Recorded Copy

Doc #  0243441

07/21/2006

Lander County, Nv

COVENANTS,

CONDITIONS &

RESTRICTIONS

For:  Section 27, T29N, R45E

APN 07-690-01 to 07-690-15

Located in Lander County,

State of Nevada

THIS DECLARATION:  made this _____day of  ________, 2006 by Cedarwood Camp Ltd. LLC, hereinafter referred to as “Declarant.”

WITNESSETH:

WHEREAS:  Declarant is the owner of certain property in Lander County, Nevada which is described as Section 27, T29N, R45E; APN 07-690-01 to 07-690-15.

NOW THEREFORE:  Declarant hereby declares that all of the Property shall be held, sold and conveyed subject to the following covenants, conditions and restrictions which are for the purpose of protecting and enhancing the value, desirability and attractiveness of all Parcels, which shall run with the land and be binding on all parties having any rights, title or interest in the Property, or any part thereof, their heirs, successors and assign, and shall inure to the benefit of each Owner thereof. 

ARTICLE ONE

 PURPOSE OF THESE COVENANTS, CONDITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS.

The Purpose of these Covenants is to:

• Provide a basic outline of the Sage Valley Community;
• Define the Principles, Preferences and Boundaries that will apply to the caretakers of this land;
• Provide a foundation for relating in healthy balance with the local ecology and landscape;
• Provide a lightly organized structure for Community Members to interrelate regarding issues of mutual concern;

Those further details necessary for the implementation of the Principles, Preferences and Boundaries expressed within this Document will be more fully expressed within the Community Tradition as worked out by the Members of the Community.  The Community Tradition refers to whatever written or oral form the Community Members wish to express their standards for living together within the framework of these Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions.

ARTICLE TWO

MISSION STATEMENT

Our mission is the creation of a solar-powered Community of privately owned plots with eco-friendly homes.  We envision a Heart Connected Community that co creates:

• in interdependence with one another and the broader community of life;
• in a simple manner close to the earth;
• in a way that combines the benefits of free autonomous living (privacy, freedom of personal choice) with the benefits of communal living (community support, companionship, connection and sense of shared cultural identity)
• in a way that creates continuous opportunities for personal, communal and global healing, learning and growth
• in a way that is a joyful celebration of life, in both its challenges and triumphs

ARTICLE THREE

PRIORITIES

These Priorities are in their order of importance as factors in all Community decisions.  Each Priority is stated below in its ideal form, with the understanding that members are committed to the process of moving their lives towards these ideals.

1. Peace Principles

·         Always Work for Peace

·         Always Work for Unity

·         Always Carry a Good Message

2. Heart Connecting

·         New Ways of Learning and Growth

·         Commitment to experiencing a Heart Connection with all of Life

·         Personal Accountability, Self Reflection and Growth

·         Commitment to Listening as a form of Potent Healing and Discovery

3. A Web as our Organizational Model

·         Shared Responsibility and Power

·         Dynamically Balanced

·         Co Creating with Nature

·         Interconnectedness of our Membership

4. Ecological Stewardship

·         Energy & Resource Efficiency

·         Healthy Land, Plant and Animal Relations

·         Integrated Scenic Profile

·         Sanctuary Atmosphere: Visual, Auditory, Social and Spiritual Harmony

5. Solar Power

·         Alternative and Sustainable Housing Styles

·         Minimizing our dependence on imported resources.

6. Individual Journeys

·         Support for the Individual Needs, Styles and Preferences of each Member

·         Recognition that each Member may wish to engage in Community Functions or may wish to live a more Private Life Style. 

7. Cultural Innovation

·         Openness to participating in Communal Projects and being a Good Neighbor

·         Living a New/Ancient Social Model

·         Openness to Outreach for Healing, Education etc… outside the Community

ARTICLE FOUR

THE WAY OF PEACE

The Sage Valley Community works to embody interdependence & communal growth by applying the Peace Principles in all matters.  These Principles were given to the Iroquois Nation and other traditional cultures by the Great Peacemaker.  

These Peace Principles refer to our relationship with our fellow Community Members, the Minerals, the Plants, the Animals, the Land, the Universe, and perhaps most importantly, with and within the Self. 

The Peace Principles simply stated are:

1)  Always Work for Peace.

2)  Always Work for Unity.

3)  Always Carry a Good Message.

The Peace Principles in Depth:

1) Always Work for Peace.

