French and Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

French and pickering creeks conservation trust has worked with landowners, public and private partners, to preserve the quality of life and the environment of northern chester county. Since 1967, french & pickering has helped permanently protect over 13,600 acres including lands purchased and transferred for state game lands, state parks, county parks and municipal parks. Currently french & pickering holds approximately 200 conservation easements over 7,892 acres and owns and manages 890 acres held in fee ownership comprised of 28 parcels including two signature preserves with extensive trails, free parking, and a variety of natural features and wildlife. All lands are monitored annually by french & pickering staff to assist landowners with their land management and natural resource stewardship. Continued on sch o.in 2024 over 3,000 native trees and shrubs were planted across warwick and east nantmeal townships and the following 6 conservation easement and one conservation easement amendment were completed:1) a 6.3 acre voluntary and permanent land protection easement was completed with greg and shannon nesspor in charlestown township. The property is visible from pickland and hollow roads, is a source of clean cool water from seeps and springs throughout the property providing an influx of high-quality water and aquatic habitat to headwaters of the pickering creek. The owners are already working with french and pickering to improve the creekwside habitat by planting a variety of trees supplied by the keystone ten million trees program in partnership with the chester county conservation district. 2) a 4.6 acre voluntary conservation easemsent was completed with george and martha edwards to permantly preserve their property located in west vincent township. Highly visible from route 100, their property is located near the headwaters of beaver run which is designated as an exceptional value tributary to french creek. The significance of this parcel far exceeds its size due to its riparian buffering qualities and its location within a mosaic of protected lands that spans both east nantmeal and west vincent tonwships.3) a farmsterad with over 55 acres and highly visible forested ridgeline was permanently preserved in north coventry township near the headwaters of pigeon creek in partnership with the late julia kirlin and her granddaughter allison manley. The site hosts an abundance of wildlife and serves as an important wildlife corridor between the 700+ acres coventry woods preserve in north coventrty townshp and the 200+ acre woody's woods preserve in south coventry township. This project was generously funded by the chester county commissioners and north coventry township supervisors. Located within the 73,000 hopewell big woods, this parcel is a key component of the largest intact forest in southeastern pennsylavania.4) an historic 24 acre farm in east coventry township with frontage on halteman road and over 1,200 feet of pigeon creek, steep slopes, mature hardwoods, and open farmland will remain primarily in agricutlural use and continue to be actively farmed while permanently protected with a french and pickering creeks conservation trust conservation easement. Ray and kathleen nester are longtime residents of east coventry township with a stong desire to see their property remain permanently protected in open and productive farm uses while also protecting the most sensitive environmental areas. The significance of this project is increased by providing over a quarter mile of publicly accessible trail connection to the 77-acre east coventry nature preserve. This project was made possible by the nesters, funds from the chester county commissioners preservation partnership program and east coventry township.5) directly adjacent to the nester farm is the billingsley farm on fulmer road, also in east coventry township. This 23-acre historic farmstead features almost 1,400 feet of pigeon creek and its tributaries passing through

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 37.6%; rating input score 38
• Program expense ratio: 85.6%; rating input score 86
• Fundraising efficiency: $66.7 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 82; 82nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 63.4%; rating input score 95; 95th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 80.15; rating input score 99; 99th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 13.4%; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 0.8% per year; rating input score 100; 16th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -3.6% per year; rating input score 0; 5th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 3.7% per year; rating input score 100; 28th percentile among comparable filings