Giving Back
Ken Mitchell
LAND DETECTIVE AND ENLIGHTENED GENERALIST Real Estate Brokerage, Development and Consulting, while juggling a highly active transition to retirement and mentoring a few very special emerging leaders. It’s complicated.
The real estate business is stressful and often cause for long periods of intense concentration. I've made it a practice throughout my career to get away from it all by hiking, backpacking, kayaking and canyoneering in places where my cell phone and computers are completely useless for lack of service.
Today, more than ever, the value of nature preserves and wilderness is being called into question as our national parks and monuments come under increased development pressure. In addition, there are large "buffer" areas around these preserves that are now under intense pressure for mineral development. In many cases, these buffer areas offer the last chance to preserve distinctive habitats and allow for the unimpeded range of many important plant and animal species.
I've chosen to make a commitment to conservation by creating my own 1% pledge. Beginning in 2015, 1% of every income dollar will be pledged in support of conservation groups focused on protection and expansion of natural areas within the Colorado Plateau region.
My first candidates for financial support are two organizations that are zealously fighting to broaden the protection for an extensive area of land known as the Greater Canyonlands Region. Much of the effort involved in this area is the enlargement of Arches and Canyonlands National Park.
I support the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (suwa.org), who I have been tracking for several years as a member. This year, I will move up from an individual membership to a business sponsor.
I also see good work being done by the Grand Canyon Trust, and I am further evaluating this organization as a worthy candidate for support. There are continual threats to the extensive watershed of the Grand Canyon, in particular, a current development proposal for the confluence of the Little Colorado and the Colorado River. This proposal involves "improvements" to a unique cultural and natural resource that are both inappropriate and misguided.
Join me in making a commitment to giving back in 2015. I've developed thousands of acres of land in the course of my career. I'd like to footnote my career by being able to say I was able to help in some small way to protect tens of thousands of acres in perpetuity for the enjoyment of future generations..