Conservation Easements Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Conservation Easements - Research Paper Example A conservation easement is a restriction land owners voluntarily put on themselves on specified uses of property to preserve natural, cultural or productive features (Parker). The conservation easement is made official by a legal agreement between the land owner and the ‘holder’ of the easement. A conservation easement usually takes place between individuals, governments or not for profit organizations. It must be noted that the conservation easement does not deprive the owner of legal ownership and grants him the right to determine the type of land uses to continue and those to restrict. The holder of the right is granted the authority to assess the condition of the property to ensure that it is in accordance with terms of the agreement (Merenlender, Huntsinger and Guthey). Conservation easement based acquisition is largely a voluntary method that hinges on private ownership and management of land aimed to meet conservation costs, thus avoiding high financial cost and p olitical difficulties associated with public acquisition and management. (Merenlender, Huntsinger and Guthey). These agreements are usually perpetual and the financial incentives associated with such agreements depend on the compliance with terms of agreements. Land Trusts: - Land trusts are local, regional or national nonprofit organizations that work to preserve the land for its natural, agricultural, historical, scientific or leisure value. These trusts work with land owners to verify the easement agreement and finalize the financial benefits due to the owner. Once agreed, they monitor and assess the property and ensure that the terms of the agreement are abided by. Legal action can be initiated by the trust if violations are observed on the part of the owner. It is essential for the land owner to select an organization that has the financial capacity to handle long term responsibilities. Goal and Importance of Conservation Easements: - Conservation easement is a unique tool that enables land owners to conserve their property for natural, productive or cultural features along with tax benefits in case of voluntary payments. In a vastly changing economy and economic uncertainty, land owners are allowed to preserve their real estate to pass it to their children without bearing the burden of taxes and other costs (Parker). Conservation easements are usually donated to nonprofit organizations who work for the better of the society hence individuals can not only preserve their belongings but also serve their society well. It is important to note that conservation easements allow the owner to control access to his property. This is essential considering that the agreements are often misinterpreted as submission of power. The owner can bring in anyone he wants to the specific property under agreement. The primary purpose of such agreements is to preserve specific land from certain forms of use or development in order to preserve it for a greater purpose. It is imp ortant that such agreements thrive in order to ensure the sustainability of the environment. Conservation easements have met significant approval from the public due to the previously prevalent federal regulations. However, these agreements are customized and it is difficult to gauge the success of these agreements. All agreements are designed specifically and serve as a pact between landowners and land trusts rather than the environment; therefore, there is always room for manipulation or noncompliance with the essence of environmental protection and conservation. History and Use of Conservation Easements: - From the early 19th century, the United States laws of land preservation have been dictated by the federal government; the central approach has been land

The Economic Role of R & D Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Economic Role of R & D - Essay Example However, behind all these, Canada seems to have been a very quiet spectator seeming lagging on the development bandwagon. The country seems to have been a very quite neighbour, dwarfed by the gigantic research and development machinery of the United States. Sancton1 abhors the seemingly backwardness and lack of initiative on the Canadian government to invest in research and development comparing the cities’ innovations that are left wanting as well as the seemingly lack of political will to support such investments that will lead to economic development. However, it is quite unfair to match the two nations evenly since there is a large difference between the dollars allotted by Americans to research and development than Canadians. Hence, it is only fair for any country with lesser resources to allocate these much more intelligently and therefore focus of the much needed improvements that are essential for the betterment of their constituents. Thus, even governments and non-pro fit organizations have adopted the use of the balanced scorecard (BSC) postulated by Kaplan and Norton in order to be able to have a more strategically planned allocation of these