The Community recognizes the term “Peace” as carrying a meaning passed down from the teachings of the Peacemaker, that is to say, not only an absence of war, but the creation and maintenance of the Harmonious Balance of All Things. This form of Peace is signified by the healthy and vibrant functioning of the individual & society through the creation and maintenance of traditions and societal structures that work socially, politically, economically, culturally and spiritually.

2)  Always Work for Unity. 

The Community recognizes the meaning of this principle that each Member is more committed to the Unity of the tribe than to his or her own ideas of how a thing should be done.  Each Member is responsible for holding and speaking their Truth, honoring their own personal Health and personal Wisdom and offering these precious gifts to the group with a willingness to be fully Heard, and then Releasing Attachment to one’s own Ideas and Preferred Outcomes as the Community works to find what Choices work best in the Balance of All Things. 

3)  Always Carry a Good Message.

This Principle indicates the Power of the Word.  With the thoughts we hold and words we speak, we create the reality of our world.  Thus, to create a Peaceful reality, we must carry a Good Message.  That means to think and speak of all beings, including others, the self, institutions, cultures, members of the community of life, in a positive, life-building manner.

It is important to note that “Good Message” is not meant as a moral judgment, but rather as a functional preference. Carrying a Good Message is important simply because it Works.

No one is responsible for anyone else’s Good Message, but their own. Judgment of someone’s message is, in itself a form of a “Poor Message”.

The Way of Peace includes personal integrity and clarity of personal intention.  It is important that there is a congruency between what is happening inside one’s head and what one is manifesting to the outside world. 

ARTICLE FIVE

HEART CONNECTION

&

WEB

This Community is based on a Heart Connection between the members.  It is a priority for members to approach each other with open Hearts; to receive and support each other from this positive healing place.  We are committed to curiosity, vulnerability and gratitude.   With these ideals as our foundation we can sustain the process of a positive cultural model.

The Community recognizes that our organization is more clearly defined as a web than a hierarchal pyramid.  Everyone is on the same level in terms of importance, leadership and power.  The only differentiations are of Attention (in the case of the Community Stewards), and such roles are taken on voluntarily in service to the Web.  Members are similar to a thread in a spider’s web and as such, all members are equal in their import, no matter how much responsibility or leadership they choose to take on.  Movements, thoughts and actions by one person affect everyone else in the web.  The maintenance of this web is a dynamic balance between Earth, Spirit and all of the Membership.  It requires everyone to be coming from their Truth at all times and it requires everyone to honor the other member’s Truth. 

The organization of the web is a pattern that encourages everyone to step into their power, voice their feelings, and honor and share their gifts.

The maintenance of this Web is also based on a Heart Connection with all of Life.  A commitment to this Heart Connection is fundamental to the goals of the Community and will be supported by an atmosphere of learning, and self reflection for individuals and the whole community as paths towards greater understanding of how the Web works.

We are engaging in the process of acknowledging the power of our hearts and our purpose on Earth in order to:

·         more deeply understand the way we are all connected

·         increase our understanding of co-creation

·         embody and demonstrate a new consciousness  

We recognize that our ‘education’ to this point in our lives may not have led us to a deep connection to, bonding with and understanding of the Natural World.  We will be working together to define and fill this inner void.

ARTICLE SIX

ECOLOGICAL STEWARDSHIP

The Community holds a central value of Ecological Stewardship, next in priority to the Peace Principles, the Heart Connection and the Web. We will be guided by listening deeply to the rhythms of the Earth and the Animals to make the choices as to how we will live and interface with this land for the future generations.

The Community defines Ecological Stewardship as a personal and communal intent to live with

• Consciousness of the effect that all human choices have on the ecological balance as expressed by plant, animal and elemental (water, soil etc…) health
• Conscious Intent to make Choices that, to the best of one’s ability, minimize the negative impact on the surrounding Ecological Balance
• Conscious Intent to make Choices that, to the best of one’s ability, maximize the positive impact and rejuvenative effects on the surrounding Ecological Balance
• Conscious Intent and Openness to Personally and Communally connect to the Natural Landscape, Flora and Fauna through Gratitude, Story, Ceremony, Work and Play

ARTICLE SEVEN

SOLAR POWER

The Sun will be the main power source for heating our homes and our water in the Sage Valley Community.  There are many ways to accomplish this.  All members are encouraged to bring new ideas to the community so as time passes we will become a center of Solar Power Information for anyone interested.

We will explore alternative housing styles, new building designs and any possibilities that arise which may lead to a more holistic lifestyle.  This includes finding the most efficient means of using the resources offered to us by the Earth and Sky. 

