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River Fields Celebrates “50 Years Green” 

Louisville, KY (February 26, 2009)— River Fields, a local conservation, preservation and advocacy group, celebrates its 50th anniversary this month.

Formed on February 3, 1959, by a group of visionary community leaders, the non-profit was originally known as the Louisville River Area Foundation (LRAF).  It was established when President Archibald P. Cochran, an industrialist and civic leader, signed the Articles of Incorporation with Secretary James W. Stites Jr., a prominent Louisville attorney.

“We are very proud of our environmental and preservation achievements over the past 50 years,” said Robert E. Kulp, Jr., chairman of the Board of Trustees. “River Fields was an original ‘green’ pioneer in this community; long before ‘green’ was a national buzzword.”

In its 50-year history, the organization has grown to more than 2,100 members in 104 zip codes. River Fields owns land or holds conservation easements on 34 properties, totaling more than 2,200 acres, most preserved forever…green in the truest sense of the word.

“America’s natural beauty is disappearing right before our eyes,” said Rand Wentworth, president of The Land Trust Alliance. “Land trusts such as River Fields are protecting the best before it’s too late.”

In honor of its 50th anniversary, River Fields is premiering a special web page, www.50yearsgreen.org, which links to the group’s newly launched website, www.riverfields.org.

River Fields is the largest and oldest river conservancy on all 981-miles of the Ohio River. Its mission is to protect, preserve and enhance the natural and cultural resources along both sides of the Ohio River from Westport, KY to West Point, KY. The organization works to enhance the quality of life by providing a long-term vision for land and water use, taking a leadership role in land conservation, encouraging preservation and conserving taxpayer resources by preventing costly sprawl development.

The organization works to focus the public’s attention on the importance of the cultural and natural resources of the Ohio River corridor, on public access needs and open space protection.  The staff educates key audiences about those resources and how certain projects will impact them and the river corridor.

“River Fields has been able to strike a rare balance in protecting and promoting both natural and cultural resources. Few organizations in America have achieved this vision,” said Charles Birnbaum, president of the Cultural Landscape Foundation.

The organization has been located in downtown Louisville at 643 W. Main Street for nearly 20 years.  

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River Fields is the largest and oldest river conservancy along the 981- mile Ohio River.  For 50 years, River Fields has utilized its resources to effectively protect, preserve and enhance the natural and cultural resources of the land and water around the Ohio River in our region.  Through its programs of land conservation, advocacy, and education, River Fields strives to create harmony between nature, history and the people who live here.  River Fields owns land or holds conservation easements on 34 properties, totaling more than 2,200 acres, most of which is preserved forever. River Fields is one of the nation's few land trusts tackling regional advocacy work and land conservation.