“Don’s [McIvor] first clue about the rights he’d given away came only a year after he signed over the easement when he decided to build at home at the base of Blue Mountain…part of Don’s remaining 6,500 acres. After construction began, Don heard from his bud, James King, now the program director for [The Nature Conservancy], letting Don know that his easement didn’t allow for another home to be built. Don realized he was now a tenant with a landlord.”

Julie McIvor states: “The Nature Conservancy continued to use incorrect propaganda to point the finger at ranchers, making us look evil.”

As the granddaughter of ranchers on both sides of my family, this really irks me. My grandmother proudly wore a bumper sticker for years stating “Ranchers: the Original Environmentalists.” And she meant it.

Ranchers don’t over-ranch their land, destroying its viability as an income source! That would be antithetical to the business – like burning down your office building or firing all your employees and then wondering why you couldn’t get any work done.

This final quote really hit me hard: “[Don's] son and daughter-in-law know there’s nothing they can do to change things now. They are and will forever be only tenants on their family ranch. But they are hell-bent on educating others, particularly ranchers, about understanding the whole scope of conservation easement.”

Thanks again for your input, Julie. I encourage you to keep sharing and for others out there to share their opinions on both sides. I know I will continue to expand my understanding of conservation easement and The Nature Conservancy, forming what will inevitably be my own opinion, appreciating all that contributed.

Sincerely,
Jimmy Winterbaum