ARTICLE EIGHT

OWNERSHIP PROCESS

Anyone contemplating the purchase of land in this Community must be committed to the  Priorities, Principles, Preferences and Boundaries set forth in this document.  Potential owners must contact each of the Directional Stewards and have an in depth discussion with that Steward about the implications of their being an Owner/Caregiver of land in this Community. 

This process will evolve further in the Community Tradition as it develops according to the attention of the initial Owners.  This process is to protect everyone involved.  If any of the parties involved in these discussions feels a lack of Balance then additional discussions and visitations to Sage Valley by a Potential Owner may be called for.  If a Steward feels the situation is not in Balance regarding a Potential Owner, the Steward may call for a general meeting of the Community and the Potential Owner.  If the Potential Owner does not act in accordance with the Principals of the Community as decided by 80% of the community, the land will not be sold.

Potential Owners recognize the hazards of living in this area of Nevada, which include inclement weather, dangerous reptiles and animals, dehydration, etc.  Potential Owners realize that there are no mineral rights with this land and that a well and septic must be completed prior to the issuance of a building permit.  There are grazing leases in effect and Nevada is an open range state.  The grazing rights are reserved by Cedarwood Camp Ltd, llc for the benefit of the community as a whole.

Once a parcel is purchased, the new Owners will be introduced to the Community via the Steward of the East with the appropriate Welcoming, Ceremony and Feasting.  The integration process will be further detailed in the Community Tradition. 

Suggested reading for Potential Owners of Land in Sage Valley is “Ishmael” (and other books) by Daniel Quinn and “The Spirit of Intimacy” (and other books) by Sobonfu Some.  These two books capture the Spirit and the Direction that this Community is headed. Additional educational resources will unfold via the Community Tradition.

ARTICLE NINE

PREFERENCES AND BOUNDARIES

The Boundaries set forth below are mandatory and the Preferences are recommended conduct (see Article 14).

Chapter 1: Buildings

Boundaries:

• The Lander County Building and Zoning Codes are in full force and effect in Sage Valley.  The Zoning presently is a minimum of 20 acres per home.  Two homes can be put on any 40 acre lot. 
• For the purposes of Energy Efficiency and Low Scenic Profile, all buildings in Sage Valley must be partially in the ground or bermed up with earth.  All buildings must have 3 of the 4 walls a minimum of 1 foot into the Earth or bermed with Earth.  That is the level of the floor must be a minimum of 1 foot below the earth level at the side of the building on three sides or 70% of the perimeter must have earth 1 foot above the floor level.
• No building can rise more than 16 feet above the pre existing ground level.  That is the highest point of any building can not rise more than 16 feet above the average height of the pre existing ground imprint where the building is built.  The lowest possible building height is preferred.
• No buildings can have galvanized metal roofing or side walls.
• All roofing materials must be white or of earth tone colors.  No bright colored roofing is allowed.  Roofing may be metal, shingles, tiles, transparent materials or living earth.
• There are no minimum or maximum building sizes.  Note that fully underground buildings are allowable but most buildings will probably have a conventional roof with earth bermed on the sides as noted above.
• All buildings, barns, sheds, for any use must conform to the standards set forth herein. 
• Building plans must be available to members of the community and the community stewards for review before sending to the county for approval.
• No trailers over 32 feet in length are allowed at any time for any reason in Sage Valley.
• Manufactured homes, double wide trailers or modular homes are not allowed in Sage Valley.
• In order to access the overall visual impact of any building, a preconstruction silhouette must be made with 4 corner poles to define the perimeter and wall height with additional poles if necessary to define the roof line.  This framework must be in place for 7 days for community review before submitting construction details to obtain a building permit.  This is for the owner and the community to have a visual sense of the impact of the structure on the overall setting of Sage Valley.
• There are no time limitations for the start of construction.
• Any building must be completed within 2 years of the issuance of a building permit by Lander County.  Please plan ahead and design your building size to meet your budget and time constraints so you will have an adequate living area within 2 years.  Additions can be added to a basic structure if necessary.

Preferences:

• Insulation is R-40 walls, R-60 ceilings for the purposes of Energy Efficiency.
• Insulating shutters to be installed on all windows.
• All buildings to be of one story.
• The floors be 2 or more feet below the ground level at the sides of the building
• Buildings to incorporate the principles of thermal mass in their design.

