2011-08-15T14:44:05-07:00 2010-12-31 990 2010-01-01 043047156 BELGRADE REGIONAL CONSERVATION ALLIANCE INC BELG 2074956039 171 Main St 2nd floor PO Box 250 Belgrade Lakes ME 049180250 Richard Greenan 2074581334 2011-08-15 2010 2016-02-24 21:20:13Z Mel Croft 171 Main St PO Box 250 Belgrade Lakes ME 049180250 511154 0 X www.belgradelakes.org X 1988 ME The Belgrade Regional Conservation Alliance (BRCA) conserves the lands, water quality, and natural heritage of the Belgrade Lakes Watershed. We are a land trust for the Belgrade Lakes Watershed and an umbrella organization for the five, individual lake associations of the Begrade chain of lakes. Our activities include land preservation, watershed protection, and a youth conservation corps. 13 13 44 98 0 0 419360 379090 64134 110838 -39561 -12027 3605 3289 447538 481190 0 0 0 0 195447 203081 1413 1320 20767 303112 159814 499972 364215 -52434 116975 1532270 1604958 61613 8946 1470657 1596012 X The Belgrade Regional Conservation Alliance (BRCA) conserves the lands, water quality, and natural heritage of the Belgrade Lakes Watershed. To promote for the benefit of the general public the preservation of natural resources, to engage in and promote the scientific study of, and education regarding natural resources, and to use all property held by the corp, and the net earnings thereon, for the benefit of the general public and for charitable, educational, recreational, conservation, or scientific purposes. 0 0 67473 0 72929 Lakes Trust division: BRCA's Lake Trust program is a collaborative between BRCA and the five lake associations in the Belgrade Lakes Watershed that was formed to: (1) Improve and maintain water quality in our lakes; (2) Build the capacity and strengthen the branding of lake associations; (3) Create public support and increase funding for water quality restoration. Through the Lake Trust, BRCA provides technical expertise and capacity-building assistance to the lake associations and facilitates watershed-wide discussion of water quality issues. Specific services provided by the Lake Trust include: providing staff support for water quality programs of the Belgrade Lakes Association, primarily for data collection & analysis; facilitating monthly collaborative meetings between BRCA and the five member lake associations; and providing direction for the Courtesy Boat Inspection Program and Youth Conservation Corps. 74753 1000 95505 The primary goal of BRCA's Youth Conservation Corps (CC) is to protect the water quality of the Belgrade Lakes chain from degradation due to the impact of developed areas within the watershed. To accomplish this, the CC employs local students to complete erosion control projects in the Belgrade Lakes Watershed, reducing the input of sediment, phosphorus, and other pollutants into the lakes. Typical projects include shoreline riprap, bare soil stabilization, buffer plantings, infiltration structures, rain gardens, and runoff diversion. Projects are completed primarily on privately-owned property around the lakes, and homeowners pay only for the cost of materials used; the cost of planning and labor is covered by donations to BRCA from area lake associations, municipalities, and individuals. Accomplishments: In 2010, the Conservation Corps completed 66 projects in the Belgrade Lakes Watershed and also provided seasonal employment for 12 local students. In its 15 years of operation, the CC has completed over 655**** projects to prevent erosion, control excess surface runoff, and reduce phosphorus input into surface waters. 71802 36229 86975 BRCA's Milfoil Program seeks to protect aquatic ecosystems & public enjoyment of the lakes by preventing the spread of milfoil & other invasive aquatic plants. To achieve this, BRCA stations both paid & volunteer boat inspectors at public boat launches to check for plant fragments on boats entering & leaving the lakes & to educate boaters about the threat posed by invasive aquatic plants. BRCA also organizes Invasive Plant Patrols to search for invasive plants that may have become established in at-risk areas. In 2010, BRCA employed 26 part-time workers and worked with 7 volunteers to provide 5,237 hours of coverage & inspected over 10,000 boats on 7 public boat ramps. In 2010, Variable Watermilfoil was found growing in the Great Meadow Stream that runs between North Pond and Great Pond. BRCA worked with the Maine Dept of Environmental Protection (ME DEP) & the Belgrade Lakes Association (BLA) to respond to this invasive threat. BRCA, in cooperation with the lake associations, organized efforts to to survey for invasive plants areas of the lakes. Twenty-nine volunteers devoted over 400 volunteer hours on these surveys. 