Why Louis Bacon should be Environmentalist of the Year

Since his childhood, Louis Bacon has been a dedicated philanthropist. His lifelong ambition to save environmental assets for the benefit of mankind has ensured the protection of areas that would have otherwise suffered damage or destruction. The effect of environmental protection work cannot be understated; the smallest effort has the capacity to significantly alter the destiny of natural landscapes and animal habitats.

His drive to save the environment inspired his creation of The Moore Charitable Foundation in 1992, which has strived to protect areas in southern Colorado, New York, eastern North Carolina and Long Island.

His donations for conservation easement through this Foundation have been the largest ever received by the federal government in Colorado, which have seen Louis Bacon give 90,000 acres of his Trinchera Blanca Ranch to the cause.

In North Carolina, the restoration of the rice fields, pine forest and marshes at the Orton Plantation by his Foundation has helped defeat the extinction of great egrets, herons and the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker.

A branch of the Moore Charitable Foundation in Long Island – the Robins Island Foundation – has helped to guard the delicate habitats on the island, which is home to endangered shore birds such as Piping Plovers and Least Terns.

Louis Bacon’s efforts have not only been centred on the United States. His hard work in the Bahamas led to the creation of the Bahamas Clifton Heritage Authority, which oversees the Clifton Heritage National Park that was established following the successful defeat of development plans in the area. Alongside local and national figures, such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Louis Bacon fought for the protection of the historic area of Clifton, which has a rich cultural history.  

He has been recognised for his work by important organisations, such as the National Audubon Society, who in January 2013 awarded him with the impressive Audubon Medal. The accolade has only been awarded to 51 recipients during the society’s 107 year existence.

The success of his efforts and his passion for protection makes Louis Bacon an ideal candidate for Environmentalist of the Year. Despite the difficulty of safeguarding ever-eroding land and halting large-scale developments, he has continued to strive for a better environment, and it is for this reason he should be considered one of the greatest philanthropists of recent years.

Louis Bacon oversees latest conservation project of Allen Creek

Renowned environmentalist and philanthropist Louis Bacon has continued his fine work in the area by promising the conservation of a two and a half mile easement of coastal habitats along Allen’s Creek at Orton Plantation.

Bacon has donated the land to the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust and Orton Plantation Holdings LLC through his work with his Orton Plantation charity, visit http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/07/28/2228616/closed-to-public-orton-plantation.html for more.

The plot of land runs down a 256 acre stretch of Allen’s Creek and means there is a buffer of land either side of the river which will be protected from human development.

Talking about the conservation project, Louis Bacon said:“The protection of our fishery, wildlife, forests, water quality and wetlands, that this easement at Allen’s Creek guarantees, is part of a larger conservation plan that we are currently undertaking at Orton Plantation,

“We are excited to work with the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust to ensure that this beautiful piece of land is preserved and protected for generations to come.”

The plans are for the area to become a habitat for fish and wildlife, improved water quality and preserve the surrounding wetlands.

The area is already a natural habitat which boasts cypress, sweetbay, red maple, black gum, tupelo gum, oak, hickory and pine trees.

Louis Bacon gave the land to the Trust for free of charge in an agreement with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Orton Plantation by which the corps have issued permission to restore the areas historic rice fields along the river’s edge.

Camilla Herlevich, executive director of the Coastal Land Trust, said: “This is one of the most extensive stretches of creekfront we have ever received in one transaction,

 “We are delighted to have been selected by Orton Plantation and the corps as the long-term steward of this conservation easement. All the creeks and ponds at Orton, including Allen’s Creek, are very significant from a conservation standpoint.”

Louis Bacon honoured by the Peconic Land Trust

Renowned conservationist Louis Bacon has been honoured by the Peconic Land Trust for his work, which has given protection more than 1,000 acres of natural land on Long Island.

The Peconic Land Trust highlighted the fact that his work enabled small-scale farming to continue on the East End.

John van Heusen Halsey, the president of the Peconic Land Trust, said in the ceremony:  “It’s always great to point out and recognize people who have done incredible things locally and nationally, and who inspire others to do things along the same lines.”

The official recognition of Louis Bacon’s work took place at the “Through Farms & Fields Country Luncheon” held by the Peconic Land Trust at the Port of Missing Men on the 4^th of August 2013.