Chapter 2: Motor Vehicles

Boundaries:

• There is to be no outside storage of unlicensed motor vehicles or trailers.   This includes motor homes and camping trailers.  Farm equipment etc. can be stored outside.  Each lot can have a maximum of one unlicensed operational farm truck stored outside. 

Preferences:

• Everyone agrees to a speed limit of 25 mph on all roads within the Sage Valley Community. 
• Licensed motor homes & trailers are stored where there is minimal visual impact to the entire Valley.

Chapter 3: Waste Management

Boundary:

·       Littering is not acceptable, this includes everything from candy wrappers and cigarette butts to cans, bottles, old appliances etc.

Preference:

• Recycling and composting, where feasible, is preferable.
• Wherever possible, organic cleaning compounds be used (soaps, detergents etc…)

Chapter 4: Land Use

Boundary:

·         General accumulation of any kind of building materials, personal effects, junk or rubbish on the landscape outside of buildings is not allowed.

·         Motorized vehicles, atv’s and/or motorcycles are to be kept to roads or operation on one’s own lands keeping in mind Chapter 5 regarding noise.

·         The natural vegetation must be preserved as much as possible.  All grading, excavation and building shall reflect the goal of protecting the natural vegetation and ecosystem.  Overgrazing of the landscape is not allowed.   Firebreaks as noted below are necessary. 

Preference:

• Organic fertilizers are preferable wherever possible.
• All community members may walk or ride a horse throughout the property in a respectful manner and at a distance of 200 or more feet from any building.  Each community member is responsible for communicating their personal stance regarding use of their land by the community for such purposes. Unless stated otherwise, this guideline will be expected.
• There may be a need for small transmission stations to relay electronic information throughout the Community.  Persons with the appropriate sites are asked to allow that usage on their land.
• There are patterns of livestock and animal movement through this land.  Members of this Community are asked to work with the local ranchers when installing fencing to not disrupt major livestock and animal movement.
• Any fencing constructed to limit livestock movement is to be built according to accepted fencing standards in the State of Nevada.
• Sacred Sites or any other resource beneficial to the whole community that is located on a Members’ personal property be allowed for communal and ceremonial use.
• The Sage Valley Community recognizes that the lines drawn on the subdivision map do not supersede the integrity of the Sage Valley Ecosystem.

Chapter 5: Noise

Boundaries:

• Any noise from any source that is continually disrupting the serenity of Sage Valley is not allowed
• Continuous noise from a domestic animal that is annoying to a neighbor is not allowed. Brief noise from domestic animals is acceptable. 

• The discharge of rifles, pistols or any kind of firearms is not allowed in the Sage Valley Community.  There is ample BLM land nearby for this activity.

Preferences:

• No sources of audible sound from one building that can be heard at a neighbors building at a level of 50 or more decibels except from the hours of 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. (ie loud music, partying, tools, barking dogs or other domestic animals, generators etc…)
• Noise from construction & farming activities done at times agreeable to surrounding community members.

Chapter 6: Occupancy

Boundary:

• Camping trailers, travel trailers, house trailers, and motor homes can only be occupied as a living space during the construction phase of your home building with an active building permit.  Licensed trailers and motor homes can be parked on your land after construction for use outside of Sage Valley.

Preference:

• It is not the intention of this community to have a large number of people living in any single family home.  Lived in is defined as occupying a building for eating and/or sleeping for more than 60 days per year.   
• This community prefers that no more than 4 unrelated people live in a home. 
• This community prefers that the maximum lived in occupancy of any home is a mother, father, their sons and daughters and 3 other people 
• Any number of people may stay for up to 60 days per year as guests in any home.

Chapter 7:  Animals and Nature Conservancy

Boundary:

·         All domesticated animals, pets, horses, livestock etc must be treated in a humane fashion.

·         No animal shall be allowed to become a public nuisance or serious threat to other members of our community.

·         All manure and animal waste must be disposed of in a manner that is not offensive to other members of the community or the ecosystem.

·         Animals shall not be kept in a manner that leads to excessive damage to the ecosystem.

Preference:

• Should the occasion arise, members would consider sharing their lands for holistic grazing management and animal welfare.

Chapter 8: Commercial Enterprises

Boundary:

·         Any large scale commercial enterprise is subject to community review.  Home occupations and cottage industries are allowed. 

·         Any business operated outside of the walls of your home and garage that grosses in excess of $20,000 per year is subject to community review.  There is no limit to business conducted within the confines of a normal house and two car garage.

