Chiputneticook Lakes Conservation Fund Page

Chiputneticook Lakes International Conservancy (CLIC)

Chiputneticook Lakes Conservation Fund (CLCF)

The Board of Directors of CLIC has established a stand-alone fund dedicated solely to conservation projects in the Chiputneticook Lakes area. The CLCF will be held by CLIC, under its US IRS 501 c 3 exempt organization tax status ... all contributions to the CLCF will be US Income Tax deductible.
(Visit: www.chiplakenews.org/TaxDeductions.htm for some US IRS tax deduction information.)

Financial distribution determinations will be made by a Board of Governors initially appointed by CLIC's President. CLCF Governors currently include: Bill Walton of Orient, ME, Chairman and CLIC Treasurer; Jeff Bursaw of Acton, MA (and Forest City, ME); and Ann Barnes of Houlton, ME (and Orient, ME).

Tax deductible contributions to, or
funding requests for Conservation Projects in the Chiputneticook Lakes Area may be addressed to:

CLIC — CLCF
c/o Walton
28 Snowberry Lane
Orient, ME 04471- 4320

Questions may be addressed via e-mail to: BillWaltonOrient@aol.com .

DRAFT CLCF CONSTITUTION

PREAMBLE:

CLIC shall establish a CASH FUND to be maintained by the Treasurer of and held under the tax exempt status of the CLIC in a local bank, NOT co-mingled with other funds of the CLIC.

All such funds shall be used for appropriate conservation purposes described herein or as determined by the CLCF Board of Governors.

PURPOSE:

The purpose of the CLCF shall be to solicit and distribute funds to pay for worthy stewardship and/or conservation projects in the Chiputneticook Lakes Region of northeastern Maine, USA and western New Brunswick, Canada.

The CLCF shall annually search out Conservation Projects and/or Stewardship Projects in the Chiputneticook Lakes area for the purpose of funding or partially funding one or more of those projects.

The CLCF shall maintain a list of direct contributors to the CLCF, for at least the most recent ten calendar years.

CLIC shall account for all financial contributions to the CLCF and shall acknowledge, in writing, all individual financial contributions greater than $99.99

So long as CLIC maintains a website, the CLIC shall authorize the maintenance of a page on the CLIC website.

The CLCF shall follow solicitation regulations set forth by the State of Maine, the CLCF shall be authorized to solicit direct contributions to the CLCF from ANY source and shall be authorized to communicate its actions and purposes via any medium.

The acquisition of real property [land] shall NOT be a function of this fund.

CLCF funds may be spent for ANY Chiputneticook Lake area conservation project whether or not that project has been initiated by the CLIC or by any other person or organization or if the conservation project is associated with real property, regardless of who owns that property.

ORGANIZATION and MEMBERSHIP:

MEMBERSHIP:

All contributors to the CLCF shall be considered MEMBERS of both the CLCF and CLIC. Individual contributions may be in any dollar amount and although annual contributions are encouraged, contributions to the CLCF need not be made annually. An individual may be recognized as being a member for having done voluntary conservation work in the Chiputneticook Lakes area.

CLCF Members shall not have a vote in determining the use of the CLCF funds, however, individual members may petition the governors of the CLCF in writing to contribute to any qualifying Chiputneticook Lakes area project.

GOVERNORS:

The number of Governors of the CLCF may be as few as three (3) and as many as nine (9)...each Governor shall have three (3) or more of the following qualifications:

...be a citizen of the USA

...be a citizen of Canada

...own (or co-own) a waterfront residence or camp (full or part time) on one of the five Chiputneticook Lakes (North, East Grand, Mud, Spednic & Palfrey) or Deering (Longfellow) or Brackett Lake or any of the connecting contributories of any of those lakes.

...contribute one hundred dollars ($100.00) or more annually to this fund in each of the preceeding three (3) years.

...be nominated to be a Governor by the Board of Directors of the CLIC or any other local conservation-minded organization that maintains formal membership rolls (e.g., the WWLT or a local road association, such as Sandy Beach, Old Bark Landing, Dark Cove, Balm of Gilead).

...be a member of any family who has contributed a total of $1,000.00 to the CLCF.

A Board of GOVERNORS shall be elected or appointed annually to lead the CLCF.