resources. Of course these institutions work on a limited funding whereby there are the limitations of taxes and grants respectively2. Hence, in light of the aforementioned limitations, Canada cannot go toe-to-toe with its giant neighbour in terms of research spending. However, as Clark brings forward, the country has more consciously focused their research efforts in order to have more impact and to be able to bring in more economic developments given the limited amount of funding available3. A Parallel Flux There has been an increasingly similarity though on the forces that affect the two countries. The impact of the forces has steadily been having the same effect on the US and Canada whereby there has been an increasing similarity in the responses of the two countries as the effects of such forces affec t the two countries in almost the same way. However, as mentioned, the capability of the latter seem wanting as compared to the former4. Indeed, Canada needs to step up on the research and development area since the competition globally has likewise become stiffer. Of course Canadians will want to enjoy the same economic prosperity by the other countries, especially its peers among the advanced economies. There have been improvements that have crept at towards the close of the last century5. However, these changes have not moved fast when the speed of the global economy shifted to a higher gear when the technological innovations kicked in during the past decade. Indeed, the only effect of the housing crisis of the US in Canada was the dampening in the demand for housing needs, particularly lumber, which goes to show the extent to the disparity between the neighbouring economies. Focused Improvement In effect, the country has to really focus its efforts to improve their research and technology. Basically, economics is about allocating scarce resources and Canada knows that compared to its giant neighbour, their resources are indeed lacking. However, research truly involves more than funding since it also involves the intelligence of researchers and of course their creativity which cannot always be calibrated. But, given the realities, the

Microsoft Company Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Microsoft Company - Case Study Example What accounts for this company’s international success despite the potential for intense competition in most markets? Some reasons for company’s international successes are diversity in products ranges, a continuance of professionalism and partnering with other companies for better products. One of the major reasons for success is continuous innovation in products and services (Satell, 2013). Find a list of company’s values. Pick 2 of the values and explain how you think those values would influence the way employees do their work? Although the company has listed many values, the most important two values are mutual respect and continual self-improvement. These 2 values boost the self-confidence of employees regardless of different ethnic or personal background and result into an increase in productivity (Microsoft, 2015). Research the most recent annual report of the company ( most companies post their annual reports online in the Investor Relations section of their web page ) and list all the factors in the external environment that have affected the company. Focus on both the general and specific environment. The external factors that have affected the company are the rapid rate in advance of the technology, mergers, and acquisitions of various tech companies. It is also facing problems due to patent –infringement or anti-trust suit filed against Microsoft in various countries during last few years. What is the organization’s mission? Whom does the organization serve, and how does it serve them?

Conservation Easements Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Conservation Easements - Research Paper Example A conservation easement is a restriction land owners voluntarily put on themselves on specified uses of property to preserve natural, cultural or productive features (Parker). The conservation easement is made official by a legal agreement between the land owner and the ‘holder’ of the easement. A conservation easement usually takes place between individuals, governments or not for profit organizations. It must be noted that the conservation easement does not deprive the owner of legal ownership and grants him the right to determine the type of land uses to continue and those to restrict. The holder of the right is granted the authority to assess the condition of the property to ensure that it is in accordance with terms of the agreement (Merenlender, Huntsinger and Guthey). Conservation easement based acquisition is largely a voluntary method that hinges on private ownership and management of land aimed to meet conservation costs, thus avoiding high financial cost and p olitical difficulties associated with public acquisition and management. (Merenlender, Huntsinger and Guthey). These agreements are usually perpetual and the financial incentives associated with such agreements depend on the compliance with terms of