand the benefits of land conservation and sustainable farming within their community and are willing to promote the benefits to others (The Nature Conservancy, Sunny Valley Preserve).

The Nature Conservancy also has a conservation buyer program where TNC buys a piece of land to implement various conservation programs, place a conservation easement on the site, and then sell the property to farmers. An example of this program is Gonzales Farm in California. TNC bought the property to plan and implement restoration efforts in the stream buffers. Before the site is sold, a conservation easement will be placed on the site so no farming activities will interfere with the property’s conservation values. The easement defines that row crop cultivating and cattle grazing cannot occur within the stream buffers as well as defining where farm buildings can be constructed on site (The Nature Conservancy, Conservation Buyer Program: Gonzales Farm).

Research of TNC sustainable land use sites helped to model how a multi-use sustainable land use plan could be used at Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area. The identification of sustainable land use practices at Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area provides a framework to keep and maintain this resource for use and enjoyment by current and future generations. Those

8 benefits to the local community will come through land use planning that is unique to Mason County and Maysville, Kentucky.

Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area Description

Site Overview and Property History

Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area is in Northeastern Kentucky, just south of downtown Maysville, bordered by Taylor Mill Rd on the west and Kennedy Creek on the east. The northern border is downtown Maysille and the southern border is Kentucky State Route 1448. The center of the property is at 38°37’01.65 N and 83°43’55.17 W (Appendix B, Map 1).

Natural History

The site consists of 1,414 acres of rolling hills that sit above Maysville, KY. The site is comprised of many narrow un-forested ridgetops with steep forested slopes that lead down to the valleys where the streams run through the property. The main streams on the site are Sleepy Hollow Creek, Goose Creek and Kennedy Creek. There are no threatened or endangered species listed on the site from either the CER or Kentucky Fish and Wildlife.

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife describe the region Sleepy Hollow be encompassed in the Outer Bluegrass region of the Level 4 Ecoregion in Kentucky. It is described as:

“The rolling to hilly Outer Bluegrass contains sinkholes, springs, entrenched rivers, and intermittent and perennial streams. Local relief is variable but is usually less than in the geomorphically distinct Knobs–Norman Upland. Discontinuous glacial outwash and leached, pre-Wisconsinan till deposits occur in the north from Louisville to Covington. Glacial deposits do not occur elsewhere in Kentucky. The Outer Bluegrass is mostly underlain by Upper Ordovician limestone and shale. Natural soil fertility is higher than in the shale-dominated Hills of the Bluegrass. Today, pastureland and cropland are widespread and dissected areas are wooded. At the time of settlement, open savanna woodlands were found on most uplands. On less fertile, more acidic soils derived from Silurian dolomite, white oak stands occurred and had barren openings. Cane grew along streams and was especially common in

the east. Distinct vegetation grew in areas underlain by glacial drift (Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife).”

There are several human made trails throughout the property along the ridgetops, going down into the valleys and along the streams. There is also one large road that was created by the previous owner that connects to both State Route 1448 and Taylor Mill Road. The road is gravel on the south part of the property and dirt from where the Taylor Mill Rd entrance going to the north end of the property. Other man-made features throughout the site include a cabin put up by the previous owner on the north edge of the property overlooking Maysville, a number of old hay barns, a gravity pond (a man-made pond on the top of a hill that was once used to feed a warehouse sprinkler system at the bottom of the hill), the ruins of an old homestead and an old cemetery.

The Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area sits on the border of the Bluegrass Section of the western mixed mesophytic forest region and the Cumberland and Allegheny Plateaus – Knobs Border Area - in the mixed mesophytic forest region (Braun, 1964). Both forest regions are mesophytic, which is a term applied to a climax community that has a mix of dominant species (Braun, 1964). The Bluegrass Section extends from the Maysville, KY area westward to the Indiana border (not including the northern most counties in Kentucky) and the Cumberland and Allegheny Plateaus extends Northeast and Southwest of Maysville, KY (Braun, 1964). Examples of the Bluegrass Section and Cumberland and Allegheny Plateaus – Knobs Border Area forests can be found in Appendix H.

Property History

To determine the property history I researched the Maysville area at the Kentucky Gateway Museum Research Library in Maysville, KY. I also interviewed the previous owner and conducted an internet search. The museum library research provided information on the settling of the Maysville area, historic maps of the site and property deeds. The previous owner, Duke Ford, provided me with property history from the time his family bought the land in the late 1920s and early 1930s to the time he sold it to the Northern Kentucky University CER; half the

10 property in 2013 and the second half in 2015. Lastly, internet research gave me a perspective on Native American history in the region prior to European settlers.

Native American History

The earliest evidence of Native Americans in the Ohio River Valley was the Adena culture, estimated to have lived in the area between 1000 B.C to 200 B.C. (Ohio History Connection). Reports from French and British traders traveling down the Ohio River between 1500 and 1700 indicate the Shawnee tribe had major influence over the region during this time period (Library of Congress). The Shawnee agreed not to inhabit or hunt south of the Ohio River after signing the Treaty of Camp Charlotte, the result of Lord Dunmore’s War (Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc). The Shawnee continued to skirmish with settlers in Northern Kentucky until their official removal in 1831 after the Indian Removal Act was enacted (The Shawnee Tribe).

Maysville Settlement – 1900

The land on which Maysville, KY currently sits was first discovered by settlers of European descent when Simeon Kenton stopped at the mouth of Limestone Creek in 1771 while he was traveling down the Ohio River. In 1773 Simon Kenton established himself three miles from what is now Maysville at Kenton Station. From there he established a settlement and crops and began to persuade emigrants to settle the area known as Limestone (Wise). The town became known as Limestone, named after Limestone Creek that ran through the area. In 1787 Limestone had enough people to become a town and was incorporated in the state of Virginia (Comer). When it became a town, the name was changed to Maysville after John May who founded the town with Simeon Kenton (Wise). According to an atlas dated 1876, there were 14 homesteads on what is now Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area in that year; all landowners were farmers (An Illustrated Atlas of Mason County, Kentucky, 1876).

Ford Family and Northern Kentucky University The property, currently Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area, was bought in pieces during the 1920s and early 1930s and has been owned since by the Ford family. The last owner was Duke Ford who sold the property to Northern Kentucky University CER. The 1,400 acre farm was historically used to grow tobacco and pasture cattle, which the Ford family did for 60 years.

They grew tobacco until the early 1980s when tobacco farming was no longer profitable enough to keep the family business going and cattle farming became the only activity left on the farm.

Cattle were kept on the property until 1999 when Duke Ford started the Big Rock ATV Park on the farm. Ford closed the park in 2013 and used half the property as hayfields and hunting grounds until 2015. The Northern Kentucky University CER bought half of Ford’s property in 2013, the second half in 2015, and named the whole property Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area in 2015. The first goal for buying the property is to plan and implement the stream restoration project. The second goal for the property is to produce and implement a sustainable land use plan for future management of the site.

Field Work

In order to create the sustainable land use plan for Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area, I had to conduct field work on the property, create GIS maps, and hold many interviews with various people. For this project I was required to map the ponds on the eastern portion of the property in order to put them into ArcGIS. The ponds on the western portion of the property had been mapped before I started working. Knowing where water sources are on the property will help to place future lease holders on the property who may or may not need water sources on their section. I also had to take soil samples that would be representative of the non-forested sections of the property. Soil sampling helped to finalize the current conditions at Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area and can be used to guide future use on the property.

I also scheduled and participated in several meetings where I learned the best uses for Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area from local officials or environmental professionals and tried to arrange lease agreements with groups or individuals wanting to use the land for their sustainable business/activity. The first type of meeting was critical in understanding what can sustainably be done on the property in a sustainable way. The second type was used to interview people looking to use the land in order to understand how their operations will be sustainable, and determine lease payments to the landowners.

GIS Data Gathering

Pond Data

It was my responsibility to go out with a Trimble GPS unit and locate all the ponds on the western portion of the property. I went out on an ATV with the previous caretaker of the property who knew where all the ponds were located. I only took the GPS location of the western ponds because the eastern ponds had been mapped by the CER prior to me being hired.

I created a new data set using the Trimble unit and used the shapefile_area function to map the ponds. I stood at the edge of each pond, clicked the button to have the machine begin to take points every few seconds as I walked. I walked the perimeter of each pond and then stopped the machine once I ended where I began. At certain points I had to pause the machine to move around brush or trees that were in the way and then continue taking points once I was repositioned. I also marked all dry ponds that were currently dry and made a separate GIS layer out of them. There were 16 ponds total with 4 being dry ponds (Appendix B, Map 1).

Soil Sampling

Soil sampling and testing at Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area is important because it helps to provide a baseline for what can or can’t be grown on the ridgetops. The soil properties may also guide other types of land uses for the property. Since agriculture and other activities will be restricted in the forested stream buffers in the bottom land and the slopes, sampling only took place on the ridge tops.

I created sampling areas by breaking the property’s ridge tops into sections and based on where soil types change. Sampling areas consisted of single ridgelines, a combination of smaller ridgetops in close proximity to one another, and ridgetops that have a different soil type compared to the rest of the ridgetops. There were 10 different soil sampling areas (Appendix B, Map 5).

The main roads going through the property were used as transects and I drove along them at a constant speed on an ATV. Every 30 seconds I would stop and take four, four inch core samples using a soil core sampler. The first core at each location was taken five meters to the

13 right of the front passenger side tire on the ATV. The second core was taken ten meters from the same tire. The third and fourth core samples were taken five and ten meters from the front driver side tire of the ATV. All cores for a sample area were aggregated in a plastic bucket.

Sampling was altered based on the amount of non-forested land on either side of the road at a 30 second stop site. If there was less than five meters of non-forested area on both sides of the road, I would drive to the next area where at least five meters of non-forested area was on both sides of the road. If I couldn’t take any cores on one side of the road at a 30 second stop site, I would take a third and fourth core on the other side of the road at 15 and 20 meters. If there wasn’t enough land to take four cores at one site, I would take two or three depending on how much non-forested land was present at five meter intervals.

Once 30 seconds of driving time took me out of a sampling area I would aggregate all cores in the bucket together and, using a glass pint glass, took three one pint samples and placed each in separate bags. Once the three samples were taken for a sample area I would clean out the bucket, pint glass and soil sampler with a towel and water to ensure no cross contamination between sample areas. I used a pint of soil per sample because it was suggested by the UK Extension Office Agricultural/Natural Resource Agent.

Once all 30 samples were gathered I took them to the Mason County UK Extension Office who sent them to the University Of Kentucky College Of Agriculture for analysis. The summary table of results can be found in Appendix L. The overall results were variable but the different soil type in sampling areas 10 and 11 (northern most) showed up with the lowest pH levels, lowest phosphorus and potassium levels, and lowest percent for soil organic matter (Appendix B, Map 5).

GIS Mapping

All maps were created to the specifications given, and approved, by the Director of the Center for Environmental Restoration.

Site Map (Appendix B, Map 1)

The purpose of this map is to represent the topographic layout of the site along with displaying much of the general site features. This map was the most often used when describing the site people and organizations interested in Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area. Map layers used:

Property Border

The property boundary was created by Buffalo Trace Surveying Company from of Flemingsburg, KY and given to the CER as an ArcGIS shapefile.

Ponds

Using the pond data created by the CER before my arrival for the eastern ponds and GIS data I created for the western ponds, I made one layer representing all ponds. This helped to show where water resources on the property are located when organizing where different tenants can set up their operations.

Dry Ponds

Using the dry ponds data and layer I created from them, I added the dry ponds to the map to display where water had collected in the past.

Field Area

In ArcGIS I began by imposing the Sleepy Hollow property boundary on the aerial basemap layer. I created a new polygon shapefile called “Field Area” and opened it in the editing menu. Using the property boundary and the aerial basemap to show the divide between forest and ridgetop field, I outlined the ridgetops at the forest boundary. Since the ridgetops were continuous and all connected I was able to make one large ridgetop field shapefile instead of needing multiple.

Once the polygon was created I added an “Acres” section in the table. I then edited the shapefile and calculated the acres for the polygon. The ridgetop fields total 358 acres.

Proposed HQ

The proposed HQ is the potential site for NKSWRP to establish their stream restoration headquarters. This site will be used by NKSWRP staff members and contractors as a base of operations for the stream restoration project at Sleepy Hollwo Conservation Area. The shapefile was created by the project manager for the Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area. I found the file and placed it on the map.

Cemetery

This shapefile was created by the project manager for the Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area. I found the file and placed it on the map.

Proposed Green Cemetery

The Director of the CER requested I make a proposed green cemetery site on the ridge with the existing cemetery that is around 20 acres. I created a new polygon shapefile for the green cemetery and added it to the table of contents in ArcGIS. I started editing the shapefile and using the measurement tool created an area that was about 20 acres.

Existing Cabin

I started by creating a new point shapefile and added into the table of contents in ArcGIS. I opened up the shapefile in the editing tool and, using the aerial base map photo, marked the existing cabin site.

House Ruin

Overhead Electric

A shapefile representing the overhead electric lines that go through the property already existed for Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area when I started work. They were represented farther than the property boundary so I used the Clip tool to only represent the overhead electric lines within the property boundary.

Gas Line

A shapefile representing the gas line that go through the property already existed for Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area when I started work. The gas line were represented farther than the property boundary so I used the Clip tool to only represent the gas line within the property boundary.

Gravel Road

Using the aerial photo and my knowledge of where the gravel ends on the main road, I created a line shapefile and drew it on the aerial map to represent where the existing gravel road is on the property.

Automobile Entrances

There are two automobile entrances on the property and I created a point shapefile to represent them on the map. Using the aerial base map I added the two points where the road enters the property boundary.

ATV Entrances

The Director of the CER had already marked on a map where all ATV entrances at Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area were located. I used that map, created a new shapefile, and marked all the ATV entrances.

Proposed Water Spigot

The Director of the CER already knew where he wanted the proposed water spigot. I therefore created a new layer and added the point near Stonelick Rd. using the Editor toolbar.

Springs

This shapefile was created by the project manager for the Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area. I found the file and placed it on the map.

Tire Dump

This shapefile was created by the project manager for the Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area. I found the file and placed it on the map.

Soils Map (Appendix B, Map 4)

Soil Types

Soil types on the property need to be determined, specifically on the ridge tops, to identify which different activities the soils could or could not support. The process started by getting the soil units map from the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) online. I got the shapefile and put it into ArcGIS. I then only represented the soil units that are in the non- forested areas, because those areas are out of the stream buffer zones and are not on steep slopes, greater than 15 degrees. This was done to outline what NRCS found the specific soils types on the property are while the soil sampling, explained above, was done to find the exact soil characteristics throughout the property.

There are five different soil types found in usable areas on the property: Faywood-Lowell silt loam (FyC), Lowell-Faywood silt loam (LwD), Lowell silt loam (LoC), Cynthiana-Faywood silty clay loam (CnC2), and Cynthiana-Faywood complex (CyE2). The acreage of each soil unit is as follows (Appendix B, Map 4):

 CyE2: 684 acres

 FyC: 179 acres

 LwD: 44 acres

 LoC: 24 acres

 CnC2: 10 acres

The map also displays a 3D cut out of a section of soil representative of the region. This cut out was found in the Mason County Soil Survey.

The map also has the property boundary, field boundary, automobile entrances, and ATV entrances.

Stream Buffers Map (Appendix B, Map 6)

100 ft. Stream Buffer

Because Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area is primarily a stream restoration site, therefore any use of the site must protect the streams and stream buffers. It was then a priority to find out what areas of the property were in the stream buffer because none of that land can be intensively used in the future. Only light impact, passive activities approved by the Army Corp of Engineers can go in in the stream buffer, such as recreational hiking.

The CER already created a stream shapefile ready to load into ArcGIS from the initial survey of property and I placed a 100 foot buffer around the stream to represent the buffer zone. When creating the buffer I had to merge the buffers into one unit, using the “ALL” function in the buffer tool, instead of several smaller ones for each segment of stream, so buffers wouldn’t overlap. Once buffers were created, I was able to use the calculate geometry function in the stream buffer table of contents to find total acreage, 538 acres (Stream Buffer Map, Appendix B).

50 and 25 ft Stream Buffers

After creating the 100 foot stream buffers I was asked by the Director of the CER to overlay a 25 foot buffer on ephemeral streams and a 50 foot buffer on perennial and intermittent streams. Using the data table for the stream layer I selected all ephemeral streams and made a new layer out of the selected data. I then used the buffer tool to create a 25 foot buffer on that data layer. I repeated the same process for the perennial and intermittent streams except I created a 50 foot buffer on that data layer. I represented all stream buffers on top of each other to be shown on one map (Stream Buffer Map, Appendix B).

