THIS PROJECT INVOLVED SERENDIPITY which played in our success in saving a signature landmark, called the Black Forest, a beautiful and pristine forest of approximately 200 acres on the northeast side of Mount Konocti. People in the Buckingham area did not want the Black Forest logged, which the then-owners were planning to do. They appealed to the Lake County Land Trust and we agreed to act as a “bridge” agency until the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) could sell in-holdings that would finance the purchase of the forest.

WE TOOK OUT A LOAN with a small community bank that agreed to interest-only payments and the community agreed to make those payments for one year. The loan was in the name of the Land Trust. The community members faithfully paid every month for a year! Money that would not be returned to them as it was simply interest payments on the loan. Finally, time was up and BLM still had not come through. All was lost, I remember thinking. I felt despondent and worried that it would mean the end of the Land Trust.

Then, our executive director, Susanne Scholz attended a meeting in Sacramento of the Resources Law Group, administrators of the Packard Fund. During a round table discussion by all of the attending land trusts, Susanne gave an emotional report on what the Land Trust was facing. Fortunately, after the meeting, the head of the group came up to Susanne and said: “We can help you out.” And they did, by once again providing bridge financing until BLM could come up with the money to buy the Black Forest. By June of 2004 escrow had closed and the Black Forest was saved from development. The Black Forest is now owned and managed by the BLM. Click here for more information about the Black Forest of Lake County.