agreements. Land Trusts: - Land trusts are local, regional or national nonprofit organizations that work to preserve the land for its natural, agricultural, historical, scientific or leisure value. These trusts work with land owners to verify the easement agreement and finalize the financial benefits due to the owner. Once agreed, they monitor and assess the property and ensure that the terms of the agreement are abided by. Legal action can be initiated by the trust if violations are observed on the part of the owner. It is essential for the land owner to select an organization that has the financial capacity to handle long term responsibilities. Goal and Importance of Conservation Easements: - Conservation easement is a unique tool that enables land owners to conserve their property for natural, productive or cultural features along with tax benefits in case of voluntary payments. In a vastly changing economy and economic uncertainty, land owners are allowed to preserve their real estate to pass it to their children without bearing the burden of taxes and other costs (Parker). Conservation easements are usually donated to nonprofit organizations who work for the better of the society hence individuals can not only preserve their belongings but also serve their society well. It is important to note that conservation easements allow the owner to control access to his property. This is essential considering that the agreements are often misinterpreted as submission of power. The owner can bring in anyone he wants to the specific property under agreement. The primary purpose of such agreements is to preserve specific land from certain forms of use or development in order to preserve it for a greater purpose. It is imp ortant that such agreements thrive in order to ensure the sustainability of the environment. Conservation easements have met significant approval from the public due to the previously prevalent federal regulations. However, these agreements are customized and it is difficult to gauge the success of these agreements. All agreements are designed specifically and serve as a pact between landowners and land trusts rather than the environment; therefore, there is always room for manipulation or noncompliance with the essence of environmental protection and conservation. History and Use of Conservation Easements: - From the early 19th century, the United States laws of land preservation have been dictated by the federal government; the central approach has been land

Microsoft Company Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Microsoft Company - Case Study Example What accounts for this company’s international success despite the potential for intense competition in most markets? Some reasons for company’s international successes are diversity in products ranges, a continuance of professionalism and partnering with other companies for better products. One of the major reasons for success is continuous innovation in products and services (Satell, 2013). Find a list of company’s values. Pick 2 of the values and explain how you think those values would influence the way employees do their work? Although the company has listed many values, the most important two values are mutual respect and continual self-improvement. These 2 values boost the self-confidence of employees regardless of different ethnic or personal background and result into an increase in productivity (Microsoft, 2015). Research the most recent annual report of the company ( most companies post their annual reports online in the Investor Relations section of their web page ) and list all the factors in the external environment that have affected the company. Focus on both the general and specific environment. The external factors that have affected the company are the rapid rate in advance of the technology, mergers, and acquisitions of various tech companies. It is also facing problems due to patent –infringement or anti-trust suit filed against Microsoft in various countries during last few years. What is the organization’s mission? Whom does the organization serve, and how does it serve them?

Love Is Sacrifice Essay Example for Free

Love Is Sacrifice Essay I left work today realizing just how fortunate I am to be on the track towards a successful career. And on top of that, the fact that I actually enjoy my job makes it even better! Its definitely been a long road. I think about how I had to deal with rude and ignorant customers as a convenient store cashier during junior high, the strenuous labor working alongside my mother at the dry cleaners in high school, and then finally those dreaded double shifts waiting tables for three years during college. And yet I look at what I have today and realize that I havent obtained these things for myself. All of it has been provided by the hands of the good Lord, and the sacrifice of my parents. Its truly amazing what a parents love for his/her child can accomplish. How much they are willing to sacrifice for the sake of their children. I must say without a doubt that is one of the most important lessons my parents have taught me. Love is sacrifice. My parents