The EILS Program for Private Lands Sites Selects Projects on the following criteria:

Site Locations free from pollutants such as urban contamination, herbicide and pesticide application, smoke (especially agricultural burning and wood heating units), solvents, etc.

Owners invested or interested in organics, permaculture, alternatives to chemical cures, preservation of the natural or native habitat, wanting design and information for natural building, native landscaping, water issues, non-chemical invasive control, value added product development from natural and invasive resources, or environmental illness/ Micro-Habitat technology. (note-all of these issues are defined and discussed in texts outlined and linked from the Index Catalogue page)

Lands Available for 30-60-90 day residencies...the land steward provides their own portable "Micro-Habitat" which is a converted mobile unit outfitted for non-toxic living environment and designed to be self-sufficient. It is self-contained, off-grid, requires no hook ups, moves quickly and is locatable anywhere road access is available. It is also possible to develop this access as part of the project or augment existing roadways( we do this all the time). Micros and Stewards relocate seasonally returning to a site once or twice per year for durations as little as a month, at the most three ...depending on levels of work, seasonal access and viability and the stewards schedule and the owner's desires.

Exclusiveness of sites...this program is very successful, and unfortunately as soon as an area is viable, others usually want to capitalize on this. For that reason, we need assurance that the steward is the sole occupant allowed to utilize the site and that the work performed is not disturbed by others.

Terminating a Land Steward Site...the land is yours...in the long run we will be considering and enacting conservation easements of parcels known over the years to provide significant promise and for which the land owner experiences a significant advantage with easement extension...just as is the case with Conservation Easements. In the mean time, if the program does not work for you, adequate notification is all that is required to remove it from our program.

Cost Basis at the present time is zero. The program works as a trade between a Steward performing work equivalent to the going cost for equivalent campground accommodation and a land owner providing that space. Currently (fall 2005) rv campground sites without utilities vary from $150-200 per month. Land Steward work is valued at $10-15 per hour. In general, the work level is an exchange at 15-20 hours per month. Work beyond the level of space accommodation exchange is at cost and dependent on stewards availability and wage negotiation in addition to the space exchange. The basic program seeks to cost the owner nothing, but provide significant improvement via the exchange of a small amount of daily labor from the steward who needs a reduction in living costs as well as a safe locale.

Site Characteristics ...are reviewed on the basis of access, privacy, levels of damage and infestation, amenability to repetitive, long-term treatments, mentality of the owner in terms of support for permaculute and sustainability, freedom from allergens and chemicals, prospects for forest gardening and native habitat restoration, water accessibility, aesthetic appeal. Site reviews are available on request and entail no charges.

Land Steward Qualifications...Smart Shelter screens applicants to the program on the basis of their levels of environmental illness, willingness to undergo extensive training, capability to self-support, amenability to the changes involved in "Micro-Habitat" lifestyle (which are severe), dedication to deep standards of land health and natural environment, artistic development, freedom from substance abuse and use (drugs, alcohol, tobacco are not permitted at any level or in any form in the program), willingness to teach and dedication to longevity.

Land Steward Training and Certification..the land steward program is divided into six levels beginning at the screening/recruit level and extending to certification as an independent steward. Program requires 2-4 years of continuous training to complete. If the applicant make it to the midlevels and elects to continue, they acquire and retrofit their own micro as part of the training. At completion they are qualified to do research, extend and pilot technologies and educate others. The program includes sustainability, permaculture, forest gardening, environmental illness, electro-magnetic field sensitization, bau-biology, natural building, meteorology, sustainable technology, baseline solar infrastructure, geology, natural botany, water quality, soils, survival, passive solar heating and cooling design, off-grid technology, DC electrical systems, water catchment, construction, computerization and self-defense.

What the land owner recieves...the continued restoration of health to natural/native lands is often something the typical agricultural, livestock or residential owner has no time to afford. That's what the steward specializes in. Weed curtailment, tamarisk and russian olive irradication, construction of productive site amenities from slash (russian olive fences are particularly effective), bio-road way development (they overgrow when not used, but are always accessible when needed), education and design from knowledgeable and well-networked stewards and supervisors, productive enjoyment of their sites when the steward is elsewhere, continued annual stewardship assuring continued health and problem identification/remediation as the inevitable changes occur. Often the stewardship produces designs and techniques for the rest of the land not considered or available other places.

Law Enforcement Issues...it is not the intent of the steward to become involved in issues of trespass, vehicle incursion, etc. However, they are trained to be proactive in the protection of property rights, orv incursions, crime, poaching, etc. They offer a powerful deterrent to problems by being a "responsible, visible and reporting" presence. They report and will testify to law violations, documenting with video capabilities where possible. They will engage a felon only in self-defense and are trained at watchful avoidance in all other instances.

What the Steward Gets...the combination of the non-toxic living environment developed with the "Micro" and the selected siting providing a pollutant free neighborhood are shown to produce not only radical turn arounds in health for the EI, but often constitute the only option available. Most of us have lost everything in the battle with chemical and emf debilitation, health costs, abandoned property, etc. The Steward not only earns a safe place to be, which is typically not buyable or rentable, but the limited physical work in this environ also stimulates the immune recovery which leads to restoration of health. The self-esteem of being given a productive method of valuable exchange compatible with their disorders helps immensely to restore them to productive vibrance while carrying the technology of the future forward in view of the fact that probably, eventually, this dilemma will confront us all...in fact is well on the way to doing just exactly that.

What Stewards don't do...stewards do not engage in agricultural work, they do not produce invasive work on tilled and irrigated or livestock grazed lands, nor do they do gardening. Their focus is the care of native/ natural lands and the development of future-viable agriculturalism through forest garden development. That doesn't mean that they can't be employed for other means, but typically that work involves a cost.

Work in Addition to the Space Rental Exchange .... Focus of the Land Steward Program is the care and restoration of the Natural Environment. This is typically limited to weed control, work with invasives such as Russian Olive and Tamarisk, restoration of water quality and drainages, mapping, permaculture planning, biological roadway work, permaculture augmentation of native plant communities and wildlife habitat improvement. Some of our work bridges into the production of forest gardens, which accesses the human agricultural realm. However, work on tilled, irrigated or conventional agricultural space is not included, but left to those schooled and supporting those endeavors. Any work on other projects, such as building maintenance, natural building projects, business services, personal services, construction, etc is not included.

Some Land Stewards have time available in addition to their space trade and other endeavors for productive work along the lines mentioned, but not included in the program. They often also need additional income. Any arrangements for such work necessitating payment in addition to the space rental exchange is possible only when time and energy allow, is a contract in addition to and separate from the space exchange and the work involved in the space exchange and its affect on the native environment have first priority.

It is also possible that the Land Steward be hired at an arranged contract or rate to perform non-chemical invasives control work beyond the time allotment contained in the space rental exchange. Additional work is performed at a negotiated rate in that event.

Work on the Site...the typical Steward is never really at that point. More realistically, we are continually working toward it. Many steward trainees are constructing their Micros while on site performing stewardship under supervision. They will saw, insulate, paint and even cuss at times. They do not produce unsightly or disturbing messes, but they will certainly have projects. The director has lived in his for 14 years and still works on it daily.

Access by others...there are a myriad of trainees, visitors, relatives who may wish to visit the steward. They live a lifestyle in their Micros just as anyone else does in their homes. Loud music, parties, noise and disturbance are not condoned in this program. Candidates are selected to be of mentalities which do not support these abuses. They need quiet and also give it.