2020-04-08T12:48:03-07:00 2019-09-30 030354347 Grippin Donlan & Pinkham PLC 3 Baldwin Avenue South Burlington VT 05403 990 2018-10-01 030307155 Friends of Stowe Conservation Inc DBA Stowe Land Trust STOW 8022537221 PO Box 284 Stowe VT 05672 Dave Wilkens Vice chair/Treasurer 2020-04-06 true David C Grippin CPA P00040840 8028462000 X 2018 2020-09-22 18:59:49Z Walter Frame PO BOX 284 Stowe VT 05672 7010748 false false X www.stowelandtrust.org X 1987 VT The Stowe Land Trust is dedicated to the conservation of scenic, recreational, and productive farm and forest lands for the benefit of the greater Stowe community. 22 22 4 268 0 588036 6705201 0 44656 141884 37065 38509 669757 6885594 0 0 170098 190195 0 88469 169805 5782674 339903 5972869 329854 912725 3685474 4621132 24730 34192 3660744 4586940 The Stowe Land Trust is dedicated to the conservation of scenic, recreational, and productive farm and forest lands for the benefit of the greater Stowe community. false false 5824307 Summer Naturalist 2019 brought a successful seventh year for SLTs Summer Naturalist Program. This year, SLTs VHCB AmeriCorps member provided programming to 712 youth and adult participants. Our Summer Naturalist also reached 138 people through outreach efforts at local events and engaged 130 volunteers in trail work and invasive species management projects. This year we designed and planted a pollinator garden at the main office, created an informational display on our front porch, and engaged with new local partners, like the Clarina Howard Nichols Center, for our outdoor education programs. Invasive Japanese Barberry Removal Stowe Land Trust continued our long running partnership with the Town of Stowe to further invasive plant removal efforts at Cady Hill Forest. A $2000 grant from Patagonia was used to help cover the cost of hiring the professional crew from the Intervale Conservation Nursery to pull plants on site, and SLT staff time to coordinate. Mill Trail Property Improvements This fall, SLT installed an interpretive sign at the Mill Trail explaining the rich land use history of the property. Funds from a 2017 grant from Helen and Bowie Duncan for improvements to the Mill Trail were used to cover the cost. The remaining grant money will be used in FY20 for additional improvements at the property.Kirchner Woods Brochure UpdateThe Kirchner Woods brochure and map got an update this year thanks to a grant from Spruce Peak Realty which covered set up and printing costs for the new design. This update now creates a matched set of brochures at the Mill Trail, Wiessner Woods, and Kirchner Woods. Land Protection Projects Stowe Land Trust successfully conserved Brownsville-Story Ridge Forest in 2019. This huge land protection project conserved 750 acres of undeveloped forest in Stowe, involved many SLT partners, and engaged a wide base of support in the community with over 800 donations received for the project. The Shutesville Hill Wildlife Corridor Partnership successfully raised funds to create a Catalyst Fund to cover acquisition and project costs associated with helping interested owners of high-priority parcels within the corridor protect their land. This fund facilitated the permanent conservation of three parcels and more than 350 acres in the corridor over the course of the year. The Hunger Mountain Headwaters project is nearly complete and scheduled to close by the end of 2019. 5824307 true true false false false false true false false true true false false false true true true false false false false false false false true false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false true false false false false false false false false true 11 0 true 4 true false false false false false false false false 0 false false false false false false false false false false false false X 22 22 false false false false true true false true true false false true true true true true true true true false X Kristen Sharpless 8022537221 6 Sunset Street Stowe VT 05672 Clifford Borden Director 1.50 0.00 X 0 0 0 Chess Brownell Director 1.50 0.00 X 0 0 0 Doren Dolan Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Catherine Drake Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Amy Stewart Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Sam Gaines Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Jesse Goldfine Director 3.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Michael Haynes Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Beth Bradford Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Tom Jackman Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Jed Lipsky Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Mila Lonetto Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Walter Looney Director 1.50 0.00 X 0 0 0 Bunny Merrill Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Darsey Moon Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Brian Mullin Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Ryan Percy Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Anna Black Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Nancy Krakower Director 1.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Walter Frame Chairman 3.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Meg Kauffman Secretary 1.50 0.00 X 0 0 0 Dave Wilkens V Chr/Treasurer 2.