The map also has the property boundary, field boundary, and automobile entrances.

1876 Historic Map (Appendix B, Map 9)

This map was made using a map from an 1876 Mason County atlas that had maps showing all sections of the county. I scanned the map in jpeg format and was able to use ArcGIS

19 aerial basemap to georeference the map into ArcGIS as a layer. I then placed the property boundary over the historical map to reference where Sleepy Hollow Conservation area is in reference to the 1876 features.

Wyldwood Development Proposal Map (Appendix B, Map 10)

The previous owner of the property, Duke Ford, had a community planning group create a plan for an upscale community with large homes, vacation resort, golf course, zoo, vineyard, marina, and airport in 2007 named Wyldwood Resort Community. The plan was never implemented but Mr. Ford still had the plans and maps created by the development group.

I scanned the development map as a jpeg into the computer and georeferenced it over the site using the aerial photo basemap in ArcGIS. I then overlay the property boundary layer over the development georeference to display where Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area laid in perspective to the development plan.

Proposed Cabins Sites Map (Appendix B, Map 7)

There is potential for a few different kinds of cabins being built at Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area in the future; including a Farmhouse, Recreational Cabins, HQ Cabin, and Eco Village Homes. The director of the CER already planned where these cabins might be in order to present to the county zoning and planning board if requested. I took those sites, created new shapefiles for each, added the layer, and then placed the proposed cabin sites on the map using the Editor toolbar.

Other layers on the map include: property boundary, ponds, dry ponds, proposed HQ, automobile entrances, ATV entrances, tire dump, house ruin, existing cabin, overhead electric, and gas lines.

Soil Sampling Map (Appendix B, Map 5)

This map was created over the aerial basemap layer when I was planning my soil sampling methods. It shows the map area which corresponds to soil sampling sample ID number so differing soil characteristics can be recognized for different sections of the property. I created a new shapefile for each sampling area using the line tool in the Editor toolbox. In my initial sampling I divided one long ridge into two sampling areas, sites 5 and 6, but wound up making it one sampling area, sampling site 6.

This map includes Sampling Sites 1-4 and 6-11, property boundary, and automobile entrances.

Aerial Map (Appendix B, Map 2)

This map was created as a visual representation of Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area with the aerial photo basemap. This was created so potential tenants for the site can understand the property if they are not familiar with the USGS topography basemap. This map includes the property boundary, ponds, dry ponds, proposed HQ, automobile entrances, ATV entrances, existing cabin, house ruin, tire dump, overhead electric, and gas line.

Potential Lease Holder Tracts Map (Appendix B, Map 3)

The property needed to be divided up into tracts in order for the land to be leased out in the future. This way potential lease holders can use this map to choose what areas of the property they want to use for their sustainable activity. After drawing up potential tracts myself, the Director of the CER designed what he wanted and I digitized that design into ArcGIS layers (Appendix B, Map 3).

1. Tract 1 a. Total: 213 acres 2. Tract 2 a. Total: 288 3. Tract 3 a. Total: 167 acres 21

4. Tract 4 a. Total: 228 acres 5. Tract 5 a. Total: 139 acres 6. Tract 6 a. Total: 341 acres

This map includes the property boundary, field area, ponds, dry ponds, proposed HQ, automobile entrances, ATV entrances, existing cabin, house ruin, cemetery, gravel road, tire dump, overhead electric, and gas line.

3D Map (Appendix B, Map 11)

This map was created to serve as a visual representation of the property when the director presents the plan to the Army Corp of Engineers and when the Sleepy Hollow Conservancy presents the plan to potential tenants. It shows the elevation changes on the property in a visually more effective way than a 2D map.

To begin I had to make TIN data for Sleepy Hollow Conservation area. The CER already had the contour lines shapfile for the property so I was able to use those contours to make the TIN. I inserted lines of sight on the TIN so I would be able to create the 3D map in ArcScene. In ArcScene I was able to manipulate the TIN data to represent the elevation data. Once the map was created I changed the Symbology so the valleys were dark green (to represent a higher density of trees) with lighter shades of green representing elevation going up. The ridge tops were represented in light brown (to represent the dirt/grass) (Appendix B, Map 11).The map is oriented looking at the property from the Northeast, from the city of Maysville and the Ohio River looking Southwest towards Stonelick Rd.

Lower Sleepy Hollow Ownership to Ohio River Map (Appendix B, Map 8)

This map was created to display the properties that border Sleepy Hollow Creek from the northern boundary of Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area, through the City of Maysville, and

22 ending at the Ohio River. The CER wishes to restore the rest of the creek from the property to the Ohio River, so this map is helping to identify all landowners adjacent to the creek. This map has an aerial basemap, because there are better reference points than the topography basemap, and is zoomed into the area between Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area and the Ohio River.

I then created a new polyline shapefile to represent Sleepy Hollow Creek north of the property. I edited the layer and manually drew in the creek from knowledge previously gained from driving around Maysivlle and the aerial basemap to where it enters the Ohio River. Next I contacted the City of Maysville Planner to obtain their parcels GIS layer. He emailed me the layer and I placed it on top the aerial map using black lines, so the aerial map could still be seen under the parcels. This helped to show how many properties Sleepy Hollow Creek went through before it entered the Ohio River. Lastly, I contacted the Mason County Property Valuation Administrator’s Office to learn who owns each parcel along Sleepy Hollow Creek. Next, I created new shapefiles for each parcel that borders Sleepy Hollow Creek and labeled them with the property owner’s name: be it a person or the City of Maysville. I used the parcel boundaries layer and outlined the specific parcels bordering the creek. Finally, I colored the shapefiles for adjacent property owner’s parcels different colors so they would be highlighted on the map and be distinct when referencing the legend (Lower Sleepy Hollow Ownership to Ohio River Map, Appendix B, Map 8)

This map also contains the property boundary layer to give a visual reference of where Sleepy Hollow Creek enters the property. Only the northern part of the property boundary displays on the map since the map is focused more on the area north of the property.

Planning Input Meetings

In addition to conducting field work and attending to office duties, I also had to meet with certain individuals who can help advise the project or giving information for people looking to be a part of the sustainable land use plan. Receiving information involved talking to natural resource officials and others who have knowledge for best use of the property. I then used that information to help plan out meetings with people who might be interested in leasing out part of the property for a particular sustainable service. 23

1. Possible Public Uses

My early meetings were with local Maysville and Mason County officials who could provide ideas about what benefit the community might derive from Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area.

Maysville Director of Tourism

I met with Suzi Pratt, the Director of Tourism in Maysville, in late January and had a discussion about what the people in Maysville want for outdoor recreation and what visitors to the town want to visit. According to her, the first thing people in Maysville are looking for is a place to hike. There is natural areas around Maysville, but most are private land that is not accessible to the public. There are also a small nature preserve owned by Mason County just outside of Maysville, but the county does not promote it, therefore very few people in Maysville know about it. Mrs. Pratt also had the idea of having a stand-alone or volunteer run environmental education stand where hikers can learn more about their surroundings at Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area.

Mrs. Pratt also emphasized that the people of Maysville want an active experience, not just passive hiking. Ideas presented included: letting people come into a sustainable farm and be able to pick their own apples, blueberries, blackberries, etc. Another idea was to allow people to come and volunteer at a sustainable farm for a day or weekend, just like people can work on dude ranches in Colorado and Montana for an agritourism experience.

2. Local Utility Services

Next I contacted representatives from the local utility companies to determine costs of bringing electric, gas and water lines to the sections of the property buildings might be placed in the sustainable land use plan.

A. Columbia Gas In order to get gas mains installed along Stonelick Rd. for any possible buildings on the property there is a $50,000 fee and a possible half year to 2 year permitting time period. The fee results from having to run gas lines under the railroad tracks that are adjacent to the lines. The 24 permitting time table results from the need to get permission from the railroad company who runs the tracks. There is a possibility the railroad company could deny the permit application. After the gas mains are installed at the road, a contractor would have to be hired to pipe the gas back to where the possible buildings are to be constructed.

B. Columbia Pipeline Group Columbia Pipeline Group is a branch of Columbia Gas who owns gas transportation pipelines in the region and will sometimes grant permission to residents and businesses to tap their lines. One of their gas pipelines underneath Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area so I decided to call a representative and get a quote on tapping the line. The group will install taps ranging from two inches to twelve inches. A two inch tapping will cost $162,000 and a twelve inch tap would cost $472,000. A contractor would then have to be hired to pipe the gas into the desired buildings.

C. Maysville Utility Commission In order to get city water lines on the property for possible buildings, the local utility commission would charge a $500 fee. The $500 would get water lines connected at the street and a contractor would have to be hired to pipe the water back to where the possible buildings are being constructed.

D. Fleming – Mason Energy Fleming – Mason Energy is the electric provider to this part of Mason County. In order to get electric lines back on the property they would have to start from Stonelick Rd. and charge $3/foot of electric line installed. If there are buildings on the property they would be in Tract 1, with the front of the tract being 259 yards from the road and the back of the tract being 1,269 yards from the road. Estimated costs to run electric lines back onto this part of the site would be $2,332 - $11,429.

3. Local Regulator Meetings

Mason County Building Inspector & Planning and Zoning

I met with Gary Wells, building inspector, and Matt Wallingford, planning and zoning department, to discuss how local zoning and building codes might affect this project and how to set up buildings on the Sleepy Hollow site legally.

The property is zoned for agriculture, therefore one household can legally be on the property at this time. If the building is home to a permanent resident, like a resident farmer, then electric and water lines must be run to the building. Utilities must be run to the building regardless if the building is a permanent structure, a traditional home, or a temporary structure, such as a mobile home.

Additional structures where people live, either permanently or short term, cannot be added to the site as it is currently zoned. What must happen is a detailed plan of the site must be written out and the landowner must apply for a Planned Unit Development Overlay District. The purpose of the overlay district is to mix residential and non-residential uses on a large tracts of land that isn’t permitted under the lands current zoning classification. This would allow the CER to place temporary cabins at the restoration headquarters site to allow workers to live on site for short periods of time. It would also open up the possibility for rental cabins and an eco-living community in the future.

The application process involves a public hearing where community members can voice their support or concerns for this overlay plan and votes from two county boards. At the hearing the landowner must present a detailed plan about what the property will be used for, where all buildings will be and what utilities are going to be involved. Neighbors of the property will be notified of the hearing and will be allowed to voice their support or concerns for the project. After the hearing the zoning board must vote to permit the overlay plan. Once the zoning board approves the overlay plan, it moves to the Mason County Commissioners who will vote to accept or deny the overlay plan. Overall, this process takes about 2 months.

Once the overlay plan is accepted, then any permanent residence of the site must work with the building inspector, the building inspector, to ensure the building is up to code. The temporary living cabins, rental and HQ cabins, don’t need to be approved by the building

26 inspector since they’re not permanent residences. The only other approval for the buildings is to ensure sanitation methods are approved by the county health department; septic systems, composting toilets, outhouses, etc. A table representing the requirements for different buildings can be found in Appendix G.

Mason County Health Department

I met with Doug Waldron with the county health department to discuss what the sanitation requirements are for buildings on the Sleepy Hollow site. Sanitation for the buildings on the site can include basic methods for the non-permanent residences such as outhouses or composting toilets all the way to septic systems or septic lagoons for permanent or non- permanent residences.

Outhouses and composting toilets do not require water lines on the property and might work for the temporary residences, such as rental cabins. Septic systems would be beneficial to cabin renters but installation can be expensive. Installation of septic systems also require at least 36 inches of soil to bury the tank. Mr. Waldron also suggested putting all the rental cabins in close proximity to one another so the cabins can either share one large septic system or a shower house. The septic system or shower house is not required for non-permanent residences that don’t have foundations.

Any permanent residences on the property would need a septic system, as per the building code, because city sewer lines can’t be brought onto the property. The tank must be able to handle 120 gallons per day for a one bedroom, 240 for two bedrooms, 360 for three bedrooms, and at least 1000 gallons for houses over 3 bedrooms.

4. Land Use and Conservation Meetings

Natural Resource Conservation Service & Kentucky Fish and Wildlife

I met with Zachary Danks and Nathan Gregory (one meeting) to discuss possible conservation efforts and sustainable land uses for Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area. Both Mr. Danks and Mr. Gregory had been on the property before and understand the challenges the CER

27 and Conservancy will face. During this meeting, a variety of land use alternatives were discussed.

A. Environmental Quality Incentives Program

The biggest conservation management issue with Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area is the large amounts of invasive plant species, predominately honeysuckle, on the edges between the ridgetop fields and the forested areas. EQIP, Environmental Quality Incentives Program, is offered to private landowners by the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that could be applied for to obtain money for invasive species removal. The program is focused on financially assisting landowners looking to remove invasive brush on their property and to aid in the process of bringing native species back to the property. The program will pay up to 75% of costs to remove brush. In the case of Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area the major invasive plant species are honeysuckle, multi-floral rose and autumn olive. The requirements for the program are 1) land must be owned privately 2) landowner must talk to USDA Farm Services, who will begin processing the application and 3) the landowner must ensure property boundaries are correct. In this case, Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area qualifies for the first requirement since a private, non-profit organization is the owner.

Another stipulation of the EQIP program is that any agricultural tillage on the property must be approved by an NRCS Conservation Plan. The plan is aimed at preserving highly erodible soil, and since Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area is first and foremost a stream restoration, this will be an important plan for any tenant looking to till the ground. If the ground is being tilled without the NRCS Conservation Plan, EQIP money cannot be used for brush removal on the property.

B. Possible Conservation Efforts

Most conservation efforts on the property will begin by registering for the EQIP program, otherwise the invasive species will continue to thrive and damage any conservation program. Due to the cattle farm and ATV park previously on the property the fields contain predominately fescue grass and the field edges are overgrown with invasive woody plants. Mr. Danks and Mr. Gregory also suggested to begin timber stand improvements in order to encourage more oaks to

28 grow on the property. In this region oak trees will provide the habitat for a greater diversity of animals.

Bat conservation efforts would be a good fit for this property also because of the amount of wooded area and water bodies on the property. There is a new variety of bat house that the US Fish and Wildlife Service started using that could be beneficial on the property.

Another conservation effort would be to bring back native grasses and woody plants so pollinators will come back to the property in increased numbers. This will have a cascading effecting on bringing back native wildlife that relies on those pollinators. To achieve this they suggested the use of selective herbicide, avoid killing woody native plants, on the areas where we want to bring back pollinators. Once the grasses die they think native grasses from the seedbank will grow back in place of the non-native grasses. This along with a native broadleaf mix would be most cost effective for the landowner.

A more expensive option would be to grade the landscape back to a more natural topography on the ridgetops and apply a native grasses plant mixture. The base price of this would be around $300/acre plus the price of excavation.

C. Hay Production

In order to bring back the native grasses and plants and best conserve the site they recommend only mowing the ridgetops with a bush hog once every three years and maybe once per year in the first couple years. This could seriously hinder any hay production on the property because harvesting takes all the nutrients from the soil and hinders growth of native species.

If a farmer is going to take hay from the property, they suggest requiring the farmer to add limestone and nutrients back to the soil, that way the native species will have a better opportunity to keep growing after being cut. In the lease the farmer should be required to bring the p.H. back to a specified level, such as 7.0.

They cautioned that many older farmers will be unwilling to put limestone and nutrients back onto the field, so a requirement like that could keep the landowner from getting money from a hay lease. They also recommended asking for a flat fee every year for hay because

29 nutrients will be depleted so fast on this soil that there might not be as many bales the second and third year compared to the first. This would be in place of having the farmer pay per bale.

D. Hunting

Mr. Gregory suggested that any hunting leases on the property be on a per acre basis instead of a flat fee. This will ensure getting the greatest revenue on the hunting lease. They also said that any feed plots on the property need to have an NRCS Conservation Plan to avoid soil erosion and allow the landowner to stay eligible for the EQIP grants. If a hunting lease outfit ends activities on the property they should be required in their lease to apply a native grass mixture to their feed plots to avoid barren spots from forming once the hunters stop managing it.

E. Road Maintenance

The biggest suggestion for improving and maintaining the main road on the property is to pay a higher up front cost for fabric to be laid first before the gravel is put on. This will help to keep the gravel from being washed away and keep maintenance costs at a minimum. They estimated the upfront cost of installing the gravel road would be at least $15,000. If there is not a fabric base layer installed they estimate yearly maintenance costs to be at least $5,000, but less if the fabric is installed.

