As summer reaches its peak here in the High Peaks region, August brings with it a special opportunity: National Make-A-Will Month. While it might seem unusual to think about estate planning during these beautiful summer days spent on trails and in the woods, there’s no better time to consider how your love for this landscape can create a lasting legacy.

In our upcoming planned giving mailer, we’re sharing the inspiring stories of two remarkable women whose deep connection to the land has led them to include the High Peaks Alliance in their estate plans.

Cathy Haines has called the woods of Salem, Maine, her sanctuary for over 50 years. What started as a modest five-acre property with a small cabin has grown into a sprawling 100+ acre woodland haven filled with hand-built shelters, groomed trails, and countless memories. From building the South Ridge Adirondack shelter with her niece to maintaining trails through the seasons, Cathy’s relationship with the land exemplifies the kind of stewardship that defines our community.

“I want other people to enjoy it,” Cathy says of her decision to leave her entire property to the High Peaks Alliance. “I have full confidence in leaving it to the Alliance to develop it so people can enjoy it.”

Deborah Rose has taken a similar step in the southern High Peaks region, pledging a bequest of her forested land to ensure its conservation in perpetuity. Her property, with its untouched forest and wildlife habitat, will remain a place where future generations can experience the wonder of wild spaces.

Making a planned gift to the High Peaks Alliance doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are three straightforward options:

1. Include Us in Your Will | Simply designate the High Peaks Alliance in your will or estate plan. You can choose to leave a specific amount or a percentage of your estate—whatever feels right for your situation.
2. Direct IRA Distributions | If you’re over 70½, you can make tax-advantaged gifts by directing qualified charitable distributions from your IRA directly to the Alliance.
3. Life Insurance Beneficiary | Name the Alliance as a beneficiary of your life insurance policy. This simple update to your beneficiary form requires no changes to your will.

As Brent shares in our upcoming mailer, “The High Peaks Alliance works to conserve the places we love, ensuring we leave a legacy greater than the one we received.” In a time when more and more land is being closed off to public access, planned gifts ensure that the trails, wild places, and outdoor opportunities that define our region remain available for everyone.

Your planned gift, whether land, funds, or other assets, helps the Alliance continue its mission to ensure and enhance public access and opportunities for recreation in the High Peaks. These gifts provide the long-term stability that allows us to think beyond immediate needs and plan for the future of conservation in our region.

August’s designation as Make-A-Will Month offers the perfect opportunity to begin conversations with your family about your values and the places that matter most to you. Whether you’re creating your first will or updating an existing one, consider how your connection to the High Peaks might become part of your lasting legacy.

If you’re inspired by Cathy’s and Deborah’s stories and want to explore how you might protect and share the land you love, we’re here to help. Contact Executive Director Brent West at (207) 491-2750 or [email protected] to start the conversation.

Together, we can protect the wild places that make this region so special for you, your family, and the generations to come.