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Kristen Sharpless Executive Dir. 40.00 0.00 X 65635 0 0 65635 0 false false false 0 245888 2825 6000 6450488 28494 6705201 0 133747 133747 0 0 0 122252 114115 8137 8137 8137 36156 2825 3231 32925 12777 6151 6626 6626 615 1657 -1042 -1042 0 6885594 8137 139331 0 0 0 0 73615 38445 16758 18412 0 92240 48169 20999 23072 0 13081 6831 2978 3272 11259 5880 2563 2816 0 0 11764 6144 2678 2942 0 0 0 9142 977 426 7739 20149 10647 991 8511 6568 3430 1495 1643 2698 1409 614 675 0 23005 12014 5237 5754 2781 1452 633 696 0 0 0 0 4516 4516 7326 3826 1668 1832 Easement acquisition 5570115 5562625 7490 Land project 100371 100371 Stewardship 6460 6460 Event 4366 4106 260 13413 7005 3053 3355 5972869 5824307 60093 88469 281267 137486 178957 1184984 26000 12500 0 0 0 0 0 7755 9430 2237859 17370 2225005 2220489 966490 1056243 0 0 0 0 3685474 4621132 18198 27130 6532 7062 24730 34192 X 901902 1131740 587302 1283660 2171540 2171540 3660744 4586940 3685474 4621132 912725 13471 X false true X true false X 338299 487601 511953 588036 6705201 8631090 0 0 338299 487601 511953 588036 6705201 8631090 0 8631090 31282 35251 28807 44552 133747 273639 0 12473 10190 13475 12883 13392 62413 8967142 0.96250 0.91290 X RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED X X X 33 40 1 true 38 19918 false 620353 83826 17624 721803 553676 57000 9677 620353 444250 74521 34905 553676 345852 71459 26939 444250 628009 111615 -27609 712015 0.87440 0.06440 0.06120 false false false 2125040 2125040 85733 10564 75169 2049 888 1161 25037 5918 19119 2220489 Credit card payable 3189 Payroll liabilities 3873 7062 X 6903953 13471 13471 6890482 -4888 -4888 6885594 5977757 4888 4888 5972869 5972869 Part II, Line 5: Summarized Policy Monitoring is the regular and systematic gathering of information about a conserved property to detect changes and to ensure the property is being used in accordance with the legal restrictions placed on it. SLT monitors land that it owns in fee as well as those on which it holds legal rights through a conservation easement or other legal covenant. All SLT conserved properties are monitored at least once annually in person on the ground.Stowe Land Trust is responsible for enforcing all of its conservation easements through identification and rectification of violations. Regular communication with landowners and diligent annual monitoring can result in minimizing violations and help to resolve enforcement issues in a timely manner. Part II, Line 9: Organization Reporting of conservation easements. The Stowe Land Trust acquires easements and development rights on property through purchase and donation. Within the conservancy movement, a divergence of practice exists as to the values at which easements and development rights are appropriately recorded. The smaller, locally based conservancy organizations tend toward not capitalizing such acquisitions. The Stowe Land Trust has adopted this policy of not capitalizing as assets the acquisition of easements and development rights, but rather discloses them in the footnotes to the financial statements. Part V, Line 4: Intended uses of the endowment fund. The endowment funds are held for long-term growth with the intent to generate on-going income or reserves. The goals of the investment policy are to have sufficient cash resources to meet current spending needs and maintain a positive return on assets held for longer term goals. Part X : FIN48 Footnote The Land Trust is a not-for-profit organization that is exempt from income taxes under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and classified by the Internal Revenue Service as other than a private foundation. The Land Trust is subject to a tax on income from any unrelated business income.The Land Trust has analyzed tax positions taken on its tax returns and believes that all tax positions will be sustained upon examination and does not anticipate any adjustments that would result in a material adverse affect on the Land Trust's financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Accordingly, the Land Trust has not recorded any reserves, or related accruals for interest and penalties for uncertain income tax positions at September 30, 2019. Part XII, Line 2d: Other expenses and losses per audited F/S Cost of inventory sold $1655 Direct event expenses $3233 false Golf Fundraiser 38981 2825 36156 3231 38981 2825 36156 3231 3231 32925 X 5 28494 Market quote false true true Part I, Line 32, Hire and Use of Third Parties The organization maintain a brokerage account at Vanguard for the acceptance of donations of stock and other securities, which are sold promptly upon receipt. Form 990, Part VI, Line 6: Explanation of Classes of Members or Shareholder Any person, family or business organization shall be entitled to membership in the corporation upon the payment of annual dues. There shall be, at a minimum, three classes of membership: (I) Individual; (II) Family, which shall consist of individuals who are related by blood or marriage and who are living in the same household and at the time of payment of dues are identified in writing to the corporation as being members of a contributor's family; (III) Business, which shall consist of a business entity, whether a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, association or other entity organized for either a profit or a non-profit purpose. The corporation shall keep a record of the names and addresses of all the member of the corporation. Form 990, Part VI, Line 11b: Form 990 Review Process Form 990 is reviewed by executive director and all board members prior to filing with the IRS. Form 990, Part VI, Line 12c: Explanation of Monitoring and Enforcement of Conflicts To ensure that the SLT operates in a manner consistent with its charitable purposes and that it does not engage in activities that could jeopardize its status as an organization exempt from federal income tax, periodic reviews of compliance with this policy and disclosure requirements shall be reviewed by the executive committee and approved by the board of directors. Form 990, Part VI, Line 15a: Compensation Review & Approval Process - CEO, Top Management The Stowe Land Trust's process for determining compensation for the executive director includes a review and approval by independent persons, comparability data, and contemporaneous substantiation of the deliberation and decision. Form 990, Part VI, Line 15b: Compensation Review and Approval Process for Officers and Key Employees Stowe Land Trust's process for determining compensation for key employees includes a review and approval by independent persons and comparability data. Form 990, Part VI, Line 19: Other Organization Documents Publicly Available The Stowe Land Trust makes its governing documents, conflict of interest policy, and financial statements available to the public upon request.