F. Agriculture Tenants

Another suggestion was to require hunting tenants to seed their feed plots with a native grass mixture when ending operations on the property. Mr. Danks and Gregory suggest the same for fields of farmers who are leaving the property after their lease expires. If the tilled fields are left bare then the conservation value of the property would go down along with bringing more edge space to the site where invasive species could begin to grow.

G. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Management of the Property

One option the landowner could exercise is to sell Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area to Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. If they owned it though, the representative stated, it would most likely be passively managed. It would be open to the public, they would allow hunting and prohibit horses and ATVs, and it would get a bare minimum of conservation work done. This is simply because the site is far away from where their equipment is stored and it would be

30 expensive to bring it out on a regular basis. They would do things such invasive species control and do controlled burns on the ridgetops.

H. Local Law Enforcement

Mr. Gregory and Mr. Danks recommended talking to Cory Ellis who is the Conservation Law Enforcement Officer for Mason County. Let him know what activities are occurring on the property, that way he can stay alert to people trespassing on the property. The Army Corp of Engineers wants to know measures are being taken to deter trespassers on the stream restoration site. Making contact with Mr. Ellis will show the property owner has support from the conservation officer to prevent trespassing. Also, have the landowner give him the key to any gates in case he needs to get on the property in case emergencies occur or trespassers enter the property when no one tenants are present. Establishing a relationship with the Conservation Officer is key to help protect the property from a law enforcement standpoint.

I. Conservation Management Plan

One course of action they highly recommended is to contact Wes Mattox who is a private lands biologist with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife to get a Conservation Plan written up for the property. Mr. Mattox would come and evaluate for conservation efforts that could occur on the property and present financing programs to fund the efforts. The property owner must bring that plan to NRCS when applying for EQIP grants. The Conservation Plan and EQIP application will work in tandem to best fund conservation efforts on the property.

The Nature Conservancy

I had a phone meeting with Devin Schenk who previously worked on the Sleepy Hollow site with Northern Kentucky CER. His main concerns about the project is to ensure the scope doesn’t get too large so that the sustainable land use plan does not fail within the first 5 years. He has concerns that the CER could have a large upfront goals for the property and he thinks keeping the scope at a minimum at the beginning will ensure the plan is sustainable.

Mr. Schenk suggested sustainable ginseng and mushroom growing in the forested areas of the Sleepy Hollow property. The Nature Conservancy has seen these grow successfully on wooded slopes with minimal soil erosion.

Kentucky State University Aquaculture

I contacted Forrest Wynne with the KSU Aquaculture program in order to understand more about aquaculture and if it would be practical at the Sleepy Hollow site. Aquaculture can be done in natural or man-made ponds as well as buildings with indoor hydroponics systems are established.

Soils for pond systems need to be clay based in order to retain water in the ponds and not have limestone in them. Limestone is porous and ponds can lose water from that as well. It is best when the land is flat and there are adequate. Natural ponds should be between 6-8 feet deep. Finally, the discharge from the ponds normally go into a local watershed or is collected and hauled off site by truck. Natural ponds also need a regular water source because 10% of the water needs to be replaced daily. Ponds also need to be fed daily, which increases the dirty water coming out of the discharge every day.

There also needs to be an established market for the product before the farmer starts their aquaculture production. Most restaurants and stores get their fish supply from large scale fish productions that can sell them at low prices, which can be a hurdle for any small scale aquaculture production like one on the Sleepy Hollow site would be. Mr. Wynne believes raising catfish or shrimp could go well on the site, but only if buyers are determined before fish farm operations begin.

Aquaculture farms have high up-front costs, require adequate infrastructure to haul fish on and off site and finally, require a reliable source of electricity; regardless if it’s a natural pond or indoor hydroponics system. Mr. Wynne see’s these three points being a negative to any farmer looking to start up on the Sleepy Hollow site and believes the site infrastructure should be improved before an aquaculture farmer should be pursued to lease on the site. Because of this, Mr. Wynne doesn’t feel the site is suitable for large scale aquaculture and thinks it would be difficult for an aquaculture farmer to turn a profit at Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area.

Kentucky Fish & Wildlife – Private Lands Biologist

After the suggestion from Mr. Danks and Mr. Gregory I scheduled an appointment with Wes Mattox to show him the property and get a Conservation Plan written for Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area. The Conservation Plan will go over any conservation effort that could be put forth on the property using state or federal cost share programs. An example of this would be an Indiana Bat mitigation plan if the land is in the proper region and contains the correct habitat.

I met Mr. Mattox at the site and drove him around the ridgetops and valleys so he could get a sense of all habitat on the property. He requested to stop at times to take pictures of different areas and write notes about the property. After touring the property I told him the landowner is interested in bat, amphibian, reptile, and beaver mitigation/introduction programs. I requested he add information on those specific programs if Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area would be an adequate candidate.

Kentucky Division of Forestry – Regional Forester

The Kentucky Division of Forestry offers a service out of their regional offices where they’ll write a Forest Stewardship Plan for privately owned pieces of land. The stewardship plan outlines forest composition on the property, tree species and offer suggestions for best uses of the forests; conservation, timber harvest, or a mix of both. Kentucky Division of Forestry will work with Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife for wildlife conservation timber management or will suggest the best areas of timber to harvest and potential timber harvesting revenue.

I met with the regional forester for the Mason County region, Kevin Galloway, at Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area. I brought him around to each corner of the property where he took GPS coordinates and evaluated forest health at each location. I also explained the land use history of the property so he could better understand how the forest was historically managed. I met with him at the property on April 30 and he still has to go out to the property several more times over the proceeding few weeks before he can write the Forest Stewardship Plan. I will include the Forest Stewardship Plan into the final Conservation Plan if it’s completed before my last day, May 15 (Appendix A). Otherwise it will be added to the Conservation Plan by the Director of the CER.

Green Acres Farm

I met with Banks Baker who is the Director of Agriculture at Green Acres Farm, a local organic and community supported agriculture farm in Indian Hill, Cincinnati, OH. I researched the farm and decided it would be good to talk to Mr. Baker about his operation, compare it to possible organic farming that could happen at Sleepy Hollow and ask for his opinions on this sustainable land use project.

Meeting at Green Acres Farm, we started by going over what I am trying to do at Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area with Mr. Baker. I showed him several maps of the property and he mentioned use of the property will be very limited due to the thin ridgetops. It’s beneficial that they all connect but the thin ridge tops limit how many animals can be raised due to space needed for rotational grazing, vegetable crops, and anything else a farm operation might want to start.

Next he drove me around the farm showing off different features of the farm. He designed the tour to emphasize the vegetation production and grazing animals, both are possibilities on the Sleepy Hollow site.

At Green Acres Farm they fence cattle into small areas to keep the grazing on a pasture in a particular area. Once the cattle are moved they come behind with self-created chicken coops where the chickens can graze after the cattle, which helps to promote healthier grass growing back in the pasture. The cows are moved to a different area when the grass gets 4-5 inches tall and the chicken coops are moved one length down the pasture twice per day. This would be effective at the Sleepy Hollow site because the promotion of healthier grass growing back is more sustainable and helps to prevent soil erosion. He showed aerial photos of his pastures and it shows the succession of the pasture grasses over time and compared it to aerial photos of traditional grazing. The procedure would have to be altered to fit the Sleepy Hollow site since there isn’t as much land and cows aren’t going to be allowed to graze on the property.

Mr. Baker also talked about how they integrate their vegetable production with the rotational grazing plan. The vegetable plots were placed in the recently grazed fields where the nutrients are high. They strategically plant certain crops together so that there is a ground cover crop and a taller crop together. This is a method to keep weeds from growing, the ground crop

34 shading them out, and ultimately benefiting all the crops grown together. This vegetable growing method would be a benefit to the Sleepy Hollow site because it would allow any vegetable grower to avoid use of chemical herbicides for weed control, which wouldn’t be allowed due to the stream restoration.

Baker was beneficial to interview because he has an insight about sustainable farming in practice that I don’t have and would be difficult to get from internet research. He mostly reiterated the importance of this project.

Campbell Conservancy Chairman

I met with the Chairman of the Campbell Conservancy, Donavan Hornsby, to better understand how they manage their properties and to get suggestions for sustainable land uses at Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area. Since they are an established conservancy I felt he would have insight others would not.

Mr. Hornsby thought public hiking and hunting should take priority on the property. Hiking will open up the property to the public and they’ll be able to learn about other sustainable land uses happening on site. Besides for a public service by offering a place to hike for the town it can also deter poachers because of the public presence on the property. Building a shelter with picnic tables in the public hiking area will offer the public a place for picnics and for nature education programs to take place.

Mr. Hornsby warned of allowing more than just bow hunting on the property because the property overlooks Maysville. A stray bullet or slug could hit something in town if a hunter is being careless. He also suggested not allowing hunters to use ATVs on the site due to the risk of soil erosion. Even if ATVs were restricted to the main trails and pulling out game there is still a chance the hunter would go joy riding after a day of hunting. There is too much risk of soil erosion with ATV use when the first priority of the site is to restore the streams.

University of Kentucky Mason County Extension Agriculture/Natural Resource Agent

On January 23, 2014 I met with Mathew Campbell, the agriculture/natural resources agent for the University of Kentucky Extension Office in Mason County. The goal of this visit

35 was to get a professional opinion on what sorts of agriculture would be most sustainable for Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area.

The secondary goal was to discuss how to most effectively take soil samples on the site. After visiting the site and going over the aerial GIS map, Mr. Campbell came to a number of conclusions about the property.

A. Agriculture – Crops

Due to the site’s unique topography there is a lot of crops that would not do well on this property because regularly tilling the land would lead to significant amounts of soil erosion. This includes crops such as corns and soybeans. This option had previously been determined to negatively affect local stream conditions and was ruled out prior to this visit.

Non row crops that could do well on the site include: nuts, berries, fruit trees, and grape vines. These crops do not involve regular tilling of the soil and could produce enough crops to sell through the local farmers market or to local restaurants. Another possibility would be to lease part of the land out to a regional vineyard so they have more land to grow grapes. This would help bolster the local wine industry, which is growing in Kentucky because farmers are finding grapes to be a suitable replacement for tobacco due to the mild climate and limestone soils (Farm Flavor).

Finally we discussed whether hay farming could be productive on the property. Mr. Campbell explained that the combination of having small amounts of grass on the ridge tops and a limited access road to the bigger hay fields suggests that hay farming would only be marginally profitable to any farmer.

The average lease rates for hay fields in the Northeast Kentucky region is $35/acre for unimproved lands and $55/acre for improved lands (Halich, 2013).

B. Agriculture – Pastureland

Pastureland at Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area is mostly limited by the size of the ridge tops as that is the only non-wooded area of the site. The most popular livestock in this region of Kentucky is cattle, but cattle would pose erosion problems to the site. Since stream protection is the top priority of the site, cattle will most likely not be included in the sustainable use plan. Two

36 other alternative livestock options, which would impact the land less in terms of erosion, would be goats and sheep.

Sheep and goats cause far less erosion than cattle and could be a good fit for the ridge top pasture lands at Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area. They are smaller and more nimble, which would be good for the highly sloped areas at the site. Goats could also be used as an alternative invasive species removal method to help rid the site of bush honeysuckle. Goat and sheep also provide fertilizing benefits to pasturelands.

The biggest erosion problem occurs when goat or sheep farming is done on ridges because they can graze the grass down to ground level, unlike cattle. Grasses that have been chewed down to ground level will have problems putting down deeper roots, making the soil unstable and more prone to erosion. To counter this a pasture grazing plan needs to be created for goats and sheep to show they will be rotated to a new ridge top when the grass is chewed down to 3 or 4 inches. The land can handle 6 goats or sheep per acre.

The average lease rates for pastureland in the Northeast Kentucky region is $30 for non- improved lands and $45 for improved lands (Halich, 2013).

Land Use Management Inquiries

These people and groups were either 1) approached by me about leasing the land or 2) asked myself about wanting to lease part of the land. I either outline their submitted land use proposal or I indicate that I contacted them, but they were not interested in submitting a proposal for leasing land at Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area.

Submitted Proposals

Joseph Colbenze (Appendix A)

Mr. Colbenze is a resident of the local Amish community living in the Maysville area where he runs a cabin building business.

Plan

He wishes to start his hunting outfitters company back up on the property along with getting the exclusive rights to cut hay off the ridge tops. His plan would be to begin putting feed plots throughout the ridge tops in order to draw deer from the woods into the fields. For his food plots to work correctly he wants to have exclusive rights to mowing and baling hay to avoid food plots from being mowed.

The number of hunters on the property would be limited based on how many acres are leased to him and all hunters would have to hunt from tree stands. He does not offer any formal insurance policy on the hunters and would write liability waivers with the assistance of the Campbell Conservancy’s lawyer to ensure the landowner bares no liability.

He also wrote a second proposal to cut hay on the ridgetops. This would involve cutting hay at least once a year, whatever the landowner asks, and then using lime to bring the soil p.H back closer to 7.0 to ensure a quality hay harvest.

Terms

He wishes to lease as many acres as possible for hunting, not set minimum or maximum, for at least 3-5 years. For the first year he is offering the Campbell Conservancy $2500/year for the first year of hay and hunting rights. He would offer at least $7500/year for years 2-5 with a possibility of increasing lease payments for years 4 and 5. After year 5 he wants to renegotiate the lease depending on how well the business is running. In years 4 and 5 he will add a 33.3% profit share to his yearly payments.

If he does not get the right to cut hay on the property then he would not pay for the first year and only offer $5,000/year for years 2-5.

Amos Bolar (Appendix A)

Mr. Bolar is a local farmer who cut hay on the property when it was Big Rock ATV Park and is interested in cutting the hay on the property again.

Plan

Mr. Bolar plan would be cut and bail all hay on the ridgetops. He would not cut around any planted areas, such as crops or hunting feed plots. He requests cutting as much land as possible, therefore is currently requesting to cut tracts 2-6.

Terms

Mr. Bolar plans on cutting and baling all the hay, taking half the bails for himself, and giving the other half to the property owner. He would then buy the hay bales from the landowner for $10 each. Based on his knowledge of the property, he predicts he can cut and bale 390 bales of hay. He would give the property owner 195 bales, and at $10 per bale, buy them all for $1,950. This price is not guaranteed, it’s only an estimate.

Bradley Dotson (Appendix A)

Mr. Dotson is the President of the Mason County Beekeepers Club who is retired and looking for land to set up beehives.

Plan

Mr. Dotson would start by placing 20 hives on Tract 5 (Appendix B, Map 5) in spring 2016 and would consider expanding to 50 hives in subsequent years. He wants them kept along a western edge of a field so the trees will shade the hives in the evening.

Terms

It is not regular practice for bee keepers to pay rent to a landowner, normally the landowner pays the beekeepers for pollination services. Because of this Dotson wants to keep hives on the property for free and not charge the landowner any fee for pollination services.

Corona Industries, LLC

Corona Industries is a group of two young farmers who are looking for land to begin a sustainable agriculture farm on a portion of the property. One farmer has experiences on a traditional cattle farm while the other has worked with a farmland water management consulting agency.

Plan

The two farmers plan on moving the existing cabin on the site (Appendix B, Map 1) to Tract 1 (Appendix B, Map 3) where they would live full time, year round. They would work with the Mason County Building Inspector to get the building up to code for permanent living. They would then begin farming activities which will include vegetable gardening, tree planting for perennial nut crops (hickory nuts, acorns, etc), berry bush planting and sheep ranching.

They plan on selling their products at the local and regional farmers market along with bringing the local community to the farm to get them involved with sustainable farming techniques. They also plan on using the goats to graze down some of the woody invasive plant species, such as busy honeysuckle, to help the landowner with invasive removals.

Terms

Corona Industries, LLC estimated their yearly lease to be $3,950 based on $50/acre average for the field acreage in Tract 1 (Appendix B, Map 5). $50/acre is the average pastureland lease rate for the Northeast Kentucky Region. They plan on paying their rent through invasive plant removal services via manual labor and sheep grazing until their farm becomes profitable. Once profitable they will negotiate a profit sharing lease with the land owner. They estimate providing $340,000 worth of invasive species removal per year.

Did Not Submit Proposals

Joe Pfeffer – Mason County Judge Executive

I interviewed the county judge executive to 1) figure out if the county is interested in managing the nature preserve area and 2) if they are willing to give an easement on their property for nature preserve parking.

In the last year Mason County was gifted a nature preserve near Maysville and Judge Pfeffer thinks managing a second nature preserve would be difficult for the county. They are already having problems finding money to upkeep the park and resources to allocate to the park,

40 so they are uninterested in taking over local management of the Sleepy Hollow site’s nature preserve.

