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4) Residents and Guests
5)Site Management
6)Landtrust and Conservation Easements
_________________________________________________
4) Residents and Guests
There will be a variety of ways that people will come to and spend time at CWAPI. Definihing these different relationships will be, in part, a job of the stewardship covenant. For instance, it might be that the following designations are considered:
Residents: Steward, Staff Members living onsite, Interns who have lived onsite for longer than 6 months, any person who may hold a long term lease on a retreat cabin, and any person who has lived onsite for a year in any combination of visits.
Guests: Any person who will stay any length shorter than 6 months, and those who are performing internship terms less than six month duration.
CWAPI articles of incorporation and the Leuwit Partnership Agreement will spell out specific relationships of these groups regarding voting rights, committee work and so on. For the purposes of the Stewardship Covenant it is important that the role of these people in labor scheduling, as necessitated by daily chores, cyclic chores and maintenance. Certain committees, developed by the staff (which may be residents and non residents alike) will outline cyclical chores such as are required for gardens and forestry upkeep, building maintenance, etc. Furthermore, considerations about the difference in roles allotted to guests who stay less than a week in duration vs. long term residents, might explore where experience with systems and general labor mingle and separate. Residents may have tasks assigned to them which ease the sharing of space- kitchen duties, latrine duties, etc. Some areas of responsibility may be specifically assigned to one or more persons based on volunteerism or proclivity. Responsibility for personal space, standards of upkeep and so on, must be outlined, Furthermore, addressing the use of materials, specifically chemical cleansers, and the methods by which they may be used and disposed of is an important consideration in order to preserve soils and water.
The Stewardship covenant’s main objective is to propose and develop site based strategies for realizing a healthy, vibrant ecovillage. Interpersonal strategies such as facilitation, consensus at meetings, and other governance issues will be found elsewhere. The Stewardship Covenant will address those item which are directly related to the health and welfare of the soil, the ecology and the people living at abundance. please see Appendiuxes XXXXXX for governance issues.
5) Site & Time Management
Site management priorities will be primarily based on zone of use and cyclic schedules reflecting the ebb and flow of season changes. The articles & bylaws of incorporation will outline methods of selecting committees for the purpose of defining management goals, and in tern the committees will define the labor & time needed to attain the goals. While some management priorities are arbitrarily annual, such as cyclic garden and orchard maintenance, others will be more ephemeral, such as capital expenses and startup projects. Infrastructure and Zone One management of will require capitol expenditures, , such as a building new domiciles or facilities, and ongoing budgeting for cyclic maintenance issues, such as re-plastering cottages, etc. However, most maintenance in Zone One will include personal space responsibilities where infrastructure management will not face that particular issue. Zone Two and Zone Three will require management more communal in nature, possibly with a rotating oversight committee. Zone Four and Zone Five will require less direct management than zones 2 &3, but may require as much or more observation and study for determination of management priorities. Committees designated by the board will set up management goals for the site based on recommendation by the steward, staff, and residents of Abundance. These goals shall be parallel to the ethics and principals of Permaculture as defined in the Stewardship Covenant. The Steward shall be the chief executor of the strategies which are aimed at realizing these goals. Management will be adaptive in nature, meaning that as goals are accomplished, priorities and strategies will change to reflect arising needs. For instance, if a new staff member were to move onto the sight an area designated as Zone 2 may be redesignated as Zone 1 for the express intent of building new cottage- given of course that the site limiting factors (outlined above) are not exceeded. This change would bear the review of a committee and approval according to the CWAPI bylaws and in accord with the stewardship covenant- from assurance the project is needed in pursuit of the mission of the organization to determining that it is built on soils of appropriate bearing strength, and proof that finances are arranged and available for completion of the project are some aspects which must be considered.