immigrated to the U.S. in 1979. My mother came to this country first in January of that year, along with her parents and her siblings. She left behind her husband and her two daughters in search of a better life for all of us. Being away from your child even for a minute is the hardest thing to do as a mother. Not a day went by during our separation that she didnt think of us, did not long to hold us in her arms and to sing us to sleep with sweet lullabies. She fought back tears and endured heartache every day, but she knew that in the long run, this would all be worth it. My dad tells me that during this time while I was in Korea under his sole care, I would look up at all the airplanes that flew by and cry out, Um-ma, Um-ma (mother in Korean). My father would shake his head and tell me that it wasnt my mother and I would burst into tears. My father and my aunts (his sisters) told me they had never seen an infant cry as much as I did during the time my mother was gone. Finally, almost a year later in December of 1979, we were reunited with my mother at the Chicago OHare International Airport. My father likes to tell me how our reunion was delayed, because I had to use the bathroom and couldnt hold it in. So the flight was delayed twenty minutes for its departure to the good old USA because of little moi and her weak bladder (oops!). When I finally saw my mother, I immediately ran into her arms. I must have been the happiest little girl in the world at that very moment. But my sister (who was not even one at the time my mother left) didnt recognize her and clung to my father refusing to go into my mothers arms. I cant imagine the heartache my mother must have felt when her own child didnt recognize her. Even as my mother retold the story to us, she choked with emotion recalling the alienation she sensed at that moment. What a sacrifice she made. But a child never forgets the womb from which she was conceived and in no time at all, my sister was Moms little baby girl again. My mother is my role model of strength and courage. My parents had heard such wonderful stories about life in America. But life wasnt wonderful in the beginning. My grandparents, two uncles, my aunt, and my parents all lived together in a small apartment in Maryland. They could hardly speak the native language. They had no money to their name. They were starting off from scratch. They began as cashiers at local convenient stores, worked in dry cleaners, and basically took whatever job they could get. Here they were, educated and skilled, yet working these blue-collar jobs in the hopes that one day their children wouldnt have to. My parents both worked long hours. We hardly saw them and soon found ourselves becoming latch-key kids. My sister, brother, and I basically grew up taking care of ourselves. My father was also attending seminary at the same time studying to be a pastor, which I think ended up being one of the greatest sacrifices he made. Theres no money in ministry. No glory. Very little benefits. But I learned quickly that the treasures on Earth fade away just as quickly as the sun rises and the sun sets. My father saw the eternal reward and was willing to sacrifice everything he had for it including a comfortable life for himself and his family. I find myself awestruck at how my father even raised a family of five on his salary. I make more than double what he ever made as a pastor. And Im having a hard enough time managing my finances as a single person, much less raising a family. Yet my father knew this was his calling in life and he knew it would not be an easy road for any of us. My father is my role model of sacrifice and incredible faith. My sister and I had to work our way through college, studying diligently when we werent working odd jobs to pay off our tuition and rent. Though those years were hard and we found ourselves ready to give up at certain points of our college career, we made it through. But I remember the moments where I felt I just couldnt go on living like this. I remember vividly one night during my sophomore year in college when I came home after a horrible night at the restaurant and found myself weeping quietly in the corner of my room (hoping my roommates wouldnt hear). I stayed there the rest of the night, wishing with all my heart that my life were different. Yet it was the hope and dreams of something better down the road that got me through those hard days. Although my parents couldnt give us much in terms of material things, they gave us so much more. My sister, brother, and I have a deep appreciation and understanding of hard work and sacrifice. Having experienced the hardships ourselves, we are only that much more grateful for what our parents did for us. The chance they took to go to a different country where everything was foreign to them so that they could give their children a better life than they had known for themselves. To sacrifice their own dreams and ambitions so that we could see ours come true. Now as college graduates with promising careers, my parents proudly see that their sacrifice was well worth it. Mere words cannot say thank you enough.