Adjacent to Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area, at the northeast corner, is one of the Mason County Highway Department garages. Also, on the southern-most point of the property sits the Mason County Sheriff’s Department shooting range.

In order to get the parking easement on the county property the shooting range would have to be relocated. This has been scheduled to occur within the next year, eliminating one obstacle to getting a parking easement on the county property. There is a chance that the highway department garage could be moved, making way for a parking easement, but those talks have not begun in the county and no action would take place for 3-4 years.

Maysville Technical and Community College

I contacted the Science Department at the local community college, Maysville Technical and Community College, to determine if any professor was interested in using Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area for any academic purpose. I was contacted by a biology professor wishing to bring their botany class to the site and practice identification and record keeping of plant species in the restoration buffer zone. Since the professor would not be making any money from this academic exercise there would be no lease payment for his classes using the site. I gave the professor contact information for the Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area site manager so the professor can make lesson plans around the needs of the project, as determined by the site manager. The professor will make plans with the project manager when he is writing lesson plans for his botany classes.

Wolf Tree Farms

Wolf Tree Farms recently began using goats to graze invasive species at a park in Covington, KY, so I made contact with the farm manager about possible goat grazing at Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area. The project in Covington, KY is the first time Wolf Tree Farms took on a goat grazing project so they are using it to gauge an expansion of the service. In Covington they received a $5,000 grant to graze goats for six months, eventually removing 15 acres of invasive species. Wolf Tree Farms are willing to come to Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area in 2016 but are not willing to write a proposal until 1) they know they want to continue the goat

41 grazing service and 2) they have a better idea of how much to charge customers. I recommended the owners of Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area contact Wolf Tree Farms at the end of 2015 or beginning of 2016.

Nancy Stranahan – Arc of Appalachia Preserve System

Nancy Stranahan is the director of Arc of Appalachia Preserve, which is a collection of nature preserves they manage in Southwestern and Southcentral Ohio. I contacted her to explain the project and ask if Arc of Appalachia Preserve System would be interested in managing the nature preserve section of the Sleepy Hollow site. Arc of Appalachia Preserve System have preserves across the Ohio River in Adams County, Ohio and I thought it could be a good fit geographically.

Mrs. Stranahan was interested but explained that the area being set aside for a nature preserve at Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area is not big or biologically unique enough for them to take over management. Arc of Appalachia wants their preserves to be large, regional hiking destinations that hold unique biological value; which is something Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area does not offer.

Ruben Detwiler

Reuben Detwiler is a local sheep farmer who was originally told about the property by Joseph Colbenze. After discussing the nature of the project, what sort of terms we were looking for and him surveying the site, he decided not to submit a use proposal for the land. He is worried about the distance from his farm to the property along with the amount of temporary fencing needed to graze sheep on the property.

Kentucky Hemp Growers Association

I contacted a representative from the Kentucky Hemp Growers Association after reading about the small, but growing hemp industry in Kentucky. Josh Hendrix from the association explained how there is a small number of farmers looking for land to grow hemp, but the permitting for 2015 ended in January. He offered to bring the information about Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area to their meetings and ask if any farmers would be interested in starting

42 production on site in 2016. After 3 follow up conversations with Mr. Hendrix there is currently no farmer interested in using the site for hemp production.

Northern Kentucky Vintners and Grape Growing Association

There are several vineyards in the Ohio River Valley so I decided to get in contact with the organization representing those in Northern Kentucky. After several phone calls and emails I was never able to get a conversation going about Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area. I would either be referred to websites on how to grow grapes or referred to speak with someone else in the organization, who would then refer me to someone else. Eventually I left a message on an answering machine soliciting for possible tenants and never heard back from anyone.

Yesterday Outdoors

Yesterday Outdoors was the last hunting outfitters who leased out the property from the previous owner. The local agent stated they wished to speak to me early in the project so I called them early in my internship. I explained the vision for the property and the restrictions that would be put on hunters and the local agent decided not to propose a hunting lease on the property because of those restrictions. I offered to include any proposal he writes up in the sustainable land use plan to be decided upon by the future landowner, but I was never contacted by the agent again.

Artisan Valley Farms

Artisan Valley Farms is a sustainable farm production in Mason County, KY which is a member of Eat Wild – Kentucky. They are within 45 minutes of Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area so I called to determine if they were looking to expand their farm and lease land on the property. They declined stating they were not looking to expand their farming production by leasing land.

University of Kentucky College of Agriculture

I contacted one professor in the College of Agriculture at the University of Kentucky looking for professors who might need for research purposes. The professor offered to disseminate my email to all faculty in the College of Agriculture. I was never contacted by any faculty at the University of Kentucky.

Berea College Department of Agriculture

I contacted the chairman of the Department of Agriculture at Berea College, in Berea, KY, to see if any faculty or students would have interest in leasing out parts of Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area to expand their academic research farm. After two emails I never received a response and assumed no one at Berea College was interested.

Basecamp Leasing

Basecamp leasing is a regional hunting outfitters who signs into contracts with landowners and leases out their property to hunters. After several promising phone and email conversation with the regional leasing agent, Jason Atrip, the Campbell Conservancy’s lawyer and Director of the CER, Scott Fennell, did not think the Basecamp contract was beneficial to Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area. After conversations to see if Basecamp leasing was willing to alter their contract, they declined to change and I ended contract negotiations.

Other Internship Tasks

Besides for the tasks listed above there were other duties I had to complete the sustainable land use plan.

Google Flyover

For visual representation purposes, I was tasked with creating a Google Earth “flyover” of Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area. The first task I had to do was download Google Earth Pro because the regular version does not have the movie maker function.

Next I used Google Earth and zoomed in on Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area. I turned off all labels and created a line layer that outlined the property boundary. I then set up 15 number of flyover points where Google Earth would travel. I recorded a tour of the area with just the property boundary showing on top the map where I traveled the tour around each point. By going from point to point the entire property was “flown” over to show the land and topography. I then turned the tour into an HD movie and saved it to my hard drive.

Lastly, I created a YouTube account for the Sleepy Hollow Conservancy so I could upload the flyover video to the internet (Appendix A).

Research Project Partners Mission Statements

I researched the mission statements for the Campbell Conservancy, Northern Kentucky University Center for Environmental Restoration, and Northern Kentucky Stream and Wetland Restoration Program. This was used to help describe the project partners in the final report to my boss (Appendix A).

Historical Research

In order to obtain the historical information on the property I did a combination of primary and secondary research. I started by visiting the research library at the Kentucky Gateway Museum at Maysville, KY. This provided me with all the information I learned from settlement of Maysville up until the farm was bought by the Ford Family. Secondly, I conducted an internet search to find information about the Native Americans who once lived in present day Maysville and in the surrounding region. Lastly, I interview Duke Ford, the previous owner, to learn about all activities on the property since his family bought the property.

Sustainable Agriculture Research

In order to better understand what potential sustainable farmer lease holders are planning, I spent many hours researching sustainable farming on the internet. The three main sources I used for research were the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) and two known sustainable agriculture practitioners/advisors; Ben Falk and Mark Shepard.

The USDA information was useful in figuring out how sustainable farmers should be writing their business plans. This helped me when discussing agricultural possibilities with potential tenants looking to start a sustainable farm on the property.

Ben Falk and Mark Shepard have each created methods for sustainable agriculture and water management for farms. Learning a bit about their principles of sustainable agriculture has allowed me to guide discussions with possible sustainable agriculture tenants. I then advised the possible tenants to better understand these principles and for them to explain if they will use them or not in their lease proposals.

I also contacted Mark Shepard’s company, Restoration Agriculture Development Designs, about getting a site design done for Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area.

Property Soil Type Characteristics

Using the Mason County Soil Survey I created a chart with the soil types on our property and their potential for different uses, based on the tables in the back of the soil survey (Appendix C). This helped me to better understand what the land was capable of supporting.

Wyldwood Development Plan

Wyldwood was a planned community development on this site that was drawn up in 2007. It was requested that I scanned all the maps from the plan into the computer as a PDF and attach the PDF to the sustainable land use plan. This was done to understand the potential another organization saw in the property (Appendix A).

Composting Toilet Research

Since sewage lines can’t run back through the property, my boss wanted me to research composting toilets. How they work and what is the price range. These could be used in the stream restoration headquarters building for workers or in the rental cabins. I created a chart outlining how composting toilets work and their range of prices as advertised online (Appendix D).

Research Hunting Seasons and Revenue Potential

To figure out fair deals from hunting tenants I researched what the hunting seasons in Kentucky are for rifles, shotguns and bows, and researched revenue potential for the Northeast Region of Kentucky (Appendix E; Appendix F).

Research Green Burial

Green burial is a more natural way to bury someone where a coffin is not used but instead wrapped in a biodegradable shroud and no chemicals, such as embalming fluids, are used. The body is buried in a certified green burial cemetery where the promotion of native trees, grasses and shrubs are planted around each grave site and the body is allowed to naturally decompose.

I researched green burial methods and how feasible it could be at Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area. I also looked into prices at green burial cemeteries around the country along with burial rates at the traditional cemetery in Maysville.

Contacts List

During my time working on this project for the CER I created several contacts that have helped me with the project or contacts looking to lease the land. The list included the contacts name, organizational affiliation/title, service offered to the Sleepy Hollow project, phone number, and email address. Due to the private nature of the contact information I will not include this document.

Building Code Requirement Table

I created a table that corresponds to the Proposed Cabin Sites Map (Appendix B, Map 7) that show the general requirements for each type of building. The table was requested to be a quick reference to determine what is generally required for a certain type of building to be constructed on property; rental cabin, restoration HQ cabin, farmhouse, etc. (Appendix G).

Possible Grant Opportunities

The owner of Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area will be looking for ways to fund many farming infrastructure elements, conservation efforts, and habitat restoration projects on property. I researched many different grant opportunities and included information about each grant program in this document (Appendix I).

First Round Proposals Revenue Projection

I used all land use proposals submitted by potential tenants to project revenue for the first five time periods outlined in the proposals. For example, Bradley Dotson broke his proposal down by months and Corona Industries, LLC broke their proposal down by years. The projection includes cash rent from tenants, such as the hunting leases, and estimated environmental services value for different sustainable services that will be done in lieu of a cash rent, such as beekeeping. This table was created so the future landowner can determine how much money they will make from leasing the property to determine if they need to pursue more tenants or alter lease rates in tenant contracts (Appendix K).

Potential Advertising Opportunities

The future landowner will want to find more sustainable land use tenants for Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area, so I compiled several options for advertising the property. I put the options into a document, described the advertising organization and the possible costs to advertising. These opportunities range from advertising with local newspapers, surrounding University of Kentucky and Ohio State University Extension Offices, and magazines features sustainable farming and consumption of organic foods (Appendix L).

Summary of Piedmont Environmental Council Farm Lease Case Studies

The Piedmont Environmental Council is an organization that works with local tenant farmers in Virginia on sustainable farming techniques. The organization published a document describing eight different case studies about how farm leases can be structured with the landowner. The case studies included varying situations of tenant farming, so the future owner of Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area can base farm leases on the property off the leases these Virginia farmers created (Appendix M).

Reflection on the Sustainable Land Use Plan

My internship position required me to create the sustainable land use plan that contained many different options for projects, conservation efforts and potential tenant ideas for Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area, but not recommend a plan of which options to implement. The sustainable land use plan was labeled ‘Conservation Plan’ by the director of the Center for Environment Restoration so it will have a greater chance of being approved by the US Army Corp of Engineers. The director of the CER also outlined the plan to be in bullet point form. This is so he can walk the US Army Corps of Engineers representative through the plan, like a presentation, instead of the plan being a stand-alone document (Appendix A). The stream restoration is scheduled to begin summer 2015 and will take two years, plus an additional five years of monitoring. The sustainable land use plan will begin to be implemented in the summer or fall of 2015.

Since it was not my job to recommend which options in the sustainable land use plan to implement, I will review what I think the best plan going forward is for Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area. The first step would be to write up and sign contracts with three people/organizations who submitted proposals: Joseph Colbenze, Bradley Dotson, and Corona Industries, LLC. I would take Mr. Colbenze’s proposal for hay removal because it offers a flat rate instead of paying per bale of hay. This will ensure a constant income from hay removal every year to the landowner instead of waiting to learn how many bales Mr. Bolar harvests from the property. Also, the bees from Mr. Dotson’s plan will provide pollination services to the Corona Industries farm and any native flowers planted in the field areas. Taking payments from these tenants, other than Mr. Dotson, will help start an account for conservation projects. This should be done as soon as possible, even if the Sleepy Hollow Conservancy has not yet been created. The Campbell Conservancy can take on short term contracts with these tenants until the Sleepy Hollow Conservancy is created.

Once the Sleepy Hollow Conservancy takes ownership of the property, they should begin the application for the EQIP grant through the United State Department of Agriculture. This, along with executing leases with the above tenants, will help to provide enough money for many different conservation projects on the property. I suggest to implement the projects suggested by the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Conservation Plan and the Kentucky Division of Forestry Forest Stewardship Plan. Eventually the restoration of ridgetop fields from fescue to native grasses and plants will make hay production on the property unnecessary, taking that source of income away.

Finally, I suggest having Corona Industries, LLC help create and manage hiking trails on a portion of Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area as part of their lease agreement. Originally, the director of the CER wanted a land preservation organization to manage future hiking trails on the property. After reading through the Piedmont Environmental Council case studies (Appendix M) I found that a nature preserve is successful in having their farming tenants manage hiking trails on the property. This would be a simple way to have hiking trails created and managed so the public can start using Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area. Once the public is involved with the site, even if it’s just hiking on a section of it, more awareness and support will be created for Sleepy Hollow Conservancy and the land itself. This could lead to more money for Sleepy Hollow Conservancy, through donations, and greater public appreciation of the land.

Once these steps are taken I recommend to begin as many conservation projects as possible to start restoring the land at once instead of in fragments. This was suggested to me by the private lands biologist who wrote the Conservation Plan. Any further steps should be implemented based on how successful the first steps were and how much money Sleepy Hollow Conservancy is earning to start new projects.

Conclusion

The work and experience I have gained at Northern Kentucky University Center for Environmental Restoration (CER) has been both positive and negative. It has immersed me in a sector of the environmental field I had never experienced; teaching me new environmental and professional lessons, some expected and some unexpected. The most important lessons this internship has taught me are how to work with multiple stakeholders for one project, complying with local regulations, and cooperating with an unpleasant boss.

During this internship I learned to make and sustain contact with multiple project stakeholders, which was critical in my time with the CER. I started with a handful of suggested contacts and from discussions with those people I obtained more contacts, which put me in contact with several people or groups simultaneously. The Institute for the Environment and Sustainability (IES) at Miami University has taught me how to professionally work with various stakeholders through the first year professional service project and how to organize different types of information from different stakeholders. Since I was meeting with various stakeholders during this internship, ranging from environmental resources professionals to local farmers, I needed to ensure all incoming information was properly managed. This allowed me to organize all information so it could be presented to the Director of the CER at completion of my internship.

The second lesson this internship taught me is to always check with local regulations before beginning any project, like this sustainable land use plan. The CER was looking at the possibility of bringing rental cabins and year round residences to the property but had not researched the local zoning and building regulations. My decision to meet with the local planning and zoning official and building inspector revealed various regulations the CER will

50 have to comply with for building living structures on the property. The CER could have moved forward on these plans without investigating the local regulations, but I ensured they remain in compliance. Between my background in environmental policy, from my undergraduate degree, and the critical thinking skills taught in IES, I was able to instinctively research the local regulations to ensure the project will remain in compliance.

On a professional level, this job taught me how to work under occasional difficult circumstances. This consisted of working under conditions of micromanagement rather than having as much freedom as led to expect. However, I was able to take the directors vision of the project and convert it to a final product that met the overall needs.

Fortunately, IES taught me how to work well with a team through several group projects. I was able to use the group management skills I learned in IES to work with the director to effectively complete this sustainable land use plan. The IES professional service project prepared me for this internship along with the Advanced GIS and Environmental Protocols classes that are built into the IES curriculum. The Advanced GIS class introduced me to all the GIS tasks I was given and Environmental Protocols helped when I was designing my soil sampling method.

After this internship I don’t imagine working for a similar organization. It was too project based with high levels of personnel management, which is not an atmosphere I thrive in. I also worked indoors 95% of the time in this internship, which isn’t my ideal work setting. I want to go back into environmental and outdoor education, which is what I was doing in the environmental field before this internship. One a positive note, I will be able to bring the lessons I learned from this internship to improve my performance at any future jobs I hold in the environmental field.

Appendixes

All Appendixes were created for my internship with the Northern Kentucky University Center for Environmental Restoration. All items were reviewed and approved by the Director of the Center for Environmental Restoration for use by themselves and the future landowner of Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area.