6) Land trusts & Conservation Easements
Conservation Easements are typically undertaken for financial and/or environmental reasons. Because Abundance has an existing tax status of “small forest land/open space” undertaking a conservation easement will be largely an environmental initiative. The current tax designation is based on harvest volumes rather than estimated value of standing timber. Typical taxes for the last decade have been about $3.75 per acre per year. Last year’s tax was lower than ever before, about $3.40 per acre. Because our plan will have no large harvest goals, and indeed discourage if not prohibit such actions, we will do well to maintain current tax zoning status until research of state and county legislation shows opportunity for development of a conservation easement that increases the benefits appreciated with the current tax zoning status. CWAPI will also do well to research land trusts, both community land trust models and conservation land trust models. Land Trusts are a legal framework through which a stewardship covenant or conservation easement may be applied. However, Community and Conservation land trusts are two fairly different frameworks, the former intended to house people, the later to preserve natural settings, wilderness & scenic areas and so on. Very little work has been done to bridge the gap between these two types of trusts. The primary reason for this appears to be a perception that land where people live is not conservable, and that conservation is possible only where people are not living. This polarized view of peoples place in nature is a common, if poorly developed perception. Research as to the applicability of either or both as needed for the project should be undertaken. For instance, if it is possible that the Community land trust can be limited to the areas of the property zoned 1-3, and the conservation land trust can be applied to zones 4&5 without a tax status rezoning or a legal division of the lots, it would may be in the best interest of CWAPI to pursue this course.
Community land trust issues will likely focus on the same general issues as are found in the CWAPI Bylaws, the Leuwit Partnership Agreement, and in the Residents and guests section of the Stewardship Covenant. Items already mentioned, such as the qualifiers & prescriptions for construction as found in the Zone one outline & materials and methodology appendix will certainly apply to any community land trust writ deemed necessary by the development committee. Conservation issues will be addressed in the Stewardship agreement and the woodlot management plan (appendix E, section #2) already approved of by Cowlitz County. These will include standards for commissioning of permanent and temporary roads, riparian easements, tree stocking and damage control, sustainable harvest standards, and recreational activities among others. One of the primary issues that may arise as this develops is a real or perceived conflict between legislative requirements for easements and Permacultural ethics and principles. If this kind of conflict arises it may require steadfast investigation and observation of the legal landscape and perceptual biases of the participants in order to find a working solution. In the event that this kind of conflict arises, the template of Permacultural principals and ethics should provide a means to shift weight on decisions towards the end goals at which the process is aimed. It will also be of utmost importance at this time to remember our advocates and allies, and know many of them have been through similar situations as they developed their permaculture and ecovillage projects.
5)Site Management
6)Landtrust and Conservation Easements
_________________________________________________
4) Residents and Guests
There will be a variety of ways that people will come to and spend time at CWAPI. Definihing these different relationships will be, in part, a job of the stewardship covenant. For instance, it might be that the following designations are considered:
Residents: Steward, Staff Members living onsite, Interns who have lived onsite for longer than 6 months, any person who may hold a long term lease on a retreat cabin, and any person who has lived onsite for a year in any combination of visits.
Guests: Any person who will stay any length shorter than 6 months, and those who are performing internship terms less than six month duration.
CWAPI articles of incorporation and the Leuwit Partnership Agreement will spell out specific relationships of these groups regarding voting rights, committee work and so on. For the purposes of the Stewardship Covenant it is important that the role of these people in labor scheduling, as necessitated by daily chores, cyclic chores and maintenance. Certain committees, developed by the staff (which may be residents and non residents alike) will outline cyclical chores such as are required for gardens and forestry upkeep, building maintenance, etc. Furthermore, considerations about the difference in roles allotted to guests who stay less than a week in duration vs. long term residents, might explore where experience with systems and general labor mingle and separate. Residents may have tasks assigned to them which ease the sharing of space- kitchen duties, latrine duties, etc. Some areas of responsibility may be specifically assigned to one or more persons based on volunteerism or proclivity. Responsibility for personal space, standards of upkeep and so on, must be outlined, Furthermore, addressing the use of materials, specifically chemical cleansers, and the methods by which they may be used and disposed of is an important consideration in order to preserve soils and water.
The Stewardship covenant’s main objective is to propose and develop site based strategies for realizing a healthy, vibrant ecovillage. Interpersonal strategies such as facilitation, consensus at meetings, and other governance issues will be found elsewhere. The Stewardship Covenant will address those item which are directly related to the health and welfare of the soil, the ecology and the people living at abundance. please see Appendiuxes XXXXXX for governance issues.
