OBI Land Trust Marks Major Milestone in 2023
30 Years of Land Conservation!
30 Years of Land Conservation!
As we celebrate 30 years of land conservation, our all-volunteer land trust is making plans to celebrate our legacy and bring supporters together in 2023. Our all-volunteer organization is busy planning events for the upcoming spring and summer, when we will offer some new activities aimed at getting people outdoors and interacting with nature and local experts. The culmination will be our 30th anniversary celebration at Wise Guys Ristorante on Monday, August 7, 2023. More information to come!
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OBI Land Trust is also excited to announce our new office space at the Lyme Community Center on Main Street in Chaumont. The building is the home of the Lyme Community Foundation, Inc. as well as several other groups and is the non-profit headquarters for the village and a hub of activity for events and enrichment activities. OBI was founded in Chaumont in 1993 and it seems very fitting that we establish a headquarters in the local community on this anniversary year and become non-profit partners with the foundation. The second-floor office space at the is also known as the historic Copley house will offer greater visibility for our land trust, allow for more interaction with our service area and improve functioning and efficiency of our expanding organization. We are very excited for opportunities the new office will bring us in 2023!
OBI Land Trust Elects New Leadership
Our organization is moving forward and positioned well for the future as we celebrate our 30th anniversary.
Jim LaPlante was the longest-serving leader of OBI. He died unexpectedly at his home on November 7, 2022. As we mourned his passing, the board continued the mission of land conservation that Jim led for more than a decade.
OBI’s nine-member board on November 17, 2022 unanimously approved board member Carrie Fleming as Interim Chairperson and Rosanne Weir as Interim Vice-Chairperson. Fleming, a resident and native of Chaumont, joined OBI in 2020 and was elected vice-chairperson earlier this year. Weir joined the board in 2018. She is the widow of LaPlante and often worked alongside him doing the work of the land trust.
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“It is important to continue the work of our organization while we mourn the loss of our leader and dear friend,” said Fleming. “We have a very capable board and we must continue our mission of land conservation and we know that is what Jim would have wanted.”
The two will serve in interim leadership positions until OBI’s annual meeting in April. The Board of Directors in January 2023 unanimously approved naming the late Jim LaPlante an emeritus board member of OBI Land Trust.
We have also recently added Brownville resident Marie Smith to our Board of Directors. Marie, a retired nurse, has served as a volunteer at OBI’s Downybrook Nature Reserve for several years. She was elected to the Board on November 17, 2022 and will be nominated for a full two-year term at the annual meeting in April.
The two will serve in interim leadership positions until OBI’s annual meeting in April. The Board of Directors in January 2023 unanimously approved naming the late Jim LaPlante an emeritus board member of OBI Land Trust.
We have also recently added Brownville resident Marie Smith to our Board of Directors. Marie, a retired nurse, has served as a volunteer at OBI’s Downybrook Nature Reserve for several years. She was elected to the Board on November 17, 2022 and will be nominated for a full two-year term at the annual meeting in April.
Photos by Lee Ellsworth, OBI Land Stewart
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"Land really is the best art." - Andy Warhol |
WelcomeOBI Land Trust is a non-profit land trust organization dedicated to the voluntary conservation and thoughtful stewardship of undeveloped, private land in Jefferson County, New York.
Our service area encompasses the towns of Brownville, Cape Vincent, Ellisburg, Henderson, Hounsfield, LeRay, Lyme and Pamelia and includes many miles of Lake Ontario shoreline. |
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PROTECTING LAND ALONG
JEFFERSON COUNTY'S
LAKE ONTARIO
SHORELINE COMMUNITIES
Get Involved
Conservation starts with people. We are always looking for friendly faces interested in helping us fulfill our mission. Join us in promoting conservation, building relationships, and preserving natural habitat. Become a friend!
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Protected Properties
As a non-profit land trust, we work with landowners and conservation partners in the Towns of Brownville, Cape Vincent, Ellisburg, Henderson, Hounsfield, LeRay, Lyme, and Pamelia. We are ready to discuss conservation, easement, and a host of opportunities!
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OUR STORY
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PROTECTED PROPERTIES
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