Appendix A – Final Report submitted to the Center for Environmental Restoration

Note: Black text denotes my contribution to the sustainable land use plan. Blue text denotes what the director of the CER was still working on after my internship ended. Red text denotes pieces of the plan that could not be completely written until after my internship ended.

Appendix B – Created GIS Maps

Appendix C – Soil Type Characteristics Table

Appendix D – Composting Toilets Information

Appendix E – Hunting Seasons Guide

Appendix F – Hunting Risks/Revenue

Appendix G – Building Code Requirements

Appendix H – Historic Forests

Appendix I – Possible Grant Opportunities

Appendix J – Summary of Soil Sampling Results

Appendix K – First Round Proposals Revenue Projection

Appendix L – Potential Advertising Opportunities

Appendix M – Summary of Piedmont Environmental Council Farm Lease Case Studies

Bibliography

An Illustrated Atlas of Mason County, Kentucky. Philadelphia, Pub: Lake, Griffing and Stevenson, 1876. Braun, Lucy. Deciduous Forests of Eastern North America. New York: Hafner Pub, 1964. Campbell Conservancy. “Our Mission.” Accessed February 12, 2015. http://campbellconservancy.org/. Clean Water Act of 1972. 33 U.S.C § 1251 et seq. 2002. Accessed March 15, 2015 from http://epw.senate.gov/water.pdf. Comer, Martha Purdon. Nearly a Hundred and Fifty Years in the Making. As We Look Back, Maysville 1833-1933. Compensatory Mitigation for Losses of Aquatic Resources; Final Rule. 33 Federal Register 325 and 332 & 40 Federal Register 230. April 10, 2008. pp. 19670 – 19688. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. “Lord Dunmore’s War.” Accessed March 6, 2015. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/348011/Lord-Dunmores-War. FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. “Land Resources: Land Use.” Accessed February 24, 2015. http://www.fao.org/nr/land/use/en/. Farm Flavor. “Kentucky’s Wine Industry Grows As New Commercial Vineyards Open” Accessed February 23, 2015. http://farmflavor.com/us-ag/kentucky/local-food-beverages- kentucky/grape-expectations-for-kentuckys-wine-industry/. Giller, Paul S. “River restoration: seeking ecological standards. Editor’s Introduction.” British Ecological Society. Journal of Applied Ecology 42 (2005): 201-207. Gillilan, S. “Challenges in developing and implementing ecological standards for geomorphic river restoration projects: a practitioner’s response to Palmer et al. (2005).” British Ecological Society. Journal of Applied Ecology 42 (2005): 223-227. Halich, Greg and Karen Pulliam. “Kentucky ANR Agent Land Value and Cash Rent Survey.” University of Kentucky: Cooperative Extension Service, 2013. Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife. “Appendix 1.11. Description of Level III and Level IV Ecoregions of Kentucky.” Accessed March 1, 2015.http://fw.ky.gov/WAP/ documents/1.11%20Ecoregions%20of%20Kentucky.pdf.

Library of Congress. “The First American West: The Ohio River Valley, 1750-1820. Contested Lands.” Accessed March 6, 2015. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/award99/icuhtml /fawsp/sp1.html. Northern Kentucky University. “Center for Environmental Restoration.” 2014. Accessed November 5, 2014. http://environmentalrestoration.nku.edu/. Northern Kentucky University. “Northern Kentucky Stream and Wetland Restoration Program.” 2014. Accessed November 5, 2014. http://environmentalrestoration.nku.edu/program.html. Ohio History Connection: Ohio History Central. “Adena Culture.” Accessed March 6, 2015. http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Adena_Culture?rec=1287. Palmer, M.A. et al. “Standards for ecologically successful river restoration. British Ecological Society.” Journal of Applied Ecology (2005): 208-217. The Nature Conservancy. “Conservation Buyer Program: Gonzales Farm.” Accessed April 4, 2015. http://www.nature.org/about-us/private-lands-conservation/conservation- buyer/properties/gonzalez-farm.xml. The Nature Conservancy. “Sunny Valley Preserve.” Accessed April 4, 2015. http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/connecticut/places weprotect/sunny-valley-preserve.xml. The Shawnee Tribe. “Shawnee History.” Accessed March 6, 2015. http://www.shawnee- tribe.com/History.html. WCED – World Commission on Environment and Development. Our common future: Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development. Oxford University, 1987. Wise, Ginny Bae. The Settlement of Kenton Station. Bit of Mason County Heritage; Daughters of the American Revolution, Limestone Chapter.

Appendix A

Final Report submitted to the Center for Environmental Restoration

Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area Mason County, Kentucky

Conservation Plan

1. Project Background and Purpose a. General Property Information 1. Size 1. Total acreage: 1,378 ac 2. Ridgetop field acreage: 358 +/- ac 3. Hillside forest acreage: 1,020 +/- ac 2. Location and vicinity 1. USGS Topographic Map (Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area Site Map, Appendix A) 2. 3D topographic map: beige field versus green forested valley (3D Map, Appendix A) 3. Google 3D flyover: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTIJmRNIUdI 3. Currently no buildings or paved roads 4. The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife describes this area to be encompassed in the Outer Bluegrass region of the Level 4 Ecoregion in Kentucky. It is described as: 1. “The rolling to hilly Outer Bluegrass (71d) contains sinkholes, springs, entrenched rivers, and intermittent and perennial streams. Local relief is variable but is usually less than in the geomorphically distinct Knobs– Norman Upland (71c). Discontinuous glacial outwash and leached, pre- Wisconsinan till deposits occur in the north from Louisville to Covington. Glacial deposits do not occur elsewhere in Kentucky. The Outer Bluegrass is mostly underlain by Upper Ordovician limestone and shale. Natural soil fertility is higher than in the shale-dominated Hills of the Bluegrass (71k). Today, pastureland and cropland are widespread and dissected areas are wooded. At the time of settlement, open savanna woodlands were found on most uplands. On less fertile, more acidic soils derived from Silurian dolomite, white oak stands occurred and had barren openings. Cane grew along streams and was especially common in the east. Distinct vegetation grew in areas underlain by glacial drift (see summary table). Upland streams have moderate to high gradients and cobble, boulder, or bedrock substrates. Mean stream density is greater than in Ecoregion 71l but less than in Ecoregion 71k. Mean summer stream temperatures are much warmer than in Ecoregions 71b, 71c, and 71e. Concentrations of suspended sediment and nutrients can be high.” b. Definition of Conservation: Planned and careful management of natural resources to prevent exploitation, degradation, or neglect, and to promote sustainable land use c. Scope of Conservation Plan 1. Restoration and preservation of habitat zones (Ravines and Valleys) 1. Site Protection against ATV trespass and trail erosion 2. Stream and riparian buffer restoration (NKU Stream Restoration Program) a. Funded, designed, and implemented by NKU Stream Program 3. Hillside forest enhancement 2. Sustainable land use of production zones (Ridgetops) 1. Primary production on ridgetop fields 2. Limited production within hillside forests d. Objectives of Sustainable Land Use 1. Sustainability: the use of resources in a way that society meets its present needs without compromising the needs of future generations. 2. Triple Bottom Line Objectives 1. Environmental Benefits a. Protection of habitat zones b. Restoration of land, soil, hydrology, habitat, etc. 2. Community Benefits a. Local food and fiber b. Demonstration/education c. Passive recreation 3. Financial Benefits a. Tenant livelihood b. Local employment and spending c. Conservancy income for conservation projects 3. Constraints: Low threshold for environmental risks, legal liability, management burden, personal conflicts, etc. e. Project Partners 1. Sleepy Hollow Conservancy (SHC) 1. TO BE ESTABLISHED 2015 2. Conservancy: A body concerned with the preservation of nature, specific species, or natural resource. 3. Mission Statement a. Hold title to land permanently and enforce deed restrictions/conservation easement b. Implement Conservation Plan (this Plan) as revised and updated 2. NKU Center for Environmental Restoration 1. Develop Conservation Plan (this Plan) as Regional Stewardship / Community Service Project a. David Houser; Miami IES intern, Sustainable Land Use Consultant b. Scott Fennell, PE; Project Principal 2. Provide funding for first year insurance and Conservation Manager: $10,000 +/- 3. Campbell Conservancy, Inc. 1. Mission Statement: The purpose of the Campbell Conservancy, founded in 2001 as a non-profit corporation, is to conserve green space and preserve land that has unique or significant natural, historical or scenic value in order to enhance quality of life for future generations. The Conservancy may preserve land intact as natural space or develop it for use, in whole or part, for residents of the county. The Conservancy also seeks to educate residents about the value of preserving land and works with other organizations with similar goals to ensure complimentary efforts and mutual assistance. 2. Partnership w NKSWRP (MOA) as intermediate deed holder until directed by NKU Stream Program to transfer to another party 3. Proposed 50/50 revenue sharing from hunting leases (2015-2020) to support Campbell County conservation programs 4. Northern Kentucky Stream and Wetland Restoration Program (NKSWRP, NKU Stream Program) 1. Mission Statement: In partnership with the NKU Research Foundation and under contract with the US Army Corps of Engineers, the CER operates the Northern Kentucky Stream and Wetland Restoration Program (NKSWRP). The NKSWRP provides a price-competitive, in-lieu fee compensatory mitigation service to public and private entities that have impacted aquatic ecosystems. The CER employs fees paid by these entities to implement stream and wetland restoration and preservation projects within a nine- county service area in northern Kentucky. As required by federal regulations, these mitigation projects replace aquatic ecosystem functions and services lost to development ("no net loss"), such as stream, wetland, and riparian habitat; water quality protection; pollutant removal; floodwater and energy dissipation; and natural area aesthetics and recreation opportunities. Furthermore, the NKSWRP seeks to advance the practice of restoration with improved project outcomes at reduced mitigation costs, and by promoting practical methods that can be readily adopted by other practitioners. All NKSWRP restoration projects are permanently protected by conservation easement for the benefit of current and future generations. 2. Sleepy Hollow stream and riparian buffer restoration and preservation (NKSWRP Sleepy Hollow Stream Mitigation and Concept Mitigation Plans (multiple documents), Appendix F) a. Compensatory Mitigation for streams lost to development in N KY b. Watershed and hydrology restoration and preservation project c. Restoration 2 years + Monitoring 5 years = 7 years to close-out 3. Sleepy Hollow Draft Deed Restrictions (Draft Conservation Deed Restriction, Appendix F) a. Entire property; In perpetuity b. Prohibitions: Recreational ATVs, horses; erosion; land disturbance within 100’ of streams c. Pre-approval of land use plans by NKSWRP 4. Site Protection Endowment a. $450,000 non-wasting account held by NKSWRP b. Interest earmarked for site protection only, in perpetuity i. Trespass control; monitoring of land use in accordance w deed restriction/conservation easement

2. Baseline Information a. Historic Landuse Timeline (approx. dates) 1. Native American History 1. 1000-200 BC: Land inhabited by the Adena Indians 2. 1500-1700: Reports of Shawnee Indian settlements in the Ohio River Valley from French and British traders. 3. 1600s: The Iroquois Confederacy claimed hunting rights to the region, but never settled the region. 4. 1774: The Treaty of Camp Charlotte – Shawnee Tribe agrees to not inhabit or hunt south of the Ohio River. 5. 1774-1830s: Continual European settler confrontations with Native Americans until the Indian Removal Act was enforced. 2. Early Settlement 1. 1771: Simeon Kenton made his first stop at the mouth of Limestone Creek, currently Maysville, KY. 2. 1773: Simon Kenton established himself 3 miles from what is now Maysville at Kenton Station. From there he established a settlement and crops and began to persuade emigrants to settle the area known as Limestone. 3. 1787: Enough people settled the area and Maysville was incorporated, named after John May who owned the town along with Simeon Kenton. The name Limestone persisted into the 19th century. 4. 1787: Six trustees, including Daniel Boone, were appointed to section off the land into half acre plots and sell them at public auction. 3. Early Homesteads 1. An Illustrated Atlas of Mason County, Kentucky, 1876: Roughly 14 homesteads on what is now Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area (1876 Atlas with Sleepy Hollow Boundary Overlay, Appendix A). a. J.W. Powers - farmer i. 3 homesteads b. H. Williams - farmer c. Jane Clarkson – farmer d. T. Williams – farmer i. 2 homesteads e. Jas. Welch – farmer f. T. Calvert – farmer g. R. Dawson – farmer h. C. Deitrich – farmer i. Mrs Lloyd – farmer j. J. Hickey –farmer 2. UK & Cultural Resource Analysts Inc. Cultural Resources Reports a. Phase 1, Pt. 1 b. Phase 1, Pt. 2 c. Phase 2 4. Agriculture: Tobacco, Cattle, Hay, Timber 1. 1920s and 1930s: Ford family buys individual farms that made up what is now Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area. Cattle was kept on the property and tobacco was grown by tenant farmers. 2. Early 1980s: Tobacco growing ended on the property. 3. 1999: Cattle farming ended on the property. 5. Recreational ATV Use 1. 1999-October 2013: Big Rock ATV Park a. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rzeh5dgoVNc 2. 2012: Tough Mudder Running Race 6. 2007 Wyldwood Resort Community Plan (Wyldwood Development Plan with Sleepy Hollow Boundary Overlay, Appendix A; Wyldwood Resort Communities Presentation, Appendix F) 7. 2014 Purchase by NKU Stream Program 1. 2014: conservation easement filed on Phase 2 tract; site protection initiated 2. 2015: deed restriction or conservation easement to be filed on Phase 1 & 2 3. 2015: initiate stream and watershed restoration pending Corps approvals b. Hillside Forests (Ravines and Valleys) 1. Historic 1. Lucy Braun presented the Maysville area as being on the border between the Bluegrass Section of the Western Mesophytic Forest Region and the Cumberland and Allegheny Plateaus – Knobbs Border Region – of the Mixed Mesophytic Forest Region. Examples of each forest can be found in Historical Forests, Appendix B. 2. Mason County Soil Survey (Mason County Soil Survey, Appendix F) 2. Current 1. KDF Forest Stewardship Plan a. Map existing forest types: composition, size/age, quality b. Map of bush honeysuckle invasion of fallow fields and logged forests c. Ridgetop Fields 1. Soil Map Units 1. Map and 3D section (Ridgetop Soils and Field Map, Appendix A) 2. Soil survey recommendations and limitations (Ridgetop Soils Summary Table, Appendix B) 2. Current conditions 1. Acreage: 358 acres +/- 2. The ridgetops are predominately fescue with some clover and milkweed mixed in. 3. Soil testing by Unit/Complex w UK Extension (Summary Soil Sampling Results, Appendix B; UK Soil Sampling Results, Appendix F) 4. 100’ stream buffer within field boundaries (Stream Restoration Buffer Map, Appendix A) 5. Ag potential / site recommendations a. NRCS + UK Extension + Conservation District i. Hay b. Mark Leopold (based on soil sampling results) i. Overall opinions 1. Not low on lime a. Unusual but a big plus 2. Organic matter is low 3. Phosphorus level is very high a. Could be a problem with additions of fertilizers or manure. 4. Low pH levels could easily be brought up with lime. ii. Land is suitable for: 1. Orchard crops 2. Vegetable crops 3. Grape vines 4. Forages – Hay and Pastureland a. Grasses and legumes for hay or livestock pasturing. 5. Alfalfa a. Faces problems from alfalfa weevil i. Generally managed with use of chemicals (not sustainable) iii. Trees for nut production 1. Pecans, walnuts, hickories 2. Could face drought problems due to lack of organic matter, pH, and low water holding capacity. a. Planting on the best soils on the north and east slopes could help maximize moisture holding capacity for the soil with tree crops. d. Water Resources 1. Ponds and springs (Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area Site Map, Appendix A) 2. Streams 1. Map of flow regime and current quality (Flow Regime, Appendix A) 2. Map of mitigation plans (Mitigation Plan Map, Appendix A) 3. Total stream lengths: a. Perennial: 5,339 ft. b. Intermittent: 19,633 ft. c. Ephemeral: 91,393 ft. 3. Cisterns: none known 4. Groundwater wells: none recorded local or state 1. AA Water Service – Garrison, KY e. Other Site Features 1. Access locations, access roads, and trails 1. Vehicle access a. Access easement from Taylor Mill Road b. Stonelick Road entrance c. Ridgetop gravel roads 2. ATV access a. ATV trails: Total Length – See Site Map i. Phase 1: 185,352 ft. ii. Phase 2: 81,137 ft. b. ATV access from off-property: 7 sites 3. Boundary inspection trails 2. Utilities 1. Gas transmission line 2. Electric transmission lines 3. Site electric service: at shed adjacent to Duke’s campground 4. Public water: none; could tap at Stonelick Road for $500 5. Sewage treatment: no current public sewage; no septic systems 3. Headquarters lot 1. Gravel lot 100’ x 100’ 2. Composting toilet: $1700 +/- (Composting Toilet Information, Appendix B) 3. 8’ x 40’ storage container 4. 14’ x 28’ office cabin 5. Fuel tank 6. Electric service: At 6,892 feet from the HQ lot (estimated on Google Earth Pro) to Stonelick Rd, it would cost an estimated $20,676 to bring electric lines to the HQ lot. This estimate is based off $3/foot on flat ground. Increased prices based on terrain. 7. Potable water: Rain barrels; tap at Stonelick and water tank trailer f. Conservation Area Boundary Zones and Adjoining Properties (Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area Site Map, Appendix A) 1. North: Wooded, extreme slope—plus 45-acre buffer land retained by prior landowner—separates Conservation Area from City of Maysville 2. East: Kennedy Creek and steep wooded valley. Scattered farms on opposite ridge. County property at end of Sleepy Hollow: large tire dump; shooting range (lead); multiple dumps in riparian zone; however restricts public access 3. South: Recreational properties (Zipline business; campground/events business) retained by prior landowner. 4. West: Wooded, steep slope to a railroad line which forms most of the boundary. 3. Restoration and Preservation of Habitat Zones (Ravines and Valleys) a. Site Protection b. Stream Restoration 1. NKU Stream Program mitigation project 1. Rehabilitation of impaired stream reaches a. Extended detention of stormwater on KC-13 for channel recovery and improved access road alignment 2. Closure of ATV trails from off-property to prevent trespass damage 3. Restoration of natural land contours (esp. trails) to restore natural hydrology and mitigate erosion and stream sedimentation a. Prioritize Sleepy Hollow valley and other sediment-impaired streams b. Recommended seed mixtures for steep/shaded and rolling/open areas (Seeding Mixes, Appendix B) 2. Anticipated improvements from Restoration Agriculture practices 1. Increased stormwater infiltration into ridgetop soils 2. Extended stream baseflows 3. Potential beaver re-introduction 1. Potential benefits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsK0vJNtgXo\ a. Note: this video is from Yellowstone National Park but it’s overall message is applicable for Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area. 2. Potential drawbacks: migration off property; flooding; tree loss; property damage 4. Herpetofauna survey and potential re-introduction 1. The unique herpetofauna habitat found the Appalachian Region does not extend into Mason County. c. Hillside Forest Enhancement 1. KDF Forest Stewardship Plan 1. Goals: a. Primary: stream and riparian forest protection i. Deed restriction: no land disturbance within 100’ of streams ii. Environmentally sensitive due to steep topography iii. Highly selective future timber removal may be permitted b. Secondary: limited food, fiber, and fuel production i. Hunting ii. Forest foods: nuts, maple syrup, mushrooms, etc. iii. Invasive species and junk trees for fuel iv. Goat/sheep forage to control invasive species 1. Concern for damage to native shrubs and saplings 2. Temporary control, not eradication 2. Measures: a. Honeysuckle eradication within selected watersheds b. Planting of selected species for food or timber production? d. Ridgetop Fields (including scrub/old fields) 1. Tree planting on selected ridges (narrow, distant, and/or honeysuckle-overgrown) 1. KDF Forest Stewardship Plan a. Agro-forestry species recommendations? 2. USFWS federally-endangered bat habitat mitigation a. Managed and implemented by landowner b. No minimum acreage, but must be in forested areas. c. Minimum contract length of 10 year. 15 year minimum if Fish and Wildlife fund tree plantings. d. Agro-forestry cannot go on within the habitat restoration area. i. It can occur on separate parts of the property, but there must be defined line where the agro-forestry will occur and where bat habitat mitigation will occur. e. Includes invasive plant species clearing, BrandonBark bat structures, tree planting, and more depending on the site. f. The Partners of Fish and Wildlife Program attempts to obtain a 50% cost share per project, not per practice. i. Honeysuckle removal is a project while mowing is a practice. g. The work is completed by the landowner and US Fish and Wildlife create a reimbursement account to compensate the landowner. i. Reimbursement at project completion or reimbursement on a 30 day cycle. h. Contact Brent Harrell (US Fish and Wildlife) when applying for EQIP grant so all projects can occur at once. i. That way Partners of Fish and Wildlife Program funds can be coordinated with EQIP funding. 3. In 2012, in the United States voluntary carbon market, 1 carbon credit (1 ton of carbon offset) was worth $7.40. a. I couldn’t get exact numbers, but it’s reported the market is continuing to decline. b. Can register with an Aggregator from the Chicago Carbon Exchange (CCX) to sell credits from Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area. i. Forestry project must get certified by CCX ii. Calibrate, measure and record carbon data in accordance to CCX standards. iii. Aggregate all data for independent verifier iv. Pass verification tests v. Register to sell credits 1. Portions of all sales go to aggregator and to natural disaster insurance on the land. The rest come back to landowner. 2. NRCS Conservation Management Plan: to be developed for future tenant agriculture plans 3. Anticipated improvements from Restoration Agriculture practices 1. Soil regeneration including soil biota 2. Creation of vernal and permanent pools 3. Diverse, multi-story plant community (versus monoculture or invasives)

