Ice Cream for a Cause — Haagen-Dazs is Sweet on Sun Mountain

SANTA FE, N.M. 9/23/2009: The Save Sun Mountain Coalition and the Trust for Public Land are appealing to the public’s fondness for ice cream to help them with their effort to Save Sun Mountain in Santa Fe.

On Saturday, September 26th, Haagen-Dazs will donate 15% of all the proceeds from its store at the Plaza Bakery, said Jenny Parks, TPL New Mexico Director. “This is a great way to support our effort. We’re doing well, but we’re not there yet and we need help from the public.”

The effort is aimed at protecting the 23-acre Watson property at the base of Sun Mountain, one of the Santa Fe’s most beautiful and revered mountains and an icon of the city. Sun Mountain is a pristine stretch of undisturbed native landscape and wildlife habitat within Santa Fe city limits, but approval of a development of up to 13 large structures on the property threatens to interrupt Santa Fe’s prized scenic backdrop.

The purchase price for the property is $3.2 million. An anonymous conservation buyer has agreed to purchase less than half of the acreage and dedicate public trail access to the City as well as limit development on the property. The effort has raised almost $2.7 million so far. Thus far, more than 3,000 citizens from all parts of Santa Fe have signed a petition to save the New Mexico icon.

A legacy gift for Sun Mountain can be made to:
The Trust for Public Land
New Mexico State Office
Attn: Dale Snyder
1600 Lena Street, Suite C
Santa Fe, NM 87505
505-982-6978

Dale Snyder can also be contacted by email.

TPL is a national nonprofit land conservation organization dedicated to conserving land for people to enjoy as parks, gardens and other natural places, ensuring livable communities for generations to come. Founded in 1972, TPL has protected 2.7 million acres nationwide. TPL has had an office in Santa Fe since 1982 and has preserved more than 150,000 acres of treasured landscapes in the state. Most recently, TPL-New Mexico built the Rail yard Park and Plaza in Santa Fe.

The Save Sun Mountain Coalition is a group of concerned local citizens who are dedicated to seeking a conservation solution to the preservation of the 23-acre property on Sun Mountain. For more information, please go to their website at www.savesunmountain.com