Patagonia's Residential Development at Three Canyons Preserves 95 Percent Of Land As Open Space
995-Acre Wildlife Corridor Protected In Perpetuity

June 2, 2006, PATAGONIA, AZ – A 995-acre watershed corridor between two segments of the Coronado National Forest will be preserved in perpetuity through a conservation easement created by the owners of Conservation Properties, Inc.

The easement will be held by the Sonoran Institute, a nationally recognized pioneer in integrating conservation with sustainable development. This conservation easement will permanently protect this pristine high grassland and riparian ecosystem.

The 995 acres, valued at $12 million, was donated by David Parsons and Denny Hubbell of Conservation Properties, Inc. as part of a comprehensive conservation plan to protect the 1,760-acre site of its Three Canyons green residential development just north of Patagonia. This is the largest conservation easement to be placed on an active residential property in Southern Arizona, according to the Sonoran Institute. An additional 653 acres will be preserved as open space and protected by the homeowners association. Only five percent of the Three Canyons land will be disturbed by roads or homes.

Luther Propst, Executive Director of the Sonoran Institute, said, “The Sonoita Creek Valley is considered one of the most vibrant and diverse watersheds between the Santa Rita and the Huachuca mountain ranges in Southern Arizona. With its immense biodiversity of plant and animal life, the Sonoita Valley is of the highest conservation value because it is a vital wildlife corridor to the tropical regions to the south. ”

The Sonoran Institute has partnered with Three Canyons through its two-year planning process and helped establish an independent Community Stewardship Organization (CSO) called La Semilla to ensure that land use meets conservation best practices, long after the development is complete. Non-profit CSOs are emerging across the country as a new way for developers and conservationists to work together and involve local communities in managing land use.

The Three Canyons project is a unique model for regional land development because:
• It protects a significant portion of the land and its wildlife corridors forever
• Utilizes a land management plan designed to replenish the environment through human activity, not despite it.
• Participates with the surrounding community through investment in local initiatives, such as an organic farm and providing funds for the community foundation’s endowment.

“ This conservation easement signifies our commitment to the land as well as to the community,” said Hubbell, principal of Conservation Properties. “The 1,760 acres on which Three Canyons is situated, together with its wildlife, will be preserved forever as a legacy for future generations. We see this as the natural evolution of land development.

Santa Cruz County specifications would have allowed 412 homes to be built at Three Canyons, yet the founders chose to restrict building to only 198 homes. The homesites range from 2 to 36 acres. The building envelopes average 15,000 square feet and are limited to single-family homes. Carefully planned roadways contribute to conservation by channeling storm runoff into water-holding swales. Residential water will be biologically purified and recycled.

David Parsons, principal of Conservation Properties, explains, “Our intention in placing this conservation easement is to create real, long-term value for those who make Three Canyons their home. We believe Three Canyons is a better model of development for the sensitive ecosystems of the Southwest. ”

“We are delighted to hold the Three Canyons conservation easement because we have a vital interest in how this region grows,” said Propst of the Sonoran Institute. "This easement meets and exceeds the intention of the area’s comprehensive plan for conservation. It demonstrates the developers’ understanding of, and commitment to, the will of the community.”

Mary Dahl, Director of Community Development for Santa Cruz County, comments, “It was a pleasure to work through the subdivision approval process with Mr. Parsons and Mr. Hubbell. Their set-aside of open space for Three Canyons goes well beyond our expectations, let alone our requirements. Growth in “gateway” communities such as Three Canyons ? those located close to national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, and other public lands ? presents new fiscal, social and environmental challenges that county officials must be prepared to tackle. Conservation Properties has produced exactly the kind of smart, “green” development we want to see in Santa Cruz County.”

Conservation easements, remaining with the land in perpetuity and surviving each landowner, are used to permanently protect open space. A conservation easement of this scale ensures both protection for habitat and higher monetary values for the residential development and the surrounding community of Patagonia. Viewed as assets to the community, conservation easements can provide public access to the land for educational, recreational, and agricultural use.

The non-profit CSO La Semilla will oversee the land management of the 995-acre easement. The executive director is Jeffrey Cooper, a naturalist who served for 13 years as manager of The Nature Conservancy's Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve. Before that he was staff naturalist at the Nature Conservancy's Hassayampa Preserve in Wickenburg and managed its Muleshoe Ranch in Wilcox.

About Conservation Properties, Inc.
Conservation Properties is dedicated to supporting residential development that contributes to the life of the land and those who live there. As a company, Conservation Properties identifies and regenerates ecologically vital land in beautiful settings, and protects it forever. The company develops areas large enough, and with enough biodiversity, to be of significant conservation value. In partnership with La Semilla, Three Canyons and Conservation Properties are committed to a long-term view of both land renewal and community investment. For more information, contact David Parsons or Denny Hubbell at 888-828-9122.

Photos available upon request. View the complete Three Canyon press kit.

###