GOT LAND? Here's FWS's Land Trade Criteria to Save The Pink House

We've wanted Fish and Wildlife to clearly spell out their specific criteria for land swap to save The Pink House out to the public for a long time. Here, in one place, is criteria defined and explained. 

FWS is looking for a willing landowner who will directly exchange their lands for the Pink House OR sell their lands to a local Restoration Partner, who would then exchange the land for the Pink House (to restore it).

YOU DO NOT NEED TO OWN THE PINK HOUSE TO EXCHANGE YOUR LAND. 
If you have land anywhere in the country that fits the below criteria, you do NOT need to own The Pink House in exchange! Our  Restoration Partner is available to buy your land to make you whole, then exchange it for The Pink House/acre. He intends to restore it on his own dime according to our perpetual preservation restriction. WIN WIN!!

CRITERIA: 
​1. Salt marsh and/or adjacent upland habitats, access to water or a road, with equal or greater ecological value to FWS. Most marsh land is worth about $1000-1200 an acre, so meeting $400K is a lot of acreage.
2. Parcels of less acreage could be combined to get closer to the monetary value works. Parcels of higher monetary value due to being part or wholly upland, or having features such as water or road access works. 
3. Upland in the price range that is near a Refuge or FWS owned land that may have value for a use like storing equipment near a light house they own, or rescue boats they can get to from a road to use in flood zones. 
4. NEWLY ADDED: Long parcels that at the back abut the Refuge in NEWBURY ROWLEY, IPSWICH, even if you have a home or structures at the front off the road... FWS is looking to have access of Rt. 1A or roads behind it that lead to it. If you are willing to carve out a parcel in back, get market value from our Restoration Partner (and enjoy tax savings), and still see it undeveloped as conserved by FWS, pls let us know asap!  



HOW TO ASSESS VALUE:
Because they can’t sell the house/acre, they want to do a land trade:  That means your land should be of roughly equal-value (i.e., $400,000+), and there can be a gap in which some cash can be added to make up the difference. They’d like it to be 10% or less but if the land is truly beneficial to their mission, whether the value is monetary, ecological, or usefulness, we have seen them willing to consider a bit higher cash gap. 
 
LOCATION: 
Preferred is contiguous to or within a mile or two of a current Refuge anywhere in the US, as the crow flies. But it can also be anywhere they want to start a new Refuge (which they would know). So anywhere you have land to roughly fit their specifications should be sent in. 


WHAT OF ACREAGE WITH A STRUCTURE?
FWS doesn't prefer it that but if the land is right, that can be demolished - by them or others. If can demolish The Pink House for tens of thousands of dollars, they should certainly consider prime land with a structure. It would just be better if it wasn't there. 
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HOW TO SUBMIT
Send any options to BOTH [email protected], and FWS at [email protected].

TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE. PLS talk to your neighbors, your town administrator and planner,  your family and friends near and far. You never know!

We've wanted FWS to put their specific criteria for land swap to save The Pink House out to the public for a long time. FWS stated that "all options have been exhausted" in their November 1 Press Release, website and reports and we said that's just not true. Because of the overwhelming response from the public (KEEP IT UP!) each week they list more and more specifics. ​ Here was their last summary in case it makes the above easier: 

A direct exchange with a willing landowner is the most likely path, but only if it meets requirements under federal law and is compatible with the refuge’s mission. For this to occur, the following conditions must be satisfied: (1) a landowner within 1-mile of refuge boundaries (2) the exchange lands must be of approximately equal monetary value to the 1-acre Pink House parcel ($400,000-$500,000), and (3) the exchange parcel must be of greater ecological value than the upland and marsh habitat on which the Pink House sits.