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Introduction The Re-formed Congregation has been legally incorporated in the state of Wisconsin since 1983. In 1984, the Internal Revenue Service granted the Congregation 501 (c) (3) status, thus recognizing it as a legally tax-exempt religious, educational, and charitable organization by the United States government. (See Appendix F) The Congregation is located in Madison and holds regular services at the Friends Meeting House. The membership is approximately 200 in the Midwest, with a congregation of approximately 50 in the Madison area. The Rev. Jade River was called as its minister in 1983. For the past ten years the Congregation has held retreats on rented properties. Although this has been an enjoyable experience, we have dreamed of a permanent home. Like anyone moving into a new area, we want to be good neighbors. We share the environmental and safety concerns of theTown of Oregon and are will to work with the Board and townspeople to address these issues. We are willing to consider and accept resonable conditions for use of this land. Why is the Congregation interested in this piece of property? The Congregation feels the land which comprises this parcel can benefit by the careful stewardship of people who love the earth. As a tradition which believes in the eminence in nature, we are willing and able to undertake this responsibility. With the continued outward expansion of Dane County, we believe it is important to preserve some land in its natural state. It is the intent of the Congregation to leave this property largely untouched. We are proposing to use only a small portion of the property for the retreat space. (See Appendix C for topographical map with proposed improvement area.) The rest of the acreage would be left as it currently is. We are looking for a space to hold quiet, comtemplative nature retreats. The isolation and rural nature of this property make it ideal for activities of this type. We understand that a portion of this property is wetlands and are interested in preserving this unique Wisconsin feature. Why do we want land bordered by WI State Department of Natural Resources property? The Congregation highly values and wishes to preserve the rural nature of this property. Having property bordered by the WI State Department of Natural Resources assures that in 10 to 15 years we will not have a retreat space bordered by strip malls and subdivisions. We believe that the WI State Department of Natural Resources and the Congregation hold similar beliefs about land use and conservation which would complement each other.