15545 12717 9717 Watershed Program: The BRCA Watershed Program performs projects oriented towards improving water quality throughout the watershed. These projects are normally funded through Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) grants from the 319 (h) Nonpoint Source (NPS) Program. The program both administers projects and participates in projects administered by others, such as the Kennebec County Soil and Water Conservation district (KCSWCD). Projects include performing watershed surveys, presenting education and outreach programs on water quality, preparing watershed based plans, & designing and implementing drainage Best Management Practices (BMPs) for gravel roads or other polluting properties. 25511 111200 167715 Land Trust division: BRCA's Land Trust Program develops plans and strategies for conserving land either through fee purchase or conservation easements. Potential properties are evaluated using our long-term conservation plan and the Land Trust Committee negotiates purchases or donations with landowners and works to raise funds with a capital campaign. Many of our major acquisitions, including the Kennebec Highlands, are in partnership with the Maine Department of Conservation, at least partially funded by matching grants from Land for Maine's Future (LMF) program administered by the State Planning Office. Our priorities are to expand high value wildlife habitat and protect water quality while expanding low-impact recreational opportunities in the watershed. The following is from BRCA's strategic plan: Responsibilities are to develop and apply criteria for selecting land or conservation easements for BRCA acquisition; select target properties for BRCA ownership or conservation easements; negotiate purchases and donations of land or easements with landowners; coordinate with Stewardship Committee to identify long-term goals and costs of ownership or easement of properties prior to acquisition decisions; document all steps of the land acquisition process in accordance with LTA Standards and Practices; and in cooperation with the Development Committee, apply for grants and conduct capital campaigns to fund land and easement acquisition. Goals are to add to the conserved land area in the Belgrade Lakes region in accordance with a longrange conservation plan; to protect areas that provide high-value habitat and/or are important to the water quality of the Belgrade Lakes; to expand existing conservation lands and establish wildlife and trail corridors to connect natural areas; and to expand recreational opportunities by linking existing trails and properties, creating canoe/kayak trail, etc. 8937 1000 1611 Education and Outreach Program: The education and outreach programming is responsible for developing and directing BRCA's educational & outreach programs. Also with the development committee, raise funds to support education center and programs. Goals are to establish a strong environmental education program that provides services to schools and summer camps in the Belgrade Lakes region as well as to the general public to increase public awareness of conservation issues & encourage members of the public to make environmentally responsible choices. Specific activities in the summer of 2010 included weekly programs, guided hikes, and canoe trips by BRCA volunteers for the general public and one summer camp, and a six-lecture series held every 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the summer months. 15921 1954 0 Stewardship Program: BRCA operates an active stewardship program to monitor conservation easements and ensure that the conservation values of fee properties are adequately protected. In 2010, each fee property and conservation easement was visited at least once to monitor conditions on the property. BRCA staff also completed mapping and documentation work related to property held by BRCA. BRCA staff and volunteers completed work projects on several trails owned by BRCA in 2010. In all, 35 volunteers contributed 150 hours to help with the stewardship program. BRCA also contracted to provide stewardship services for the US Wildlife Land Trust (WLT), a national land trust with holdings in Maine. Under this contract, BRCA staff conducted monitoring visits to eight WLT properties and easements in Maine. 65914 126871 179043 279942 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 0 1 44 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X 13 13 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 ME X X Richard Greenan 2074953740 171 Main St PO Box 250 Belgrade Lakes ME 04918 X Mel Croft 5 X X 0 0 0 Don Mairs 5 X X 0 0 0 Richard Greenan 6 X X 0 0 0 Charles Baeder 4.00 X 0 0 0 Margaret Shannon 4 X 0 0 0 John Schultz 3 X 0 0 0 William Swan 1 X 0 0 0 Jane Eberle 1 X 0 0 0 Patrick Donahue 3 X 0 0 0 Warren Balgooyen 4 X 0 0 0 David Axelman 3 X 0 0 0 Christine Cook 1 X 0 0 0 Bruce Hazard 1 X 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 47438 37353 9500 59200 225599 0 379090 Milfoil Program 900099 51551 51551 0 0 Lakes Trust Division 900099 30369 30369 0 0 Conservation Corps Program 900099 26784 26784 0 0 Stewardship Program 900099 1273 1273 0 0 Land Trust Program 900099 861 861 0 0 0 0 0 0 110838 17937 17937 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 29964 0 -29964 -29964 -29964 0 0 0 37353 0 0 0 0 1571 0 1571 1571 0 0 