Mountainville, NY (OCLT): Orange County Land Trust will present Tracy Schuh, Chester resident and President of The Preservation Collective, with the 2024 Louis Mills Conservation Award at their Celebration for Conservation
Fundraiser, taking place on Thursday, August 8th from 6-9 pm at the Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery.
Schuh will receive the award in recognition of her longtime advocacy on local conservation and land use issues. Schuh began attending local town and planning board meetings on a regular basis in 2003 after reading about a
public hearing for a large housing project which she felt had the potential to impact private drinking water wells.
Knowing these land-use issues often fly under the radar of local residents, she established The Preservation Collective (TPC), a non-profit organization that aims to help educate the public, encourage their involvement, and
coordinate with local leaders and planners in an effort to see the implementation of meaningful environmental preservation practices that protect the region’s scenery, natural resources, and cultural heritage.
“Through the years I’ve found it is most beneficial when we all work collectively with other organizations and members of the community on raising awareness about the negative environmental impacts of certain land use decisions, as well as share educational resources to empower others to advocate for the benefits of open space, historic preservation, greenway corridors, and water protection.
These core goals were at the heart of TPC from the beginning and hold true today,” stated Schuh.
According to OCLT Executive Director Jim Delaune, Schuh’s award is much deserved. “For over two decades, Tracy has been a staple at town board, planning, and zoning meetings in and around the Town of Chester as an
advocate for agriculture, open space, and quality of life. She is a true ambassador for land conservation and her community,” Delaune stated.
Schuh is a member of the Town of Chester’s Conservation Advisory Council, Town of Chester’s Comprehensive Plan Committee, and the Moodna Creek Watershed Intermunicipal Council on behalf of TPC, as well as a volunteer
with the NY-NJ Trail Conference and OCLT. Previously, she was a member of the Town of Chester’s Community Preservation Plan committee and Orange County Open Space Alliance. She was also the recipient of Orange
Environment’s Kissam Award in 2004.
Tickets for OCLT’s Celebration for Conservation are $100 and include a farm-to-table buffet, as well as hard ciders, wines, and a specialty cocktail courtesy of the Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery. The event will also feature
live music by Dave Reiss and an informational table about the land trust’s Gibraltar Rock Community Forest project through the U.S. Forest Service. Tickets and sponsorships can be purchased on OCLT’s website at www.oclt.org.
All proceeds support OCLT’s watershed, habitat, and farmland protection efforts.
To learn more about The Preservation Collective, visit www.thepreservationcollective.com
Orange County Land Trust is dedicated to conserving Orange County's watersheds, agricultural lands, and natural habitats through conservation agreements with willing landowners. For more information call (845) 534-3690.