A Legal Eagle: Allen Decker’s 21 Years at the Coalition

Newly hired in 2004 after two years at a land trust in his native South Carolina, Allen Decker remembers like it was yesterday the very first conservation restriction (CR) he helped develop for the Buzzards Bay Coalition: the Field agreement.

It had been in the works for four years prior to his arrival. That deal was a joint effort by the Field family (notably William “Bill” Field), The Trustees of Reservations, the Mattapoisett Land Trust, and the Coalition for a beautiful tract of land on Mattapoisett Neck. 

The property would continue to be privately held by the Field family, who would be able to use it as they had previously. However, the CR stipulated that no development could take place there. For Bill Field, his wife Elizabeth, their three children and four grandchildren (representing the sixth generation of Fields to live on the original property), the decision to permanently protect the land from development was their legacy.

During his tenure, Decker would go on to be involved in establishing nearly 70 more such restrictions and many, many land transactions as well. Now 20-plus years of land conservation is part of his legacy, too.

“I have enjoyed working with many landowners who have a vision for their land that is compatible to ours,” says Decker. He recalls the work he did with the late Howard Tinkham, also of Mattapoisett. Decker admired his ethic, although unlike the Fields, Tinkham and his family did not conserve their land with one massive transaction or restriction, but through “little pieces at a time.” 

“If land could not be held in family hands,” says Decker of many people who had sold land to the Coalition over the years, “then they wanted it where the family could ultimately appreciate it.” 

Decker has done all sorts of things in his capacity as our land protection director and one of the law professionals on staff over the years. He jokes that “we’ll chase down everyone we need to.” He’s had landowners sign documents on chairs in waiting rooms and on the hood of a car in the parking lot of a Dunkin’ Donuts. He remembers waiting in a “specific place and a specific time” for the final signature from someone who was summoned to court for a totally different matter. Was it contentious? Not at all, says Decker. “He said, ‘you’ve been trying to get ahold of me,’ but I remember him signing it very quickly.”

He remembers deals for their complexity challenges and negotiating as the funding sources were being identified. Sometimes they didn’t always happen on the first try; he appreciated the ones where renegotiating continued after some unpredicted hiatus. 

He's “done his time” researching deeds in various county registries. He has a work ethic that forces him to make his files easy to navigate for anyone interested in understanding a Coalition deal. In fact, as you read this, Decker is most likely logging some volunteer hours at the office organizing his past files for those who will follow him. 

Decker’s start as in-house counsel at the South Carolina land trust and then subsequently the Coalition was a career reset of sorts. After law school he worked at a law firm in Charleston focused on residential real estate. But he was frustrated by what he saw as “unregulated, unchecked growth” in South Carolina at the time, and he wanted to do something about it. “I wanted to take my knowledge of real estate and land law and transfer that into efforts to take care of places people really care about,” he says.

After Decker received a Master of Studies in Environmental Law from Vermont Law School, his aim was to work for a national conservation group, where he thought he could really make an impact. Decker made a few attempts for such jobs, but the planets never quite aligned. He and his wife moved back to South Carolina where he accepted that land trust position. His two years there was a great learning experience, but when leadership there changed, he started looking again. A connection mentioned that the Buzzards Bay Coalition was looking for someone; Decker was introduced and recommended to Mark Rasmussen. Decker knew nothing about the area but was happy that it was on the water. He has an affinity for the ocean, even though he admits he is not a sailor, boater, or fisherman. He has always liked going to the beach and knows the importance of protecting coastline for clean water purposes.

What he thought might be a four- or five-year stint turned into 20. Over the years in working for regional land trusts, he has realized that impact is relative. He may not have worked for a national organization, but he made a difference to a lot of people—and to generations to come, when it comes to land preservation around a special place that is Buzzards Bay. What’s more, he has helped the Coalition grow into a preservation “powerhouse,” to which people turn to “when something needs to get done.”

“Allen joined the Coalition just as we were preparing to receive millions of dollars in penalty funding from the 2003 Bouchard 120 Oil Spill to acquire coastal lands like those that had been damaged by the spill for permanent conservation. It was more opportunity and more funding than we’d even seen and Allen’s calm demeanor and professionalism were critical to assuring both landowners and government agency funders that we were up to the task. Since then, Town boards all around the Bay have come to know that same approach and have trusted Allen’s handling of thousands of acres of conservation deals. His legacy will be enjoyed by generations of people in our region to come,” commented BBC President Mark Rasmussen.

Decker and his wife, Maureen, who is a retired nurse, are enjoying some time off and travel before deciding what their next steps will be. Decker admits that there will be some time spent visiting certain local trails and properties…on his own schedule.

“I like knowing I can enjoy places that I worked hard to preserve for all those years,” he says.