A solar energy developer on Monday made a donation to a conservation land trust to benefit Boone County. Trajectory Energy Partners, based in Highland Park, gifted $15,000 to the Natural Land Institute.
Mack Gapinski is a project development manager for the firm. He said the donation serves to promote a good relationship with the community, including the Boone County Board, which approves solar projects in the area.
“Community outreach and understanding what is important to the communities we work in,” Gapinski said, “is core to what we do.” “And with input from the Boone County board about how important land preservation is to Boone County, partnering with the Natural Land Institute was a natural fit.”
The company has launched two solar projects in Poplar Grove and has another in development.
The money will help the Natural Land Institute cover the legal costs involved in land protection agreements, or easements, in Boone County.
Alan Branhagen is the director of the Natural Land Institute, which is one of oldest private land conservation groups in the United States.
How many agreements can the funds cover? He said it depends.
“So, it could be several smaller ones,” Branhagen said, “or maybe just one really large one that we can do with this.” “Each one is a custom document.”
In an easement, property owners sign a legal document with NLI committing to preserve their land from future housing or industrial development.
Branhagen said the organization has easements across the state covering 3, 814 acres.