·         Any business that requires a separate building aside from your home and two car garage is subject to community review. 

·         If necessary, the 80% voting procedure will answer unsolvable issues.

Chapter 9: Fire

Boundary:

·         All fires are to be built in a contained, safe, respectful manner due to the inherent fire danger of this ecosystem.   At certain times of the year fires require special permits.

·         Fire breaks must be built and maintained around all buildings.

Chapter 10: Personal Behavior

Boundary:

·         All behaviors within the community must abide by the city, county, state and federal legalities.

Chapter 11: Gatherings

Preference:

• Gatherings or Parties will be held in a respectful manner in the spirit of Sage Valley.

Chapter 12: Ceremony & Spiritual Practice

Boundary:

• Spiritual practices or ceremonies that prohibit or exhibit judgment or degradation of the spiritual path, gender, sexual orientation, race or appearance of other individuals or spiritual practices are prohibited
• Spiritual practices that includes degrading (in actuality or in attitude) of the Natural World.are prohibited.

Preference:

• All ceremony and spiritual practice includes an honoring on some level of the Natural World.

ARTICLE TEN

OUR COMMUNITY

The following Community Recognitions are articulated to create a deeper communal frame of reference for honoring all Truths relating to Community Life.

Mission Statement

The Community recognizes the need for the Awareness that Balance is a Dynamic, Ever Changing, Flowing State.

The Community recognizes that there is no one right way to manifest our Mission. Therefore, we will be in constant pursuit of finding what works best in each circumstance.

The Community recognizes that starting a Community in a new climate, with new people presents a number of challenges, The Community recognizes that “getting to know” each other and this place will be important and will take time, energy, attention and intention.

The Community recognizes the importance of Clarity . As such, all members are asked to strive for Clarity of Intention and Clarity of Communication in all aspects of relating.

The Peace Principles

The Community recognizes that the Peace Principles were born of another Culture, under specific circumstance, at another Time & Place and seeks to adjust the Teachings in a way that their Essence is Accessible and Transferable to the Experience of Life at Sage Valley.

Membership

The Community recognizes that the process of the Community choosing a Member and a Member choosing the Community is one that will require time, energy, attention and intention.

Using our Local Resources

The Community intends to make the most efficient use of local renewable resources as possible.  We will work with this land and ecosystem to live in this place in a sustainable fashion.

Grief and Grievances

The Community recognizes that, in many traditional societies, the systems in place for dealing with Grief & Grievances revolved around the accumulated cultural, traditional and personal wisdom often carried by Councils of and Individual Elders.

The Community recognizes that the experience of being wounded and healing, experiencing loss, grief & condolence are all aspects of the human journey.

The Community may form a Healing Council to meet and discuss ways to Recognize and Condole Grief.  The Community will be open to whatever opportunities arise to incorporate the healing of Grief into our lifestyle.

ARTICLE ELEVEN

COMMUNITY STEWARDS

The Role of the Community Stewards is a voluntary position of Attention and Service to the Web of the Community. The role is as follows:

Facilitation:

The Community Steward is responsible for Facilitating Opportunities and Open Forums for Addressing Issues related to their Direction by those Members of the Community that want to take Action, Leadership or Contribute in any way to the Manifestation of Peace and Balance regarding those issues.

Care-Giving:

The Community Steward is responsible for taking care of any and all materials related to the Energies of their Direction.

The Community Steward is also responsible for taking care of the Energy itself. That means, when issues are being discussed, or simply existing in the course of Community Life, the Community Steward is responsible for keeping present the Questions, Considerations, Responsibilities and Actions of their Direction and Keeping Tabs on the Balance of those Issues related to their Direction primarily and related to the other Directions as necessary.

Assistance:

The Community Steward is responsible for Assisting any Community Member that feels drawn to taking Leadership or Action in regards to their Direction in such a way that allows that Action and Leadership to best be channeled towards the Harmonious Balance of the Community. This may mean actual activity, or simply acting as a Point Person for whomever feels an Inspiration regarding any particular Issue.

Safe-Guarding:

The Community Stewards are responsible for safe-guarding the integrity of the Community Priorities. This is mostly in regards to the handling of Manifesting Projects proposed by any Community Member that has the potential to effect other members or the land’s experience of the Community Priorities (ie building a structure, creating a community tradition, limit or structure, holding an event to the outside world).

Advising:

The Community Stewards gather in Council for in depth processing of any Community issues to come up with Advice that may be useful to the Community in making decisions. The