General Other revenue, misc 900099 1718 1718 0 0 0 0 0 0 1718 481190 102100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 191104 156523 34194 387 0 0 0 0 2850 2406 444 0 9127 6391 2663 73 0 0 0 0 4746 4566 180 0 4800 2112 2688 0 0 0 0 0 1320 1320 758 758 0 0 22360 21925 435 0 9973 0 4310 5663 28970 16153 10310 2507 2510 907 1603 0 0 0 0 0 7703 5485 2218 0 5040 3973 962 105 0 0 0 0 1922 1832 90 0 1014 0 1014 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4563 3947 616 0 Milfoil Program Service Costs, DASH Boat rental 4800 4800 0 0 Conservation Corps Program Service Cost, supplies 24887 24887 0 0 Lake Trust Division AQUAFEST Fundraiser 10712 0 0 10712 Lake Trust Division, EPSCOR Grant Assistance 5256 5256 0 0 Stewardship Program Real Estate Taxes, unoccupied 2794 2794 0 0 17006 15227 1779 0 364215 279942 63506 20767 6436 -780 136359 209911 0 0 2266 1569 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10675 19242 1158329 0 1188293 1158329 188241 216687 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1532270 1604958 4640 6580 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 50000 0 0 0 6973 2366 61613 8946 X 56672 35792 1413985 1560220 0 0 1470657 1596012 1532270 1604958 X 116975 8380 X 1 0 1 X 0 X 236613 461415 168871 351149 269642 1487690 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 236613 461415 168871 351149 269642 1487690 478115 1009575 11443 16333 -40678 32100 17937 37135 15715 0 0 0 0 15715 52966 115914 103236 134410 148191 554717 2095257 73284 0.48184 0.56734 X General Explanation - Explanation Part II, Line 10: Fundraising events (Aquafest Lake Celebrations and 5K Race) and Program Service Fee revenue (Milfoil program's courtesy boat inspections; Youth Conservation Corps erosion control projects; Land Trust, general and as related to the Kennebec Highlands); Stewardship duties for Humane Society for the United States, Wildlife Land Trust; and the Lakes Trust division performing water quality projects and tasks for the Colby EPSCOR Sustainability grant. RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED X X 9 545 0 0 0 1 1 50 650 1 188241 12325 16121 0 0 0 216687 159368 0 28873 0 0 0 188241 203699 0 -44331 0 0 0 159368 0.58 0.42 0 0 0 0 1158329 1158329 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1158329 168 Accrued payroll 2198 2366 SchD_P02_S00_L05 Schedule D, Part II, Line 5 Schedule D, Part II, Line 5 - Belgrade Regional Conservation Alliance's (BRCA) Conservation Easement Monitoring Policy: Every parcel on which the BRCA holds an easement will be monitored at least once a year. Monitoring will be done by BRCA staff or trained volunteers. The monitor will follow established procedures and will thoroughly document the results of the monitoring visit. Monitoring report forms will be kept on file at the BRCA office. Whenever a new conservation easement is acquired, the Stewardship Committee will, within six months of the easement signing, consider the monitoring requirements of the easement, establish an appropriate monitoring schedule , and appoint a monitor for the property. When a landowner exercises reserved rights requiring notification of BRCA, one or more additional monitoring visits will be made to ensure that the activities are carried out in accordance with the easement.The landowner will be informed in advance of all monitoring visits and invited to attend. Following the visit, the owner will be informed in writing of the results of the visit, whether they were present or not. The person conducting an official monitoring visit on an easement may not be the owner of that property. Whenever possible, the same person will monitor an easement year-to-year. SchD_P02_S00_L09 Schedule D, Part II, Line 9 BRCA Conservation Easments are valued using the zero valuation method. SchD_P05_S00_L04 Schedule D, Part V, Line 4 The goals of the BRCA endowment funds and its accounts are to maintain the integrity of BRCA lands and easements and to fund improvements and public services related to their maintenance. Stewardship endowment funds may be used to pay for operating costs of BRCA conservation lands. One of the funds is intended to provide a portion of the annual operating funds of the Youth Conservation Corps. AQUAFEST 37353 5000 32353 0 0 1841 7646 850 4500 0 0 37353 5000 32353 0 0 1841 7646 850 4500 14837 17516 F990_P03_S00_L04d Form 990, Part III, Line 4d 1) BRCA's Land Trust Program develops plans and strategies for conserving land either through fee purchase or conservation easements. Potential properties are evaluated through our long-term conservation plan and the Land Trust Committee negotiates purchases or donations with landowners and works to raise funds with a capital campaign. Many of our major acquisitions, including the Kennebec Highlands, are in partnership with the Maine Department of Conservation, at least partially funded by matching grants from Land for Maine's Future (LMF) program administered by the State Planning Office. Our priorities are to expand high value wildlife habitat and protect water quality while expanding low-impact recreational opportunities in the watershed. The following is from BRCA's strategic plan: Responsibilities are to develop and apply criteria for selcting land or conservation easements; select target properties; negotiate purchases; coordinate with Stewardship Committee to id long-term goals & costs prior to acquisition; document all steps of process in accordance with LTA Standards & Practices; and in coordination with the Development Committee, apply for grants, conduct capital campaign to fund land acquisitions. 