As Long As The Grass Grows, Spring Wind Blows and Water Flows: The Kehmeier Family’s Celebration Of Conservation
Jul 04, 2011
“1894 - As long as grass grows, spring wind blows and water flows the land will nurture us and we will nurture the land. These acres are dedicated forever to conservation by the Norman Kehmeier family.”
July 4, 2011.
The Norman and Dorothy Kehmeier Family will be celebrating quite a bit more this year on the Fourth of July than just the fact that America is still a great place to live. With the words quoted above the Kehmeier Family and their friends with the Tongue Creek Conservation Project will leave a sturdy visual reminder of the 288 acres of productive agricultural land and wildlife habitat in the Tongue Creek drainage that have been conserved forever because the Kehmeiers understand the importance of conservation.
On July 4, 2011, when the Kehmeier Family gathers back on the family land from far-flung corners of the earth, they will dedicate a stone memorial with a plaque carrying the words quoted above. The Kehmeier land has been in the family for over a century (thus, “1894” on the plaque – the earliest date of patent). Whoever stewards the land in the future, they will be reminded of Norman and Dorothy’s vision and determination.
In 2001 the Norman and Dorothy Kehmeier Family were the first family in Delta County to donate a conservation easement after the Colorado legislature adopted transferable tax credits for conservation donations. Through successive donations, they now have a total of 288 acres under easement with BCRLT and have used the resulting tax credit proceeds to purchase additional family lands and make ranch improvements. See BCRLT Land Lines, Spring/Summer 2010 to learn more about the Kehmeiers and conservation efforts in the Tongue Creek area.