4. Sustainable Land Uses Under Active Consideration a. General Considerations 1. Forested hillsides (ravines and valleys) = common area 1. Except hunting rights, other separately leased rights 2. Ridgetop fields = Primary sustainable production land and other revenue uses 3. Tenant land lease payment options 1. Cash payments a. per acre, per animal, per registrant b. percentage of gross revenue c. REQUIRED cash contribution for Shared Use Assets (e.g., gravel roads), Owner insurance, etc. 2. In-kind Services during establishment period a. Forest Stewardship Plan implementation 3. REQUIRED tenant cash contribution for Shared Use Assets (e.g., gravel roads) 4. Indemnity, Insurance, and Management Factors 1. Low threshold (no incentive) for environmental risks, legal liability, management burden, personal conflicts, etc 2. Develop lease template 3. Owner Insurance? 5. All activities consistent with deed restrictions and/or conservation easement 6. Permanent Housing and Occasional Lodging 1. Current Zoning (A1 - Agriculture) allows one permanent residence that must meet all building code requirements. a. “Amish” code: electricity requirement flexible; requires water and sanitation. Must work with and gain approval from Mason County Building Inspector, Gary Wells. 2. Additional permanent or temporary lodging will require Planned Unit Development Overlay District 3. See Planning and Zoning Requirements by Type (Building Requirements, Appendix B) 7. Description of Six Tracts 1. Major factors: Central ridges; stream course boundaries; vehicle access; proximity to zipline business (vandalism); trespass monitoring 2. By Tract: total acres; field acres; ponds (Tract Details, Appendix B) b. Hunting 1. Hunting is ecologically beneficial in several ways, especially when it comes to deer hunting. Most natural predators of white tailed deer in this region of Kentucky have been eradicated and so hunting is a way to keep the deer population in check. This helps to keep disease amongst a species to a minimum, which strengthens the population overall. Keeping the deer population at sustainable levels also prevents native flora from being grazed on to the point of eradication, which helps to keep invasive plant species from taking over. 2. Concerns/Constraints/Incompatibilities 1. Compare hunting seasons/weapons vs relative risks and income (Hunting Seasons Guide; Hunting Risks and Revenues, Appendix B) 2. Limitations on alternative uses 3. No firearms currently allowed (consider slugs from stands in future) 3. Revenue Potential 1. In 2013 the average hunt lease rental amount was $14/acre. a. Prior to hunting outfitter commission 2. Additional value to hunting land (Hunting Risks and Revenues, Appendix B) a. Little to no additional value in stocking quail – high mortality rate. Very few hens reproduce and most young will become prey before they’re large enough to be a hunting prize. 4. Pre-proposal: See Appendix E 1. Joseph Colbenze c. Recreation: Challenge trail running events 1. Duke Ford currently has no interest in submitting a proposal. a. Will possibly submit one in the future. d. Long-term Cabin Site leases 1. Description 1. Scattered one-acre sites with views at edges of fields; forest common area (except hunting and other leased rights); leasee (user) provides and maintains utilities and access road; (Potential Cabin Site Map, Appendix A) 2. Concerns/Constraints/Incompatibilities 1. Planning/Zoning considerations a. Planning & Zoning: Not concerned with building code requirements for recreational cabins; b. shared sanitation facility (like campground) would be appropriate; c. Any sanitation installed on site must satisfy Health Department requirements. Consult Department before installing any sanitation on property. 2. Restrictive covenants a. Solid-log cabin? Specify pre-approved vendor? 3. Shared Use contribution to SHC: cost share TBD 3. Revenue Potential 1. Proposal under development w Robinson Sotherbys 2. Example: KY RV Park site price w elec/water/sewage disposal = $1680/yr 3. 15 sites x $800/site/yr = $12,000/yr 4. UP TO THREE (?) SITES MAY BE RENTAL CABINS WITH REVENUE SHARING (50%?) ABOVE NORMAL LEASE PAYMENT 4. Pre-proposal: See Appendix G e. Sustainable Agriculture 1. Description of Sustainable Agriculture 1. Also Known As: a. Permaculture (Permanent Agriculture) b. Regenerative Agriculture (Ben Falks) c. Positive Impact Agriculture (Banks Baker) d. Restoration Agriculture (Mark Shepard) 2. Mark Shepard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYeHyY9i4pU 3. Characteristic Practices a. No bare soil; no mechanical tilling; no chemical fertilizers; etc. b. Rain water and sediment retention: Terraces, swales, keylining, basins, etc. for soil infiltration c. Multi-layered/polyculture plants for nutrient fixing, food, and forage d. Winter cover crops e. Over yielding polycultures i. Planting multiple crops in one area where you’d normally just plant a monoculture. f. Intensive/rotational/symbiotic livestock grazing to build soil g. STUN Agriculture – Sheer Total Utter Neglect (Mark Shepard) i. Allow natural processes to take over, allowing for plants to adapt to their micro-environment. This allows natural predators to control pests. h. Agro-forestry i. Bee keeping: 100 yard buffer for safety and to keep other activities away from hive entrance. j. Community Supported Agriculture 2. Concerns/Constraints/Incompatibilities 1. Benefit: Permanent presence or residents discourages trespassers 2. Shared Use contribution to SHC: cost share TBD 3. Long-term lease required to attain profitability 4. Boundary fence costs can be forced upon neighboring property owners if their property is along the fence line. If property owner refuses to pay, a lien can be attached to their property – this is a very controversial law in Kentucky. a. Maintenance starts at the center of the fence and to the right for each property owner. 5. Minimum riparian buffers per Mitigation Plan (Stream Restoration Buffer Map, Appendix A) a. 25’ on ephemeral streams b. 50’ on intermittent/perennial streams c. 100’ no land disturbance in deed restriction 6. Planning and Zoning considerations a. Planning & Zoning: Current Agricultural Zoning (A1) allows one permanent residence; needs to meet building codes (tie downs, sanitary, water); allows manufactured homes; can be flexible on electricity requirement due to Amish presence in the county (must be approved by the Building Inspector, Gary Wells). 3. Revenue Potential 1. Rate of Return Model a. $1700/acre x 5%/yr = $85/acre/year NET b. Apply to fields only (?) 2. Northeast KY region average renting rates (UK Cooperative and Extension Services): a. Cropland: $110/acre/year b. Hay: $50/acre/year c. Pasture: $30/acre/year 3. Revenue Sharing Models a. Crops and livestock i. Greenacres: educational mission; subsidized by endowment; not profitable ii. Mark Shepard COOP farm (CROPP Cooperative): farmers own the farmland, buildings, and equipment. CROPP markets farmer products and provides farming support services to its members. 1. There is no fee to be a member of CROPP. iii. A Landowner’s Guide to Leasing Land for Farming – Land for Good (A Landowner’s Guide to Leasing Land for Farming, Appendix F) iv. Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet – Crop Share Leasing in Ohio: http://ohioline.osu.edu/fr-fact/0005.html 1. Note the section “Variations of the Basic Lease” v. TNC – Sunny Valley Preserve (Connecticut) 1. Yearly payments at researched fair market rates for their region b. Timber and fuel production i. KDF recommendations for ridgetop tree species ii. Projection of harvest time and revenue 4. Pre-proposal: See Appendix E f. Summary of Estimated Revenue from Round 1 Proposals (Revenue Projections for Round 1 Proposals) 5. Other Potential Sustainable Land Uses a. Recreation and Education 1. Public hiking/biking in partnership with County Parks Department: 1. NOT BEING PURSUED AT PRESENT TIME: a. Concern for vandalism of zipline business, negative property awareness, trail erosion, litter, trespass on other tenants; stream damage from unauthorized ATVs b. Mason County not able to take on responsibility for maintenance, security, etc.; already has a large nature preserve it struggles to manage. 2. Public hiking by Conservancy Members (like Cincinnati Nature Center) 3. Community Garden and Education 1. NO INTEREST TO UK EXTENSION AT PRESENT TIME 4. Boy Scouts of America 1. Blue Grass Area Council – Shawnee District a. Contacted but no response 5. Agro-Tourism 1. Others may obtain grant funding and implement programs in future b. Green Burial 1. Youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImLMosqNUf4 2. Map existing cemetery plus 25 acres +/- (Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area Site Map, Appendix A) 3. Concerns/Constraints/Incompatibilities 1. Local zoning regulations allow cemeteries on properties zoned for agriculture. 2. Burials will bring in processions of cars and people, potentially very large crowds. a. Many cars would pose a parking problem. b. The current cemetery is not near the main road. i. Families won’t want to walk that far to visit the grave. c. High impact on burial days from family members walking to the grave site. 3. Grave sites are owned, not leased, therefore the landowner will only get a one- time payment. a. You can’t dig up the deceased if the family doesn’t pay a lease. 4. Cemetery parking, roads, and trails would have to be established for it to be it to be an attractive option for families, especially if it’s at a higher cost than the local cemetery. 4. Revenue Potential 1. Depending on the cemetery, standard plots for green burial range from $1,000 - $2,000. Additional fees range for opening and closing the grave, native restoration on the disturbed site, instillation of grave makers, etc. 2. Cost of Maysville cemetery plots a. Plot: $600 b. Opening & Closing: $500 3. 2/yr x $1000/plot = $2000/yr 4. Marketing/profit-share partnership a. The local Maysville cemeteries are not currently interested. 5. All green cemeteries I could find were owned by the group doing the burials. Therefore, there is no example of cost sharing if the landowner leases out land to a cemetery for green burials. c. Goat grazing to remove invasive species 1. Wolf Tree Farms out of Turners Station, KY 1. Currently grazing goats at Goebel Park in Covington, KY to remove 15 acres worth of invasive species in 7 months. 2. This is being used as a pilot program to determine costs for future projects. a. They were paid $5,000 from the Center for Great Neighborhoods for this project. 3. Using Kiko-Spanish cross breed goats 4. Rotational grazing thru 1-2 acre paddocks 5. Are willing to bring their goats to Mason County to graze at Sleepy Hollow after their current project is finished. 6. Contact: Gus Wolf d. Ecovillage 1. Description 1. Youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iobyEjlV9AM 2. Defined area, e.g., 50 acres +/- exclusive use along the first ridge in Tract 2; common toilet/shower/utilities 3. Types a. Tiny House community b. Communal i. Robert ii. Dancing Rabbit: http://www.dancingrabbit.org/ 1. Residents lease out houses and small farming plots as members of the community. 2. Permanent buildings a. Houses b. Barns c. Community Buildings 3. Members work to bring products to the Dancing Rabbit community and farmers markets. 4. No membership fee but the community must judge if a person is worthy and of the right mind to be a member. If membership is offered a person can lease property, farmland, and gain community benefits. a. If they are judged to not be worthy of membership the person must leave after the 6 month trial period. c. Condominium with HOA? i. Land owned by SHC ii. Units built and owned by individuals iii. Shared assets maintained by HOA 2. Concerns/Constraints/Incompatibilities 1. Benefit: Permanent presence of residents discourages trespassers 2. Planning/Zoning considerations a. Permanent dwelling requirements - http://www.cityofmaysville.com/forms/ b. A community would either require a subdivision reclassification or the Planned Development Overlay. 3. Heavy use in one spot can cause erosion over time on the narrow ridge tops. 4. Groups looking to start an eco-village might want to own land instead of lease land. a. No constraints from landowner that will limit the eco-village scope or activities. 5. Even though it’s one lease, to the eco-village organization, the SHC would have to be concerned with all community members upholding deed restrictions. 6. Shared Use contribution to SHC: cost share TBD 7. Restrictive covenants 8. High potential for personal conflicts 3. Revenue Potential 1. Lease the land for an ecovillage at the Mason County average hay rate, $50/acre, since grasses cover the ridge tops. 20 acres x $50 = $1,000/yr 2. 15 units x $700/unit/yr = $10,500/yr

