Timber theft on conserved land can be disastrous and involve expensive legal costs for land trusts, but some inflict an extra emotional toll as well. Delaware Highlands Conservancy, a Terrafirma member based in Pennsylvania and New York, recently settled a timber theft claim that involved a logger crossing into a landowner’s conserved property and illegally removing 120 mature white oak trees as well as destroying a memorial site dedicated to the original property owner and donor. You can read Delaware Highlands Conservancy’s press release here.

Terrafirma covered the Conservancy’s claim, and they were able to reach a settlement requiring the defendants to pay for remediation and restoration of the trees and repay the Conservancy’s legal expenses. While the money pays for restoration and all costs and fees for the landowner and the Conservancy, it cannot heal the emotional damage that such an extensive and deliberate trespass caused.

We’re here to help! If you have any questions, please let us know.

Thanks,

Tom Kester
Operations Manager and Secretary
Alliance Risk Management Services LLC
Manager for Terrafirma Risk Retention Group LLC

P.S. To receive the Terrafirma risk management discount on your 2024 Policy, one member of your land trust will need to attend an approved risk management course. The following upcoming risk management webinars are free and online (each webinar is scheduled for 3-4 p.m. Eastern):

• Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast Case Study| Nov. 16
• Basic Risk Management: Insurance 101 | Dec. 7
• Basic Risk Management: Tips from Terrafirma | Jan. 4
• Convert Information to Data to Streamline Monitoring | Jan. 11

The following upcoming risk management webinar costs $70 and held online:

• Preparing for Natural Disasters Part 1: Fire and Smoke | Oct. 26

Registration is open and you can register by clicking on the above hyperlinks.