Val Kilmer Selling Ranch, Awesome Treehouse, Eco-Village Dreams

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by Michael dEstries April 17, 2009
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Word out this evening is that Val Kilmer is selling his 6,000-acre ranch near Santa Fe for $33 million. The 49-year-old actor has lived in New Mexico more than two decades and has had the ranch about 13 years.

We imagine this has to be kind of a bummer for him. We’ve written a bunch in the past about the beautifully designed treehouse on the property he had created from recycled and sustainable materials — as well as plans for a massive high-end ecovillage. “It says something that almost 100 percent of the people who come here just feel good,” he said in a 2006 interview.”There’s a right-ness to developing a community that interacts with the local one. I have to develop it because otherwise it’s really wasting the land.”

Kilmer’s original business plan was to develop high-priced homes, constructed with indigenous materials (adobe, wood, and stone for natural insulation and heat), and featuring solar panels and a windmill system. Each house would be required by its “members” to have its own government-certified organic garden; its fruits would go to a co-op.

It’s unclear what the actor might do next — though rumors are swirling he may make a run for Governor of New Mexico next year. While speaking to a reporter from his treehouse in 2007 he said, “In places like this, I can figure out what I’m all about.” With a price tag now on his beloved property, I guess he’s ready to take that next step.

>>Click here for more details and a slideshow of Kilmer’s property.


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About Michael dEstries

Michael has been blogging since 2005 on issues such as sustainability, renewable energy, philanthropy, and healthy living. He regularly contributes to a slew of publications, as well as consulting with companies looking to make an impact using the web and social media. He lives in Ithaca, NY with his family on an apple farm.

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  • http://www.veganjapan.net herwin

    i like the sentence” otherwise its really waisting the land” !
    like if keeping some natural habitat intact is “waisting land”.

  • http://RawfoodsRetreat.com erin

    Herwin,

    GREAT point. I know they have groups (nature conservancy?) or another one I support that buys of tons of acres of land so people cannot develop it beyond a certain extent (though I just found this article and think i’ll no longer be giving to them http://www.sovereignty.net/p/ngo/A17955-2003May5.html)

    I wish I could start a non prof that bought up ALL the land so no developers could build anything. There are already more than enough homes apartments and buildings in this parking lot, I mean.. great green land… no more need to be built. I’d buy every acre and do just that…. leave it natural and completely undeveloped..

    E

  • Whoever…

    You know, there are no 100% true-to-their-beliefs organizations (and this includes WWF, Greenpeace, PETA, HSUS, ALF, Sea Shepherd and so on…).

    I think those who volunteer in these organizations have the best and the purest intentions and are helping because they truly believe in what they’re doing.

    However, the ones in charge of all those organizations aren’t the ‘saints’ they seem to be – at least most of them.

    A few months ago I sent an e-mail to dozens of animal rights and environmental organizations (including the ones mentioned above) worldwide urging them to set their differences aside and unite to create one global organization that would fight for animal rights and for the protection of the environment. Now that would surely make a real difference in this world!!
    I gave them the example of corporations that merge in order to survive through financial crisis and become more powerful!

    Guess how many replied to my e-mail?
    TWO and their answer was that they were small organizations and weren’t interested!

    What’s really ‘interesting’ is that a few days later I started receiving newsletters and e-mails from some of the other NGOs asking for donations!

    That really pissed me off! I mean, they took the time to include my e-mail address in their database but they didn’t even reply to me! I sent another e-mail to all of them saying that I admired and respected all the great work they did but that I really had to conclude that their main goal was to get as much money from people as possible!
    (Sure they do a lot of great work – they have to show some results, right? Otherwise why should people support them?)

    Two of them sent an e-mail to me kind of insulting me and the remaining NGOs just ignored me.

    Therefore I decided to never again support any organization whatsoever, including those in my country.

    Right now I prefer to do direct work by volunteering at my local shelter which has nearly 550 animals! I was there today and although I can’t earn a living doing this (not profiting from it!) in my country, this is my true calling and nothing would make me happier than to spend the rest of my life protecting animals and the environment.

    So I truly believe that if things don’t change a lot faster is because there are too many separate organizations fighting for the same cause…! Wouldn’t things be more effective if they all fought together!?

  • KateAlexis

    I’m really sure that he will not be elected Governor if he runs. He has in the past succeeded in alienating the people of Santa Fe and when I lived there nearly ran over my boyfriend’s dog.

  • http://RawfoodsRetreat.com erin

    Kate sorry to hear he almost ran over your dog. Sorry but he doesn’t look veg either (not that I’m judging-ok maybe a little) but he looks like he eats crap (or 100′s of lbs of veggies a day!) with the weight he’s gained..

    Good point Whoever. Hence the reason I do volunteer work as well and have my OWN animal friendly traps, do animal trapping/rescuing/spay neuter/adoption. such a great feeling to get a homeless stray fixed up and get them a proper home! :)

    Again http://LastChanceForanimals.com (he’s a strict vegan over 29 yrs and a dear friend) is the only one I know where the money REALLY is all put to work. He and his wife (also vegan) still live in their tiny 400 square foot apartment in L.A. next to their office (they rarely even have to drive!) since 1974.. now that is dedication. same car for 20 years. There aren’t many like them…
    And they’ve been featured on many national shows many times. but still stay the same… yet get the work done.

    Peace ya’ll on my way to see Joe Cocker!

    :) E

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