6. Plan of Action a. Campbell Conservancy To Execute Selected Short-term Leases 1. Hunting lease(s) (Appendix E) 1. Joseph Colbenze 2. Hay lease (Appendix E) 1. Joseph Colbenze 2. Amos Bolar b. Create Sleepy Hollow Conservancy in 2015 1. Board of Directors 1. Start-up board to be appointed by NKSWRP Director 2. Five voting members; possible advisory members 3. Desired experience among board members: a. Environmental restoration and protection b. Sustainable land use practice c. Entrepreneurship d. Contract law e. Community planning and/or zoning 4. Duties a. Establish and manage insurance policies, checking accounts, etc. b. Evaluate then execute selected contracts, leases, grant applications, etc. c. Receive and distribute funds d. Retain PT Conservation Manager 5. Incentive a. Member and guest use of property i. Hunting rights reserved on Tract 1 2. Conservation Manager: 1. Implement Site Protection Program with available funding a. Duke Ford access easement to be maintained by DF against erosion per conveyance deed for Tract 2 b. Duke Ford to prohibit ATV use to discourage trespassers per conservation easement; NKSWRP to provide written notification 2. Implement habitat restoration projects with future funding a. (Stream and riparian buffer restoration by NKU Stream Program) 3. Apply for and manage grants 4. Maintain Shared Use Assets a. Gravel access road maintenance: proportional maintenance per Tract 2 conveyance deed b. Other? 5. 50 wks/yr x 8 hrs/wk x $25/hr = $10,000 (initial; minimum target) 3. Funding 1. Site Protection Income a. Funding provided by NKU Stream Program i. $450,000@1%/yr = $4500/year ii. Interest income should increase in future b. Site protection activities and expenses only i. May contribute to insurance, access road maintenance, Conservation Manager 2. Lease Payments (Cash) a. Target total property net revenue: i. $1700/ac x 5%/yr = $85/acre/year ii. 350 acres fields x $85/ac/yr = $30,000 +/- 1. Net after insurance, road maintenance, etc. 3. Grants, donations, etc. c. Review/Revise Conservation Plan with Stakeholders and Specialists 1. (NKU CER Community Service funding) 2. (Miami IES Internship for CP Revision 1 plus Conservation Manager Year 1?) 3. NKU Associate Provost for Regional Stewardship 4. Banks Baker (Greenacres Farm) 5. Mason County UK Extension/NRCS d. Implement Conservation Plan 1. (See Conservation Manager duties) 2. Apply for Planned Unit Development Overlay District 1. Recommended local attorney Michael Clarke 606-564-5527 2. Recommended surveyor Buffalo Trace 3. Seek additional outside funding 1. Possible Grant Opportunities (Possible Grant Funding, Appendix B) 2. Crowd funding: Create an account, set a funding goal, and see if SHC can get funded. Funding is all or nothing, so SHC won’t get any money if the goal is not obtained. It is common for backers, the people pledging money, to get something in return if the funding goal is met. If the funding goal is met, the crowd funding site gets 5% of those funds. a. Kickstarter is often used by business and non-profits, while other crowd funding sites cater more to individuals – www.kickstarter.com 4. Advertise for additional tenants (Potential Advertising Opportunities, Appendix B) 1. Board to select which land use options to pursue e. Obtain proposals for site-wide permaculture/agro-forestry plan development by specialty consultants 1. (NKU CER Community Service funding) 2. Ben Falk 1. 50/50 split of $10,000 Plan fee w Corona Industries for Tract 1 only 3. Mark Shepard – Restoration Agriculture Development Systems Design 1. From contact with his company a site assessment would take 4 days. Their rates are: a. Halfday rate: $1,500.00 Fullday rate: $2,500.00 In Office Hourly rate: $200.00 Nonrefundable deposit: $500.00 Travel and lodging: $0.55/mile roundtrip by actual odometer reading. Lodging & meals billed at cost. 2. $10,000 for site assessment plus down payment, travel, lodging, meals and in office work. a. Estimation: $15,000 3. Prices for a plan range depending on how large the property is and how detailed the plan will be. No estimate can be given until site assessment is completed. f. Explore enhancement of lower Sleepy Hollow to Ohio River confluence? 1. (NKU Stream Program Administration funding for planning; Mitigation funds for restoration) 2. Determine property ownership of Sleepy Hollow stream to confluence: Mason County Property Value Administrator (Lower Sleepy Hollow Ownership to Ohio River, Appendix A). a. Mason County and City of Maysville ownership of most land surrounding Lower Sleepy Hollow going out to the Ohio River. i. Mason County – Property Boundary to Mason-Lewis Rd. ii. Danny Chouinard – Mason-Lewis Rd. to the city parcel iii. City of Maysville – Northern boundary of Chouinard’s property to Ohio River (4 different parcels). 3. Police Department Concerns 1. After the shooting range is removed the police will still have the right to use the shooting range area. 2. It is and will continue to be used as a staging area when setting up drug bust stings. a. Due to their private nature there couldn’t be any work going at the old shooting range. b. Can’t schedule anything due to the secret nature of the drug busts. 4. Highway Department Concerns 1. The easement area would cover their staging area for different sized materials. Ranging from steel beams to gravel. a. Too difficult to give an easement when they don’t know how much space they will need at various times over the next few years. 2. The head of the Highway Department does not wish to have non-highway department business going on at the garage property. 3. There is a possibility the Highway Department Garage will be relocated in 3- 4 years. a. Recommended to stay in contact with the Judge Executive over that time to re-evaluate easement possibility in the future. 5. Possible Stream and Riparian Buffer Enhancements 1. The Judge Executive plans on discussing the tire dump with the head of the Highway Department. 2. The Highway Department is not willing to give up any limestone blocks. They have projects coming up where they are needed. The Kentucky Highway Department is also allowed to use them when needed (which cannot be predicted). 6. DO NOT PURCHASE ADDITIONAL LANDS FOR SHC DUE TO POLLUTION LIABILITY AND PROTECTION CONCERNS

7. Appendices a. Maps 1. Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area Site Map 2. Ridgetop Soils and Fields Map 3. 1876 Atlas with Sleepy Hollow Boundary Overlay 4. Wyldwood Development Plan with Sleepy Hollow Boundary Overlay 5. Stream Restoration Buffer Map 6. Sleepy Hollow 3D Map 7. Stream Mitigation and Flow Map 8. Stream Assessments and Quality Map 9. Proposed Cabin Site Map 10. Aerial Map 11. Soil Sampling Map 12. Proposed Tracts Map 13. Lower Sleepy Hollow Ownership Map b. Summary Documents 1. Ridgetop Soils Summary Table 2. Summary of Soil Sample Results 3. Hunting Seasons Guides (seasons and weapons) 4. Hunting Restrictions and Revenue 5. Historic Forests 6. Composting Toilet Information 7. Seeding Mixes 8. Tract Details Information 9. Revenue Projections for Round 1 Proposals 10. Building Requirements 11. Potential Grant Opportunities 12. Potential Advertising Opportunities c. Conservation Plans 1. Forest Stewardship Plan 2. KDFWR Conservation Plan 3. USFWR Monarch Waystation Presentation d. Basecamp Leasing Documents 1. Basecamp Lease Agreement (word) 2. Basecamp Lease Agreement (pdf) 3. Basecamp Agreement Redline Version 4. Basecamp Tax Information e. Tenant Pre-Proposals 1. Corona Industries, LLC - Farming 2. Amost Bolar – Hay 3. Joseph Colbenze - Hunting 4. Joseph Colbenze - Hay 5. Bradley Dotson - Beekeeping f. Supporting Documents 1. NKSWRP Sleepy Hollow Stream Mitigation Plan 1. Phase 1 Mitigation Plan 2. Phase 1 Mitigation Plan Appendix Pt. 1 3. Phase 1 Mitigation Plan Appendix Pt. 2 4. Phase 2 Concept Mitigation Plan 2. Draft Conservation Deed Restriction 3. Project Contact/Consultations List 4. Mason County Soil Survey 5. A Landowner’s Guide to Leasing Land for Farming 6. Piedmont Environmental Council Farm Lease Case Studies 7. Summary of Piedmont Environmental Council Farm Lease Case Studies 8. UK Cultural Resources Report (Phase 1) 1. Part 1 & 2 9. Cultural Resource Analysts Inc. Cultural Resources Report (Phase 2) 10. UK Soil Sampling Results Report 11. Wyldwood Resort Communities Presentation (2007)

Appendix B

Created GIS Maps

Map 11: 3D Map

Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area 3D Map View from Northeast looking Southwest

Appendix C

Soil Type Characteristics Table

Trees to Trees Plant Common Trees Leeves Dikes, Embankments, affecting - features Terraces and Diversion Resevoir Pond Roadfill Erosion Hazard Wildlife Woodland Wildlife Openland Hardwood Trees Herbacious Plants Wild Field Tank Septic Absorption Basements Without Dwellings Paths and Trails Camp Areas Grain and Seed Grasses and Legumes Tons Hay/Acreof Root Zone Potential Shrink/Swell reaction Soil Organic Matter Content Natural Fertility Runoff Permiability Water Capacity Parameter 50: bedrock Unweathered 27-50: clay silty Clay, clay loam 6-27: silty clay, clay, Silty 0-6: loam Silt Lowell: 30: bedrock Unweathered clay loam 9-30: silty clay, clay, Silty 0-9: loam Silt USDA Texture: Faywood-Lowell loamsilt (FyC)Faywood: Common Trees: for woodland. productivity Moderate potential Cynthiana Common Trees: for woodlands. High potential cultivated. is hazardsoil if erosion Severe for land. pasture suited Best Lowell Common Trees: for woodland. productivity to High potential mow. for than pastures rocks hay difficult because it make suited Better woodland. quality and pastures low unimproved and in bedrock, of rock outcrop. are They generally shallowness slopes, cropssteep of because to cultivated are not suited soils These Information:Soil General Faywood History: The original timber in Mason County was walnut, butternut, sugar maple, ash, hickory, elm and bur oak. The early settlers cleared the lightly timbered lands and the caneland first, and it was some time later that the heavily-wooded areas of the Bluegrass-Basin of Masonof cleared. were County areas Bluegrass-Basin the of that later heavily-wooded the and time was it some first, and caneland lands the timbered lightly the cleared and bur settlers elm oak. The ash, early Masonhickory, sugar in butternut, maple, timber was County walnut, The original black locust, eastern redcedar, black walnut, hackberry, chinkapin oak hackberry, chinkapin black redcedar, walnut, eastern black locust, northern red oak, black walnut, white ash, American elm, black locust, bur black locust, oak elm, ash, American white red northern oak, black walnut, redcedar eastern black oak, locust, sugar maple, chinkapin oak, hickory, red northern oak, white redcedar oak, Black Hickory, Sugarred oak, cherry, White Northern Eastern maple, Restriction Severe Slope CnC2 Poor FyC Good CnC2 Good Good Restriction Severe FyC Restriction Severe Moderate Restriction CnC2 CnC2 3.8 deep Moderately Moderate acidic - strongly Neutral Moderate Medium Rapid - slow slow Moderately Moderate Faywood 30: bedrock Unweathered clay loam 9-30: silty clay, clay, Silty 0-9: loam Silt Faywood: 49: bedrock Unweathered 22-49: clay silty Clay, 10-22: clay loam silty clay, clay, Silty 0-10: loam Silt USDA Texture: Lowell-Faywood loamsilt (LwD) Lowell: White oak, Eastern white pine, White ash White pine, oak, Eastern White white -slight. -slight. -Moderate. -moderate. -moderate. -good. -fair. -fair. FyC FyC CyE2 FyC -fair. -fair. -fair. CnC2 -good. -good. - severe. - severe. FyC CyE2 LwD -moderate. -moderate. -Moderate. LwD -poor. -poor. -poor. -poor. CnC2 -good. -good. -slight. -slight. CyE2 LwD LwD CyE2 CyE2 -poor. -poor. -moderate. -moderate. -Severe. -Severe. LwD -fair. -fair. -moderate LwD CyE2 -Severe. -severe. red red oak. poplar. yellow LwD LoC:& Black Bur locust, oak elm, ash, American White red oak, Black Northern walnut, Moderate Restriction Slope Moderate Restriction Poor LoC Good LoC Good Good Restriction Severe LwD Restriction Severe Moderate Restriction LwD LwD 4.5 Deep Moderate subsoil lower in alkaline acidic/Mildly Slightly-strong Moderate Medium Rapid slow Moderately High Lowell 23-62: clay silty Clay, clay loam 8-23: silty clay, clay, Silty 0-8: loam Silt USDA Texture: loamsilt Lowell (LoC) Lowell -slight. -slight. -good. -Severe. -Severe. -poor. -fair. LoC FyC LoC LwD White ash, Eastern white pine, Northern red oak, Northern pine, ash, Eastern White white LoC -good. -good. -good. -fair. -fair. FyC: -moderate. -moderate. -Moderate. -Moderate. White ash, Eastern white pine, northern northern pine, ash, Eastern White white FyC FyC LwD -fair -good -fair. FyC FyC -slight. -Moderate : White ash, Virginia pine ash, Virginia White oak. Hackberry, Black redcedar, Chinkapin walnut, oak, Black locust. Chinkapin CnC2: Restriction Severe Slope Restriction Severe Poor CnC2 Poor Poor Poor Fair Restriction Severe Restriction Severe Restriction Severe Restriction Severe Poor Poor 0 n/a Moderate alkaline acidic - midly Slightly Moderate Medium Rapid slow Moderately low Very Cynthiana 26: bedrock Unweathered clay loam 3-26: silty clay, clay, Silty 0-3: clay loam Silty Faywood: 18: bedrock Unweathered 5-18:clay clay, silty flaggy clay, Flaggy 0-5: clay loam Silty Cynthiana: USDA Texture: Cynthiana-Faywood silty clay loam (CnC2) -slight. -slight. White ash, Eastern White Black redcedar, walnut, CyE2 -severe. CyE2: Black locust, Black Eastern locust, 26: bedrock Unweathered clay loam 3-26: silty clay, clay, Silty 0-3: clay loam Silty Faywood 18: bedrock Unweathered 5-18:clay clay, silty flaggy clay, Flaggy 0-5: clay loam Silty Cynthiana: USDA Texture: Cynthiana-Faywood complex (CyE2) :

Appendix D

Composting Toilets Information

Composting Toilets

Human waste is 90% water and so a composting toilet will evaporate that water through a vent while decomposing the human waste into a natural fertilizer. The proper balance between water, heat, oxygen and (sometimes) additions of organic material ensures an odor free operation and complete decomposition of the waste. When the waste is decomposed properly, it no longer contains any pathogens or viruses and can be used to fertilize plants or mixed in with the soil.

Self-containing units can be directly installed into bathrooms and come in electric and non-electric versions. Electric versions can be plugged into a standard three-pronged outlet. A self-contained unit is recommended for Sleepy Hollow Nature Conservancy use at the HQ and rental cabins.

Sun-Mar: https://www.sun-mar.com/index.html

Sun-Mar Excel NE: $1,645

 2-3 person residential use (4-5 person vacation use)  Non-electric Sun-Mar Excel: $1,846

 3-5 person residential use  Electric

Biolet: http://www.biolet.com/store/

Biolet 10: $1,899

 3 person residential use (4-5 person vacation use)  Electric

Envirolet: http://www.envirolet.com/

Envirolet Basic Plus: $1,803

 2 person residential use (4 person vacation use)  Non-electric

Recommendation: Sun-Mar Excel NE for $1,645. They seem to be a large, reliable company and this model is also the cheapest. Good for HQ or rental cabins. I don’t feel electric toilets are needed at Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area.