As well as recognising the philanthropist’s contributions, the luncheon also celebrated the organisation’s 30 years of existence and honoured Peter Salm, grandson of the reputed Colonel Henry H. Rogers whose life was spent protecting the Port of Missing Men. It was hosted by the Salm family alongside the charity.

Louis Bacon’s Moore Charitable Foundation has supported conservation efforts in Long Island through its Robins Island Foundation branch. It focuses on water protection, the preservation of land and the improvement of habitats. It represents its founder’s desire to ensure Long Island’s fantastic environmental areas remain as they are. For more information visit http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/blog/earth_to_power/2013/06/louis-bacon-puts-another-21000-acres.html

Its impressive funding contributions have led to some great local successes. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation were able to restore tidal marshes to their former state and re-establish the passage of fish through Oyster Bay, which were dammed previously.

The foundation also has a focus on education. Its significant investments into the North Shore Land Alliance provide education to local communities to highlight the importance of preservation. It offers an established student internship program with The Nature Conservancy, working as part of the Environmental Leadership Centre’s Internship Programme.

The Peconic Land Trust is a not-for-profit group that advocates the conservation of the farms that run on Long Island. It promotes the need for buying fresh, local produce to support farmers in the area that require patronage to survive.

Louis Bacon’s Moore Capital Management appoint new trader from Morgan Stanley

Louis Bacon’s Moore Capital Management hedge fund firm, view company overview, has signed the former Morgan Stanley credit trader Anthony Wainer, according to Bloomberg business week.

The $12.1 billion hedge-fund firm will now benefit from Wainer’s experience as the head of high-yield credit trading for Europe, the Middle East and Africa within Morgan Stanley.

Wainer will now join his former Morgan Stanley colleague Patrick Lynch, former head of European credit sales and trading at the company, at Moore Capital.

Moore Capital Management specialises in macro hedge fund management which means that it hedges funds against the performances of currencies, stocks, interest rates and bonds from around the world according to its predicted trends.

The firm operates from its New York base and has gained an impressive 10.9 over the last six months alone after successfully predicting that Japanese stocks would gain in value while the yen currency would decrease after the Japanese government announced measures to stimulate growth in the country’s economy.

Bacon built the company, which takes his middle name as its moniker, from scratch in 1989 using $25,000 he inherited from his family.

The firm is now one of the leaders in its market and, despite the global downturn in the worldwide economies several years ago it continues to show solid growth.

Louis Bacon’s Moore Bahamas Foundation Grants $50,000 to BREEF

The Moore Bahamas Foundation, a branch of the Moore Charitable Foundation created by Louis Bacon, has donated $50,000 to The Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation (BREEF).

BREEF is a charitable organisation which was founded in 1993 by Sir Nicholas Nuttall, and is designed to educate the people of the Bahamas about the dangers its marine life faces.

The funding will support research in the marine environment, and will sponsor the position of Research and Field Conservation Officer. This role is necessary for aiding students in finding research opportunities in the areas of the south west reef.

Casuarina McKinney-Lambert, the executive director of BREEF, said: “This is a really important position that will enable us to reach thousands more students every year. Until Moore Bahamas offered support, increased demand by teachers to take their students to west New Providence bays could not be met by current BREEF staff.”

The goal of The Moore Bahamas Foundation is to encourage the careful stewardship of the environment in the widely varied ecosystems in the Bahamas. The Foundation was formed as part of the Moore Charitable Foundation, and was inspired by founder Louis Bacon’s passion for environmental causes.

Louis Bacon is a champion of environmental protection and has advocated the conservation of natural resources in the United States for over two decades. His dedication to the natural world began in childhood, but it was the creation of the Moore Charitable foundation  (http://www.moorecharitable.org/index.php/about-us/louis-bacon/)  in 1992 that exponentially increased his input into the protection of the environment.

Other environmentally aware campaigns that Louis Bacon has supported with his Foundation are the conservation easement on Robins Island (in Long Island), which protects endangered shorebirds; the creation of a 50 acre protected zone on Tern Island by The Nature Conservancy, which guards certain bird species; the restoration of the Orton Plantation in North Carolina, which aims to augment the current population of egrets, herons and the rare Red-cockaded woodpecker; and various other efforts to protect the endangered environment.

In 2012, his Foundation supported the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Colorado Open Lands by donating two easements, which are the largest to have been received by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Colorado. 