5) Site & Time Management
Site management priorities will be primarily based on zone of use and cyclic schedules reflecting the ebb and flow of season changes. The articles & bylaws of incorporation will outline methods of selecting committees for the purpose of defining management goals, and in tern the committees will define the labor & time needed to attain the goals. While some management priorities are arbitrarily annual, such as cyclic garden and orchard maintenance, others will be more ephemeral, such as capital expenses and startup projects. Infrastructure and Zone One management of will require capitol expenditures, , such as a building new domiciles or facilities, and ongoing budgeting for cyclic maintenance issues, such as re-plastering cottages, etc. However, most maintenance in Zone One will include personal space responsibilities where infrastructure management will not face that particular issue. Zone Two and Zone Three will require management more communal in nature, possibly with a rotating oversight committee. Zone Four and Zone Five will require less direct management than zones 2 &3, but may require as much or more observation and study for determination of management priorities. Committees designated by the board will set up management goals for the site based on recommendation by the steward, staff, and residents of Abundance. These goals shall be parallel to the ethics and principals of Permaculture as defined in the Stewardship Covenant. The Steward shall be the chief executor of the strategies which are aimed at realizing these goals. Management will be adaptive in nature, meaning that as goals are accomplished, priorities and strategies will change to reflect arising needs. For instance, if a new staff member were to move onto the sight an area designated as Zone 2 may be redesignated as Zone 1 for the express intent of building new cottage- given of course that the site limiting factors (outlined above) are not exceeded. This change would bear the review of a committee and approval according to the CWAPI bylaws and in accord with the stewardship covenant- from assurance the project is needed in pursuit of the mission of the organization to determining that it is built on soils of appropriate bearing strength, and proof that finances are arranged and available for completion of the project are some aspects which must be considered.
6) Land trusts & Conservation Easements
Conservation Easements are typically undertaken for financial and/or environmental reasons. Because Abundance has an existing tax status of “small forest land/open space” undertaking a conservation easement will be largely an environmental initiative. The current tax designation is based on harvest volumes rather than estimated value of standing timber. Typical taxes for the last decade have been about $3.75 per acre per year. Last year’s tax was lower than ever before, about $3.40 per acre. Because our plan will have no large harvest goals, and indeed discourage if not prohibit such actions, we will do well to maintain current tax zoning status until research of state and county legislation shows opportunity for development of a conservation easement that increases the benefits appreciated with the current tax zoning status. CWAPI will also do well to research land trusts, both community land trust models and conservation land trust models. Land Trusts are a legal framework through which a stewardship covenant or conservation easement may be applied. However, Community and Conservation land trusts are two fairly different frameworks, the former intended to house people, the later to preserve natural settings, wilderness & scenic areas and so on. Very little work has been done to bridge the gap between these two types of trusts. The primary reason for this appears to be a perception that land where people live is not conservable, and that conservation is possible only where people are not living. This polarized view of peoples place in nature is a common, if poorly developed perception. Research as to the applicability of either or both as needed for the project should be undertaken. For instance, if it is possible that the Community land trust can be limited to the areas of the property zoned 1-3, and the conservation land trust can be applied to zones 4&5 without a tax status rezoning or a legal division of the lots, it would may be in the best interest of CWAPI to pursue this course.
Community land trust issues will likely focus on the same general issues as are found in the CWAPI Bylaws, the Leuwit Partnership Agreement, and in the Residents and guests section of the Stewardship Covenant. Items already mentioned, such as the qualifiers & prescriptions for construction as found in the Zone one outline & materials and methodology appendix will certainly apply to any community land trust writ deemed necessary by the development committee. Conservation issues will be addressed in the Stewardship agreement and the woodlot management plan (appendix E, section #2) already approved of by Cowlitz County. These will include standards for commissioning of permanent and temporary roads, riparian easements, tree stocking and damage control, sustainable harvest standards, and recreational activities among others. One of the primary issues that may arise as this develops is a real or perceived conflict between legislative requirements for easements and Permacultural ethics and principles. If this kind of conflict arises it may require steadfast investigation and observation of the legal landscape and perceptual biases of the participants in order to find a working solution. In the event that this kind of conflict arises, the template of Permacultural principals and ethics should provide a means to shift weight on decisions towards the end goals at which the process is aimed. It will also be of utmost importance at this time to remember our advocates and allies, and know many of them have been through similar situations as they developed their permaculture and ecovillage projects.
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