Appendix E

Hunting Seasons Guide

2015 dates are given if published by KY Fish and Wildlife. Other hunting seasons are listed as "Last Season" for reference purposes. Deer Hunting Weapon Type Dates Modern Rifle Nov. 14, 2015 - Nov. 29, 2015 Archery Sept. 5, 2015 - Jan. 18, 2016

Small Game Hunting Weapon Type Dates No specified weapons May 16, 2015 - June 19, 2015 Turkey Hunting Weapon Type Dates No specified weapons April 18, 2015 - May 10, 2015 Shotgun Oct. 25-31 & Dec. 6-12 (Last Season) Archery Sept. 6, 2104 - Jan. 19, 2015 (Last Season) Crossbow Oct. 1-19 & Nov. 8-Dec. 31 (Last season) Squirrel Hunting Weapon Type Dates No specified weapons Aug. 16-Nov. 7 & Nov. 10, 2014 - Feb 28, 2015 (Last Season)

Rabbit Hunting Weapon Type Dates No specified weapons Nov. 1-7 & Nov. 10, 2014 - Jan. 31, 2015 (Last Season) Quail Hunting Weapon Type Dates No specified weapons Nov. 1-7 & Nov. 10, 2014 - Jan. 31, 2015 (Last Season)

Appendix F

Hunting Risks/Revenue

Hunting - Potential Risks

Rifles

 Long range with downtown Maysville close to property boundary.  A bullet can travel a mile in just over 3 seconds.  Can shoot farther than a hunter can see.  Risk of bullet ricochet.  Hunters can be more careless with a rifle since they can make a kill from long distance.  Higher risk of hitting fellow hunter on the property when compared to shotguns or bows. Shotguns

 Wide shot poses risks to close by hunters.  Slugs can travel up to 200 yards, but effective range is around 75 yards.  If hunting on the edge of the property, slugs could come close to Maysville.  Multiple wounds if a hunter is hit by a slug.  Risk of slug ricochet. Bows

 Broadhead arrow tips are very sharp and can cause serious damage to other hunters.  Lost arrows can potentially harm others who stumble upon the arrow accidently.  Hunters in tree stands may fall and injure themselves.

Revenue Differences

Weapon type has less effect on hunting lease rates when compared to number of acres, wooded acres, deer population, distance to a town or major city, and ease of access on the site. In 2013 the average hunting lease rate in Kentucky was $14/acre. Sleepy Hollow Conservation area is very large, is roughly 75% wooded area, historically has a high deer population and is within 5 minutes of Maysville and an hour from Lexington.

Shotgun and rifle hunting leases allow the landowner lease the land out for more than bow hunting, but for a short amount of time. Generally, more hunters gun hunt and are willing to pay more, so the landowner can lease land out for more than average if gun hunting is permitted.

Estimations Based on Kentucky Leasing History

Bow hunting only: $15/acre

 I think Sleepy Hollow could be leased out for just over the $14 average, from 2013, because the high quality land and habitat makes up for not allowing gun hunting. Shotgun and bow hunting: $18/acre

 By adding shotgun hunting the land will appeal to more hunters. High quality land plus shotgun hunting is very desirable for hunters. Rifle, shotgun, and bow hunting: $22/acre

 The land will now appeal to all hunters. Using rifles in such rich deer habitat will almost guarantee a deer for every hunter on the property. The rate should also raised because injury risks rise dramatically when introducing rifles into hunting on the property. Higher risk to the property owner should come with higher reward.

Appendix G

Building Code Requirements

flexible for certain buildings. flexible can be requirements electiricty the if GaryInspector, *Workto see Building Wells, with Buildings Community Eco Village Cabins Rental HQ Cabins Farm House TypeBuilding

A1 Zoning Status x

Planned Unit Development Overlay

x x x

Building Requirements

Mason County Building Code Adherence

Requirements

x x

Electric Utilities* x x

Water Lines

x x

Septic System x x

Appendix H

Historic Forests

Nyssa sylvatica Nyssa rubra Morus grandifolia Fagus Quercus macrocarpa Quercus imbricaria dioicusGymnocladus Ulmus americana Ulmus fulva glabra Carya Acer saccharum nigra Juglans americana Fraxinus ovata Carya Quercus Muehlenbergii Quercus Shumardii Schneckii Quercus alba Species

Twelve Sample Community: Mile KY Creek, Campbell County, Bluegrass Section - Western Mesophytic Forest Mesophytic Region Forest - Western Section Bluegrass

Black Tupelo MulberryRed Beech American Bur Oak Oak Shingle Coffeetree Kentucky Elm American Elm Slippery Hickory Pignut Sugar Maple Eastern Black Walnut Ash White Shagbark Hickory Oak Chinkapin Shumard Oak Oak White Common Name

HistoricForests Percent

13.7 17.5 37.9 0.4 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.7 2.4 3.8 3.8 8.1 8.1 1 1

Liriodendron Aesculus or glabra octandra Tilia americana Acer saccharum Species

Border - Knobbs Area - Plateaus and Allegheny Cumberland Sample Community: Easter Run, Adams County, OH County, Easter Sample Community: Adams Run,

Mixed Mesophytic Forest Mesophytic Region Forest Mixed

Unspecified Tulip or Yellow) (Ohio Buckeye Basswood Sugar Maple Common Name

Percent

12 88

Appendix I

Possible Grant Opportunities

Potential Grant Funding

NRCS EQIP cost-share Grant g. Honeysuckle and brush management/removal h. Must apply through USDA Farm Services i. $267/acre stump removal + $69/acre foliage treatment j. Can be used for projects that improve environmental quality based on pre-existing resources that damage the environment. 1. Ex. To get money for fences or water for livestock there must already be livestock present on the property doing environmental damage. k. The grant consists of different sections, such as agricultural mitigation, wildlife restoration, and new farms. 1. When EQIP application is reviewed it will be placed in the specific category/categories it falls into. l. http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/ky/home/?cid=nrcs142p2_009534 Kentucky State University Small Scale Farm Grant m. $5,000 for individual producer or $15,000 for producer groups. n. Must sell at least $1,000/year (no more than $250,000) of agriculture produce to public. o. “Well, the time has come! Now there is a grant opportunity for small scale farms to secure funds for that critical piece of equipment, or for that marketing infrastructure to help you grow your business!” p. http://kysu.edu/academics/cafsss/cafsss-research-areas/cafsss-small-scale-farm-grant- program/ Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund q. http://agpolicy.ky.gov/funds/Pages/default.aspx Conservation Reserve Program – Transition Incentives Program r. “Encourages landowners to sell or lease long-term to beginning or socially-disadvantaged farmers and ranchers willing to implement sustainable practices or transition to organic production by providing two years of additional payments for expiring CRP-enrolled land.” s. http://sustainableagriculture.net/publications/grassrootsguide/farming-opportunities/crp- transition-option/#eligible US Farm Bill Programs and Grants t. Contains a variety of grants and programs that could be beneficial to Sleepy Hollow Conservation Area. Examples include: 1. Conservation Stewardship Program 2. Conservation Innovation Grants u. The bill also contains programs that offer loans for farm equipment and infrastructure improvement. v. http://sustainableagriculture.net/publications/grassrootsguide/farm-bill-programs-and- grants/

Appendix J

Summary of Soil Sampling Results

Exchange Nutrients Capacity Average Texture Metals Cation Data OM

Organic MatterSoil % %H %Mg %Ca %K % Base saturation CEC (mg/100g) % Clay % Silt Sand % pH Buffer pH Soil (Cu) Copper Zinc (Zn) Lead (Pb) (Ni) Nickel (Cr) Chromium (Cd) Cadmium Zinc (Zn) (Ca) Calcium MgAdequacy of Level Magnesium (Mg) Adequacy of K Level (K) Potassium Adequacy of P Level (P) Phosphorus Sample Site

High High High Very calculate CECcalculate Soil pH too is Soil 1.846 mg/kg 3.223 mg/kg 1.173 mg/kg 0.083 mg/kg 0.073 mg/kg 3.12 mg/kg to high 12,975.60 1 32.93% 52.06% 15.01% 6.46% 375.3 120.3 7.16 7.23 284 6.3 High High Very High Very calculate CECcalculate Soil pH too is Soil 1.523 mg/kg 0.913 mg/kg 2.34 mg/kg 3.07 mg/kg 0.06 mg/kg 0.06 mg/kg to high 12,099.60 2 31.35% 55.62% 13.04% 6.22% 433.6 7.16 4.76 313

7.2 97 Summary of Soilof Summary Testing Results High High High

1.34 mg/kg 2.78 mg/kg 2.81 mg/kg 0.78 mg/kg 0.07 mg/kg 0.05 mg/kg 9,249.60 3 15.67% 28.41% 60.01% 11.57% 5.26% 5.30% 1.67% 77% 84% 6.67 5.73 76.6 396 360

6.9 30 High High Very High Very 1.593 mg/kg 0.703 mg/kg 0.063 mg/kg

3.47 mg/kg 3.73 mg/kg 0.06 mg/kg 10,416.60 4 81.50% 88.50% 29.69% 56.33% 13.98% 7.57% 474.3 12% 7.03 7.23

370 5% 2% 6.9 33 94 High High Very High Very

1.69 mg/kg 5.01 mg/kg 5.38 mg/kg 0.85 mg/kg 0.06 mg/kg 0.06 mg/kg 11,045.60 6 11.70% 88.30% 31.02% 57.52% 11.46% 6.02% 4.30% 10.23 357.6

82% 33.7 6.83 470 2% 97 7 High High Very High 0.073 mg/kg

1.73 mg/kg 2.86 mg/kg 3.68 mg/kg 0.06 mg/kg 1 mg/kg 7 24.70% 65.70% 20.39% 69.70% 5.18% 7.30% 9.91% 5,438 369.6 438.6

76% 20.7 6.86 5.93 3% 6.3 73

High High High Very 1.83 mg/kg 4.48 mg/kg 5.09 mg/kg 0.09 mg/kg 0.18 mg/kg 1.1 mg/kg 8 27.67% 63.30% 72.30% 26.82% 63.78% 4.61% 9.40% 6,088 310.3 6.67 6.03 9.37 82.3 407 7% 2% 24 High High High

0.067 mg/kg 4.24 mg/kg 4.20 mg/kg 1.44 mg/kg 0.06 mg/kg 1.9 mg/kg 9 70.30% 79.30% 20.81% 68.42% 10.77% 5.66% 5,998 387.3 20% 21.3 6.97 8.57 63.3 371 7% 2% 6.5 High Low High

0.063 mg/kg 0.053 mg/kg 1.43 mg/kg 2.43 mg/kg 3.49 mg/kg 1.32 mg/kg 3,915.60 10 54.30% 62.70% 18.50% 73.80%

3.69% 7.30% 7.64% 37% 5.77 4.96 66.3 317 179 1% 6.7 18 0.063 mg/kg High Medium Medium 1.37 mg/kg 2.07 mg/kg 4.44 mg/kg 1.89 mg/kg 0.06 mg/kg 3,122.60 42.67% 48.30% 57.30% 14.82% 72.22% 12.96% 11 3.90% 270.6 241.6

6.63 7% 2% 5.7 4.1 16 59

Appendix K

First Round Proposals Revenue Projections

Note: value: services Pollination Cash Rent per year: - BradleyBeekeeping Dotson Note: Cash Rent per year: Permaculture - Corona Industries, LLC Note: Cash Rent per year: Hay - Amos Bolar Cash Rent per year: Hay - Joseph Colbenze Note: Cash Rent per year: Hunting - Joseph Colbenze Round Projection Proposals 1 Revenue

to pay cashetc shared fund, property resource rent, for anything; Not willing Month 1 services. through in-lieu Cash rent to paid be profitable. sharing once is farm profit operation to include to renegotiate Willing Year 1 per year. on or based how much to bailed increase decrease be hay able is will Payment Year 1 Year 1 larger payment year after 3 to to renegotiate Wishing initial make Year 1

3,950 1,950 2,500

400 0 0 Month 2 Year 2 Year 2 Year 2 Year 2

3,950 1,950 2,500 5,000

400 0 Month 3 Year 3 Year 3 Year 3 Year 3

3,950 1,950 2,500 5,000 400

0 Month 4 Year 4 Year 4 Year 4 Year 4 5,000 + 33.3% share profit

3,950 1,950 2,500

400 0 Month 5 Year 5 Year 5 Year 5 Year 5 5,000 + 33.3% share profit

3,950 1,950 2,500 400

Appendix L

Potential Advertising Opportunities

Regional permaculture, local foods communities a. Edible Ohio Valley Magazine: Can advertise the property in their magazine. i. It’s cheaper to place advertisement in all 4 magazines throughout the year instead of just one issue. 1. Prices start at $415 for a 1/8 page advert and go up to $3,620 for a full back cover advert. ii. Prices and advertisement requirements can be found at: http://edibleohiovalley.com/advertise/

b. University of Kentucky Extension Offices – Neighboring counties i. Mason County – Matthew Campbell 1. 606-564-6808 ii. Lewis County – Phillip Konopka 1. 606-796-2732 iii. Bracken County – David Appelman 1. 606-735-2141 iv. Robertson County – Shannon Farrell 1. 606-724-5796 v. Fleming County – Benjamin Hubbard 1. 606-845-4641 c. Ohio State University Extension Offices – Southwest Ohio along Ohio River i. Hamilton County – Julie Crook 1. 513-946-8973 ii. Clermont County – Gigi Neal 1. 513-732-7070 ext. 102 iii. Brown County – David Dugan (as well as Adams County) 1. 937-515-2314 iv. Adams County – David Dugan (as well as Brown County) 1. 937-544-2339 Lexington Herald Leader and Kentucky.com d. $59 – 4 lines of text and 4 days of advert displayed online and in paper. e. $84 – 4 lines of text and 7 days of advert displayed online and in paper. f. http://lexingtonherald.adperfect.com/?catid=3141&chanid=47B8B7F11188015FAEhUhj9DE 885&clsid=782191 The Ledger Independent - Maysville’s local newspaper g. Varying rates h. http://www.maysville-online.com/promo/ledger-independent-rate-card/pdf_25602642- 8021-11e2-a0df-0019bb2963f4.html Targeted communities i. Amish j. Immigrants k. Young farmers l. New farmers m. Veterans KY Universities with Sustainable Ag Emphasis n. University of Kentucky: Contacted, but no interest. o. Berea College: Contacted, but no interest. p. Georgetown College: Contacted, but no interest. q. Maysville Technical and Community College: Contact - Justin Weiss i. Biology Professor ii. Looking for field experiences for his Botany and Principles of Biology II students. iii. I offered Weiss the project manager’s phone number and email, with his approval, so Weiss can call to set up projects when he is writing lesson plans or looking for student projects. iv. Strictly an educational opportunity interest. No interest in leasing land or money changing hands.

Appendix M

Summary of Piedmont Environmental Council Farm Lease Case Studies

Piedmont Environmental Council Leasing Case Studies

**Case studies are in the order presented in the Piedmont Environmental Council Leasing PDF

Case Study 1

 The “base” leasers began by doing manual labor for the property owners in addition to a small monthly lease.  Now successful, they pay $760/month no matter how much land is being used at the time.  Landowner pays for anything that is permanent on the property; buildings, nut trees, fences, buildings, etc. o Some tenants voluntarily contribute to funds for permanent items that help them.  Each tenant has a personalized lease depending on tenants current situation; new farmer, been on property for many year, amount of land used, etc.

Case Study 2

 Landowner buys and owns livestock on the farm o Tenants can buy calves at a discounted rate (25% of the appraised value) from landowner in exchange for taking care of and managing the herd.  Landowner pay for everything on property; buildings, water delivery systems, etc.  Long term lease

Case Study 3

 Landowner already owned barns, greenhouses, equipment, etc o Landowners no longer live on site  Tenants rent to own new equipment (from the landowner)  Landowner purchases any value-adding modifications on the property installed by the tenants if the tenants leave.

Case Study 4

 Nature preserve with tenant farm  Tenants live on site o Homestead provided by landowner  Tenants maintain preserve hiking trails o Act as preserve caretakers  $450/month rent + preserve maintenance + mowing preserve lawn areas  Tenants are paid, by the landowner, to rent out historic cabin for overnight parties

Case Study 5

 The main farm is already owned, but the owner leases out neighboring fields for hay cutting and removal. o Informal, handshake agreements with the neighboring farmers

Case Study 6

 40 year lease  First two years o No money rent o Paid through project to the landowner  50 page lease – took three years to write  Farmers own house and barns o If they lease with 90 day notice, the landowner must buy the buildings for the appraised price.

Case Study 7

 Leasing 10 acres for $800/month o Included barns and shed that already existed  Landowners live off property  Lease prohibits neighboring renting farmers (lease from the same landowner) from using chemicals on the chemical.

Case Study 8

 Small development clustered together o Land surrounding the development (2000 acres) used as natural areas (1700 acres) and farmland (300 acres) . Farm items sold back to residents of the development  Landowner paid for all needed infrastructure upfront, including equipment  The particular leaser farms and manages natural areas within a 300 acre tract.  Tenants live in the development