Individual Members may recommend that a qualified Member be recognized as a Governor for the ensuing year

The Board of Governors may, by a simple majority, elect any qualified Member to be a Governor

During the third quarter of each calendar year, the Board of Governors shall elect a minimum of three (3) Governors for the following calendar year and shall report those names to the President of the CLIC.

Provided that the Board of Governors has not already done so during the fourth quarter of the calendar year, the President (or a member of the CLIC Board of Directors so authorized by the President) shall determine that at least three Governors have been elected and have agreed to serve during the next calendar year or he shall appoint at least three qualified Governors for the ensuing year.

The CLCF GOVERNORS shall meet (or jointly communicate) at least once during the first six months of every calendar year to set an agenda for that calendar year.

At the first meeting of the Governors, they shall elect a Chairman and may elect additional qualified Governors for the current year.

The Chairman shall appoint a Secretary or Secretary Pro Tem who shall record the minutes of each meeting of the CLCF Governors.

The GOVERNORS shall from time to time report their financial decisions to the Treasurer of the CLIC who shall make payments from the CLCF as directed by the Governors. The Governors shall file a copy of minutes with the Secretary of the CLIC.

All meetings of the Governors of the CLCF shall be open to the public. The Governors may elect to go into executive session to discuss appropriate matters.

Should the Governors of the CLCF, by a 2/3 majority, vote to reorganize itself into a separate 501 c 3 tax exempt corporation, the CLIC shall so permit and upon proof that the new corporation has been granted tax exempt status, the Treasurer of the CLIC shall pay over the entire principal of the CLCF fund(s) that it holds to the Treasurer of the new corporation.

HOW CLCF FUNDS WILL BE HELD:

• Funds designated and received for CLCF purposes shall be held in the name of CLIC as the parent 501c3 organization but shall not be commingled with other funds of the parent organization.

• The CLCF funds are to be maintained as CASH and NOT be invested in any amount as an endowment. The mode of holding the basic fund may be in a non-interest generating checking account or any other banking vehicle where the funds remain liquid.

• The Governors of the CLCF may vote to spend any amount of the principal of these funds down to a minimum amount of one hundred dollars ($100.00), which amount shall be continuously maintained in the CLCF bank account.

• The Governors of the CLCF may direct the placement of excess funds in any interest generating mode but all funds are to be made liquid within any six month period. For example, excess funds may be placed in a Savings Account that may be accessed monthly or they may be placed in a Certificate of Deposit for a duration of no longer than six (6) months or in a "No Catch" CD for an extended period but that may be accessed without penalty during the term of that CD.

DISTRIBUTION OF CLCF FUNDS:

• The distribution and use of CLCF funds shall be determined by a simple majority and under the sole direction of the elected or appointed GOVERNORS of the CLCF currently in office.

• The Governors shall strive to distribute a major portion of the CLCF funds annually provided that a worthy Chiputneticook Lakes area Conservation Project is found.

• It shall not be the intention of the CLCF to accumulate funds over a long period of time for a major project.

Other Potential RESOURCES:

• Chiputneticook Lakes International Conservancy, Inc.

• Woodie Wheaton Land Trust

• St. Croix International Waterway Commission

• North Lake Service District, North Lake Parish, NB

• Aroostook Riders ATV Club, Weston, Orient & North

• Grand Lakers ATV Club, Danforth & Weston

• East Grand Snowmobile Club, Danforth, Weston & Orient

• Various incorporated Chiputneticook Lake Area Road Associations

• Moosehorn National Wildlife Area, Baring

• Downeast Lakes Land Trust, Grand Lake Stream

The CLCF has been funded (initially) by CLIC and is currently receiving applications for project funding.

Your written application for conservation project funding should include:

The name and full contact information for the person or organization officially sponsoring your conservation project;

A detailed description of your conservation project;

The anticipated duration of your conservation project;

The anticipated starting date of your conservation project ... or completion date if your project has already been started.

The anticipated TOTAL EXPENSE of your conservation project;

The amount of funding you are requesting from the CLCF;

Other known major contributors and their percentage of participation in the TOTAL EXPENSE of your conservation project;

Any additional information that you choose to include with your application.

and be mailed to the address above.

Financial Contributions toward Conservation Projects in the Chiputneticook Lakes Area are now being accepted.

Please make your check payable to "CLIC—CLCF" and mail it to the address above.

Contributions of $100.00 or more will be acknowledged to the donor in writing.

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