2) Stewardship Program: BRCA operates an active stewardship program to monitor conservation easements and ensure that the conservation values of fee properties are adequately protected. In 2010, each fee property and conservation easement was visited at least once to monitor conditions on the property. BRCA staff also completed mapping and documentation work related to property held by BRCA. BRCA staff and volunteers completed work projects on several trails owned by BRCA in 2010. In all, 35 volunteers contributed 150 hours to help with stewardship program. BRCA also contracted to provide stewardship services for the Wildlife Land Trust, a national land trust with holdings in Maine. Under this contract, BRCA staff conducted monitoring visits to eight WLT properties and easements in Maine. 3) Watershed Program: The BRCA Watershed Program performs projects oriented towards improving water quality throughout the watershed. These projects are normally funded through Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) grants from the 319 (h) Nonpoint Source (NPS) Program. The program both administers projects and participates in projects administered by others, such as the Kennebec County Soil and Water Conservation district (KCSWCD). Projects include performing watershed surveys presenting education and outreach programs on water quality, preparing watershed based plans, & designing and implementing drainage Best Management Practices(BMPs) for gravel roads or other polluting properties. 4) Education and Outreach Program: The education and outreach programming is responsible for developing and directing BRCA's educational & outreach programs. Also with the development committee, raise funds to support education center and programs. Goals are to establish a strong environmental education program that provides services to schools and summer camps in the Belgrade Lakes region as well as to the general public to increase public awareness of conservation issues & encourage members of the public to make environmentally responsible choices. Specific activities in the summer of 2010 included weekly programs, guided hikes, canoe trips, and two hiking groups by BRCA volunteers for the general public and one summer camp, and a six-lecture series held every 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the summer months. F990_P06_S0A_L06 Form 990, Part VI, Section A, Line 6 BRCA is supported in part from our membership. F990_P06_S0A_L07a Form 990, Part VI, Section A, Line 7a BRCA members may attend the annual meeting where they may elect one or more members of the governing body. F990_P06_S0A_L07b Form 990, Part VI, Section A, Line 7b Only by-law changes. F990_P06_S0B_L11a Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 11a The 990 review process includes review by the independent accountant, the president, the treasurer, the office manager, the executive director, and then review by the board of directors. F990_P06_S0B_L12c Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 12c The BRCA conflict of interest policy is semi-annually reviewed at the April and October board meetings. Also, when issues arise during monthly board meetings where voting is needed on issues that may entail issues of conflict of interest, board members abstain. F990_P06_S0B_L15 Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 15 The process for determining the executive director's compensation included a review and approval by the board using comparability data from the Maine Association of Nonprofits. F990_P06_S0C_L19 Form 990, Part VI, Section C, Line 19 BRCA makes its governing documents, conflict of interest policy, and financial statements available to the public. The by-laws are made available to members upon request and distributed prior to any proposed amendments. The conflict of interest policy is written in the BRCA organizational manual and available upon request. The BRCA financial statements and 990 are available to the public through the Guidestar website and to members at the annual meeting. F990_P11_S00_L05 Form 990, Part XI, Line 5 Change in Beginning of year net asset balance from $1,470,657 to $1,470,380 due to prior period adjustments recorded in 2010 of $277= $192 inventory and $85 payroll tax allocation. Also change in assets from 2009 to 2010 in the amount of $8657 which we are doing an internal audit to identify the reason for the change in net assets and will file an amendment once this is completed.