Louis Bacon hailed by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar for conservation work

In the wake of Louis Bacon’s decision to preserve 140 sq miles of his Trinchera Blanca Ranch, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has been quick to praise the philanthropist saying it is “the largest single conservation easement ever donated to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service — and it happens to be in one of the most beautiful places in the country, the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the San Luis Valley.”

Salazar is a former U.S. Senator and was born in Alamosa near the famous Sangre de Cristos. He added: “Thanks to Louis Bacon’s deep commitment to conservation, we will now be able to preserve a diverse mosaic of public and private lands, creating a landscape corridor for fish and wildlife unlike any place in America.”

Bacon makes his living as the founder of Moore Capital Management and the firm’s unprecedented success has allowed the billionaire to reinvest some of his fortune into preserving wildlife and landscape trusts.

The well documented preservation of the Trinchera Ranch is the latest in a long line of environmental measures put in place by the hedge fund manager.

He said:  “I have focused on habitat rehabilitation and stream restoration since I acquired the Trinchera Blanca Ranch in 2007... Since then, the property has become a touchstone for best practices, encouraging partnerships with local community leaders and state wildlife guardians. Now, we have the opportunity to partner with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to develop a joint plan to manage the property, and I am excited about collaborating on the management and rehabilitation practices and to share them with other local landowners.”

Bacon’s gift  comes at a time when President Barack Obama has announced several eco-measures in order to preserve some of the most pristine habitats across the US.

Bacon added: “While this easement specifically supports the creation of the Sangre de Cristo Conservation Area, my hope is that the conservation easement donation to the United States Fish & Wildlife Service will encourage other landowners to consider placing an easement on their properties... The Sangre de Cristo Conservation Area provides a unique opportunity to partner with the federal government and one that I hope will be replicated to protect landscapes across the country.”

Louis Bacon comes from a long line of preservation efforts as his grandfather was a renowned pioneer of preservation efforts in Carolina.

In his Speech Louis said: “As a member of the local chamber of commerce, he worked very hard to help businesses understand the long-term economic benefit of protecting our environmental and cultural heritage from short-sighted, destructive development,” he added: “He believed that the fight to preserve nature was a worthy one both for the community and for commerce. It is a legacy I have been fortunate to be able to continue. I have worked on a number of conservation and preservation projects in the United States and overseas, but nothing with the scope and importance of my efforts on the Trinchera Blanca Ranch.”

Louis Bacon backs $750M Senior Loan Fund

Hedge fund manager Louis Bacon is showing his confidence in the mid-market lending sector by providing financial backing to a new firm who are raising $750 million debt fund aiming at the lower end of the middle market.

Louis Bacon is the successful founder of the Big Apple-based hedge fund Moore Capital Management LP.

Bacon has pledged an estimated $200 million to MC Credit which now plans to be restructured in order to reflect its new source of capital.

In May, MC Credit was established as the successor to Cyan Partners, Ashok Nayyar’s lower mid-market lender founded five years ago. Nayyar had previously been co-head of global leveraged finance at Morgan Stanley for two years and MD of leveraged finance group at Citigroup from 1997 to 2006.

Since it was started, Cyan Partners has conducted an estimated $900 million of loans. Nayyar is planning to transpose the same team with him to MC Credit and will now operate as an affiliate of Louis Bacon’s MooreCapital, although it remains independent in crediting decisions.

In order to promote its proprietary origination for its investments, MC Credit plans to syndicate its loans to hedge funds or banks. It will also work with some sponsors although this is thought not to be central to the firm’s approach.

MC Credit aims to focus its efforts on companies with between $15 million and $75 million in EBITDA, with a focus also on serving the North American market. The key strategy appears to be growth capital through senior secured loans and second-lien loans.

Louis Bacon is a legend of the hedge fund management world, with a net worth estimated at $1.3 billion, he ranks No. 347 on the Forbes 400 list as reported in March.

Bacon is also famous as one of the greenest billionaire and conservationist billionaires in the world. Bacon has several established conservation easements on his 90,000 acres of land in Trincherea Ranch in Colorado to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

His financial top stock picks for Moore Global Investments fund, as of the beginning of the year, include 7.6 million shares of the Powershares QQQ Trust, 5.1 million shares of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., 4.7 million shares in Citigroup, and 11.8 million shares of Bank of America Corp, according to 13F filings cited by InsiderMonkey.com.