The Current Heritage Conservation Policy In Hong Kong

The Current Heritage Conservation Policy In Hong Kong We can see that some valuable built heritage were destroyed in these few years; however, the public did not acknowledge the impacts of demolishing our precious built heritage and the importance of conserving them. Not only can cultural heritage enhance the uniqueness of the city, it also can contribute to the civic pride and a sense of belongings. Therefore, this study will discuss the effectiveness of the heritage conservation policies in Hong Kong. The current systems are the Three-tier system and Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance. Data were gathered by secondary research, such as governmental reports, academic theses and private sector reports. After reviewing the two policies, we found that the strategies lack statutory power to protect built heritage and the preservation of privately owned historical buildings done by the Hong Kong government is ineffective. To further establishing a comprehensive heritage conservation system, the heritage preservation experiences of Macau can provide some insights and directions to the local government. By referencing its experience, we recommend that Hong Kong can improve the current systems and the scope of protection can be extended to private historical monuments. Background In the past hundreds of year, Hong Kong has grown from a small rural community into one of the most influencing and renowned cosmopolis. By undergoing a long period of history, plenty of valuable heritage legacies can be found in every district in Hong Kong. In fact, cultural heritage can sustain peoples values and allow them to share a collective memory. Therefore, it should be considered as essential and invaluable public assets that are worthy to preserve. In 1976, in a light of protecting historical monuments and promoting the heritage value, Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance was established by the British colonial government. Some related departments have subsequently set up to protect historical buildings, such as Home Affairs Bureau (HAB), Urban Renewal Authority (URA) and so on. Unfortunately, due to prompt economic development and large population growth, there are great demands for intense urban development and some significant historical landmarks have been demolished, such as the Queens Pier and the Star Ferry Pier. As a result, despite historical significance, old buildings occupying potential sites of commercial development are regarded as barriers and cannot be protected properly by legal frameworks. Introduction It is obvious to see that the heritage conservation in Hong Kong is yielded to the economic growth and urban development. The Hong Kong government has neglected the importance of conserving heritage and some monuments cannot be maintained for the future generation under the existing heritage preservation policies. Therefore, I find it essential to look into the efficacy of the current policies. This paper aims at examining the effectiveness of present heritage conservation policies and reviewing the experience of Macau. Procedure Data for the policy paper gathered are mainly secondary data which was obtained by extensive reading of relevant journal articles, theses and reports. Moreover, I accessed some governmental departments websites in order to obtain more official and factual information which are persuasive enough to support my view points. Existing measures and effectiveness Three-Tier Grading System of Historical Buildings The Grading System, which is adapted to record heritage buildings with significant historical and architectural value, is an administrative measure without any statutory power. Therefore, the record is only kept for internal reference for the government. The Grading System comprises three grades, including Grade I, Grade II and Grade III  [1]  . Since the System lacks statuary status and is only regarded as a reference list to keep record of the historical buildings, the graded buildings cannot be protected legally. Under the System, the information provided by the Grading System will just be sent to other relevant government departments such as the Planning Department which can determine whether protect the graded historical buildings or not. We can, therefore, understand that the System is not powerful enough to inhibit the monumental architectures from destroying. For example, the Murray House, which was built in 1846 with classical British style, was classified as Grade I building owing to its valuable Victorian architectural design. This historical landmark was originally located in Central; however, it was dismantled in 1982 and relocated to the Stanley in attempt to make way for the Bank of China Tower. Regrettably, due to the lost of parts of the building, this relocation failed to reflect the remarkable historical development and architectural significance of 18th Century. As a result, the AAB decided to remove the grade of the Murray House after visiting the place. We can clearly see that even the graded buildings which declared as monuments cannot be protected properly under the current system. Thus, it is critical for the government to offer legal authority to the Grade System so that the graded buildings will not be demolished easily. Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance The Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance (AMO) is enacted in 1976 in an attempt to protect Hong Kong historical buildings. The AMO, which is implemented by the Antiquities and Monuments Office (AM Office), provides secretarial services for Antiquities Advisory Board (AAB). In the section three of the Ordinance, after consultation with the AAB and with the approval of the Chief Executive, the Office may declare buildings, places and sites, where the Office considers to be public interest by reason of its historical and archaeological value  [2]  . Therefore, under the Ordinance, the Office is responsible for declaring antiquities and historical buildings into monuments or proposed monuments, which can prohibit them from demolishing. However, the AMO does not possess effective and comprehensive statutory power to protect privately owned historical buildings. In fact, private owners have their own right to reject the monumental buildings declaring as monuments on the grounds that they consider the land market and the profit of selling the buildings more than the value of historical value. Meanwhile, the developmental potential of the buildings and the profit may decrease after declaration, which causes them be reluctant to declare the buildings into monuments. Thus, few privately owned heritage assets can be protected and kept as declared monuments. For instance, Tiger Balm Gardens, which was constructed in 1935 by a wealthy Chinese philanthropist Aw Boon-haw, built in Chinese Renaissance Style with a unique mixture of Chinese and Western styles of artistic decoration. The owners of the Gardens submitted a proposal required the demolition of the whole heritage buildings in 1999; however when the AM Office acknowledged and approached the matter, the real estate developers had bought the land and dismantled part of the buildings for the redevelopment. Therefore, it is important for the AMO to promote private sector participation in heritage conservation and a comprehensive mechanism of compensation can be established. The Macaus experience In order to enhance the effectiveness of the heritage conservation policies in Hong Kong, related experiences of other countries will be studied. In fact, comparing the conservation policies between different places is definitely an effective way to achieve better approach to the preservation of the built cultural heritage in developed countries. In this part, the heritage conservation policies of Macau will be explored; therefore, I hope that their experiences can give Hong Kong an insight into saving heritage. The reason why I take the examples of Macau is that there are lots of similarities between Hong Kong and Macau, including the high population density and rapid economic growth. More importantly, they both colonized by Britain and Portugal, which may result in both countries possessing great historical and cultural value. Thus, it will be easier for Hong Kong to seek advice from Macau. In Macau, Cultural Institute (CI) and Cultural Heritage Department (CHD) are the core statutory departments of heritage conservation. The legal classification system of built heritage, which is under control by these two departments, is consisted of four categories, namely The Monument, The Complex, The Sites and Building of Architectural Interest. Under the classification system, authorization from the government is needed before any repairs, damages and demolition; therefore, most historical buildings in Macau are conserved well. To date, 128 built heritages are preserved and classified as cultural properties in Macau, including 52 are The Monument, 11 are The Complexes, 22 are The Sites and 44 are Building of Architectural Interest. Comparing with Hong Kong, the classification system in Macau is granted with legal force and therefore the classified historical buildings will not be demolished by any parties of society. Apart from the classification system, the Macau Government has set up a Cultural Fund in a bid to cover the cost of repairing and restoring the historical buildings. As a result, owners of privately owned heritage are willing to give consent to declare the historical buildings as monuments. Moreover, the Macau government has tried their best to invest on revitalizing the historical buildings. Ruins of St. Paulo, Sao Domingos Square and Leal Senado Square, for example, are conserved and reused for social and commercial purposes. By combining the ideas of conservation and economic development, the cultural heritage can be reversed properly and have become famous tourist attractions. We can clearly see the determination and sincerity of the Macau government in conserving the heritage. Conclusion The findings clearly indicate that the heritage conservation policies are not extensive and effective enough to protect local historical monuments. Some of the policies cannot protect privately owned heritage while other cannot access their legal force to protect monuments. It can be concluded that to encourage public involvement in heritage preservation, Hong Kong have to consult other countries opinions so that we can develop a clearer heritage conservation system to protect valuable monumental buildings. Recommendation Improvement of the grading system Since some historical buildings may not be preserved appropriately under the existing grading system, I propose that the criteria of grading buildings be more objective and transparent. Therefore, it is important for the government and relevant departments to reform the grading system. Incentives to private owners of historical buildings. Given a lack of incentives and no clear regulations regarding the compensation for conserving privately owned historical buildings, I recommend that a reasonable and comprehensive compensation be provided to encourage private owners repair and maintain the buildings. Besides, tax relief which is a financial tool to help private owners to restore and maintain the privately owned historical buildings can be offered as conservation incentives. As a result, a wide range of Hong Kongs monuments can be protected for future generation. Establishment of funding In view of inadequate support and determination of local government in heritage conservation, it is highly recommend that the government provide funding to support preserving built heritage. It may be useful and effective for the government to cooperate with private organizations and non-profit organizations. Both donations and contributions can be collected as a source of funding so that the maintenance cost of historical buildings can be covered and reduced.