HAROLD STEWART: “All this effort is a way of preserving for my grandchildren the enjoyment of swimming, fishing, boating and mingling with God's creatures on Lake Hubert.”

Harold Stewart remembers childhood summers at his grandparents’ cottage—long, sun-soaked days marked by the adventures only a lakeshore can offer a young boy.

Walking on rocks and peering under logs, he searched for crayfish, clams, turtles and minnows. He woke up early enough to see the sun rise and
stayed up late enough to watch the lake swallow it. With his grandfather, he explored every nook of the lake on a 2-horsepower boat..

Today, this man of a certain age has eleven grandchildren of his own, and his latest voyage is to pass along his love and concern for the waters of Crow Wing County. “Water, and most importantly clean water, is a vital asset for a healthy life,” said Stewart, who is better known around Lake Hubert as “Stu.” “It is a precious thing to all of us, and we cannot take it for granted.”

Roger Strand’s young days spent hunting and fishing on Green Lake near Willmar sparked a lifelong love of the outdoors. Upon graduating from the University of Minnesota’s medical school in 1969, he moved to Willmar where he and his wife, Kay, bought a 115-acre farm. After years of practicing medicine, raising a family and acquiring more acreage, that original plot has grown to about 400 acres of land rich with wetlands, wildlife and several lakes.

“We love this land,” Strand said. “And we would like to see it loved by others as the years go by.”

Driven by personal passions and family memories, both the Stewarts and the Strands are determined to leave a legacy by preserving lakes and rivers. They represent hundreds of water-inspired families who are blazing unique and creative paths to achieve a common goal.

The Perfect Title

Through the Minnesota Land Trust the Strands established a conservation easement, a vehicle that ensures the property will be legally and permanently protected from development—even after Roger and Kay are gone, and regardless of who may own the land in the future.

ROGER AND KAY STRAND: “We love this land. And we would like to see it loved by others as the years go by.”

For those concerned about the future of environmentally sensitive property, conservation easements can have several advantages over simply donating a piece of land. According to Walter Abramson of the Minnesota Land Trust, the right to develop and build on easement-protected land is divorced from other rights of ownership, no matter who might buy or sell it in the future. The Minnesota Land Trust has done extensive work with shoreline property owners, including protecting parcels along the Mississippi River and its tributaries.

The other advantage is that while the property is protected, the landowner still owns the land. “It’s a comfort to us, knowing that our land will be preserved,” Roger Strand said.

A Nest Egg for the Lake

Stewart was a long-time director of the Crow Wing Environment Protection Association (CWEPA), a volunteer-led nonprofit organization that sought to enforce land-use regulations and pursue legal action against those who attempted to sidestep them. “CWEPA gave us many opportunities to practice what we believe in—protecting the waters and promoting a healthy environment,” he said. “If we abuse it, we lose it.”

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With many signature successes and points proven, CWEPA dissolved last winter. But the former nonprofit organization still had a sum of money in the bank. That money became the nest egg for the first countywide environmental fund hosted by the Initiative Foundation.

Earnings from the initial gift of $57,000 will form a permanent endowment fund, a charitable investment account where only a percentage of the annual earnings are spent. Advised by the Lakes & Rivers Alliance (LARA), the newly formed CWEPA Fund will award grants to shoreline associations and environmental projects within Crow Wing County.

Leaders plan to award grants around an annual theme. One year, the theme might be “lakescaping”—shoreline landscaping practices that minimize harmful runoff and erosion. Another year could focus on invasive species or an educational project, according to LARA President Phil Hunsicker.

“Our primary goal is to grow the fund,” Hunsicker said. “This fund is about uniting people around an opportunity to combine our resources and leave a legacy here. It’s about the future of our land and lakes.”

To that end, the Initiative Foundation is matching up to $10,000 in new contributions to the CWEPA fund to jumpstart its growth. That’s good news for donors like Stewart. “All this effort is a way of hopefully preserving for my children and grandchildren the enjoyment of swimming, fishing, boating and mingling with God's creatures here on Lake Hubert.””

A River Runs Through It

RIVER REWARDS: The St. Croix Valley Foundation's Jill Shannon says many donors want to see their charitable dollars at work right in their backyards.

Many donors desire to see their charitable dollars at work right in their own backyards, according to Jill Shannon, director of community part- RIVER REWARDS: The St. Croix Valley Foundation's Jill Shannon says many donors want to see their charitable dollars at work right in their backyards. nerships at the St. Croix Valley Foundation. Today, nonprofit organizations are finding creative ways to meet those preferences.

The St. Croix River Fund is a fundraising partnership involving the St. Croix River Association, the National Park Service and the St. Croix Valley Foundation, eliminating the need for donors to choose between organizations. The River Fund is designed to support projects that maintain and improve river quality, bring the river’s cultural heritage to life and create meaningful experiences for young and old, sparking their appreciation for the rivers’ future.

This unique partnership —one of the first in the country—elevates the needs of the river first, Shannon said. “We said ‘Let’s work together so that donors can feel like they’re giving first and foremost to the river they love.”

Forever Investments

Although the models behind these philanthropic ventures are different, they all involve a kind of gift that will continue to give for years to come. A conservation easement will protect land far beyond the lifespan of the original landowner, and an endowment will forever generate funds for everchanging projects and priorities.

And because lakes and rivers are so inextricably linked to Minnesota and Wisconsin's geography, culture and history, these long lasting gifts are especially suited to local donors. “Endowments and land trusts are about legacy-building, and nowhere is that more important than with our lakes and rivers,” said Matt Kilian, Initiative Foundation vice president for external relations. “These are forever investments in things we want to last forever.” IQ