Recent News

Recent News items:

Off Highway Vehicle Bill of 2010

July 31, 2010 Mass Legislature

On July 31, 2010, Governor Patrick signed a new Off-Highway Vehicle bill into law. The law is intended to increase the safety of off-highway vehicle riding and protect natural resources.

View letter to Off Highway Enforcement Working Group

View  An Act Regulating the Use of Off-Highway and Recreation Vehicles

 

Conservation Jobs and Grants

August 16, 2010
MLTC e-news

Job openings in conservation organizations and grants currently available, from the Mass Land Trust Coalition e-news of August 16, 2010.

View document

MLTC 20th Celebration Dinner Rescheduled!

August 4, 2010
Mass Land Trust Coalition

 Rescheduled!

Mass Land Trust Coalition
20th Anniversary Celebration! 

Please plan to join us for the rescheduled
Celebration of Land Conservation.
This year marks the 20th Anniversary of the
Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition.

We will honor some of the key figures in Massachusetts land conservation and launch a new beginning for the nation's leading land trust coalition.

Honorees: Jack Clarke, Buzz Constable, Don Henley,
Joel Lerner, Bob Levite, Bob O'Connor, Pamela Resor,
Wes Ward, Fred Winthrop, George Wislocki

Special Guest Speaker Nationally Renowned Conservation Attorney
Stephen J. Small

Friday, October 22, 2010
Riverview
Hudson, Massachusetts
Directions

6:00 p.m. VIP Reception
 7:00 p.m. Welcome Guests

Guest Tickets $40 each - Order online 
VIP Tickets* $100 each - Order online 
Sponsor Tickets** $250 for Two - Order by mail
Patron Tickets*** $500 for Two - Order by mail

*Includes admission to VIP reception for One
**Includes recognition in the program book and admission for Two to the VIP Reception
***Includes Patron designation, program book recognition and VIP Reception for Two

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

VIP, Trust, and Host tickets include a tax-deductible contribution to the Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition

 

Bernie McHugh Honored by Mass Audubon

April 27, 2010
Mass Audubon

Bernie McHugh was honored as one of the "People Making a Difference" in Mass Audubon's Land Protection E-Newsletter, Land for People and Wildlife issue of April 27, 2010.

Read article

 

Governor Patrick at the Mass Land Conservation Conference!

2010 Massachusetts Land Conservation Conference
March 27, 2010

Governor Deval Patrick featured speaker

Governor gives land trusts state grants
by Linda Bock, Telegram & Gazette Staff

WORCESTER — John M. Mitchell, U.S. attorney general from 1969-1972, once said, “The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists and other subversives. We intend to clean them out, even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.”

Bernie McHugh, of the Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition, used that quote to introduce folks at the 20th annual Massachusetts Land Conservation Conference to Gov. Deval L. Patrick early yesterday.
 
“It’s great to be among all you communists and subversives,” the governor said to the hundreds of conservationists and environmentalists. The crowd laughed and enjoyed his friendly, tongue-in-cheek remark, and the governor was clearly in a great mood as the crowd in the Worcester Technical High School auditorium welcomed him with a rousing standing ovation, the first of three he received.
 
In introducing the governor, Mr. McHugh spoke of a 2006 debate, when then-candidate Patrick was asked if he would be willing to make a $50 million commitment to land acquisition for conservation. Mr. Patrick agreed on the spot.
 
“And you have stuck to it even in these challenging times,” Mr. McHugh said. He then presented the governor with a framed map of the state that shows in green the land protected during the Patrick administration.
 
In the last three years, the Patrick administration has invested more than $140 million in conservation and preserved more than 61,000 acres at a cost of approximately $2,500 per acre, Mr. Patrick said. The open space projects include 72 urban park projects, the preservation of about 5,200 acres for farmland and 17 square miles preserved for habitat.
 
“Over 1,089 projects to date,” Mr. Patrick said. “We’ve completed one project for every day we’ve been in this office.”
 
Mr. Patrick congratulated the Land Trust Coalition on its 20th anniversary: “You’ve worked to coordinate over 100 land trusts across the commonwealth; your work is invaluable,” he said. He then announced $450,000 in conservation partnership grants ranging from $24,000 to $85,000 each to help land trusts and environmental groups protect 235 acres in 10 communities, including Athol, Hardwick and Phillipston.
 
Wes Ward, vice president of land and conservation for the Trustees of Reservations, and Bob Wilbur, chairman of the Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition, also made brief remarks before conference participants dispersed to their choice of more than 30 workshops for the rest of the day. Mr. Ward said the theme of the conference was the next generation of conservation.
 
“Let’s make conservation our own local stimulus,” Mr. Ward said. Mr. Wilbur said conservation efforts in the state are at an all-time high.
 
“We are at our moment of having the greatest impact,” Mr. Wilbur said. “We have protected over 30,000 acres in Massachusetts last year alone. We are on a 3-to-1 pace of conservation to development. One out of 11 acres that have been protected in Massachusetts has been protected in the last five years alone.”
 
The Trustees of Reservations was founded in 1891 and is the oldest statewide land conservation organization in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition is a volunteer association of land trusts founded to exchange ideas and information and work with state and environmental agencies.
 
“Things are really firing on all cylinders,” Mr. Wilbur said.
 
Participants in the conference had their choice of 70 speakers from all over New England. The discussions included nonprofit fundraising; starting and managing community farms and gardens; land trusts, property taxes and charitable exemptions; and understanding the politics and process behind municipal conservation funding.
 
In between workshops, participants browsed displays set up in the corridors.

more at: Worcester Telegram & Gazette article

Division of Conservation Services FY11 Grant Round

NEW GRANTS! LAND, CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP, SMALL COMMUNITIES

RFRs and application information are available on CommPass at http://www.commpass.com and on the DCS website at http://www.mass.gov/eea/dcs

If your community is interested in applying, please attend the grant workshop on May 18, 2010 at 10:00 am at 100 Cambridge Street, Boston. For the LAND program, RSVP to Celia Riechel at celia.riechel@state.ma.us. For the PARC program, RSVP to Melissa Cryan at melissa.cryan@gmail.com.

* Local Acquisitions for Natural Diversity (LAND) Grant

Reimbursement funding to municipal conservation commissions for the acquisition of land or interests in land for conservation or passive recreation. Maximum award: $500,000 Reimbursement rate: 5270%. Application deadline: July 15, 2010

* Conservation Partnership Grant

Reimbursement funding to 501(c)(3) nonprofits for the acquisition of land or interests in land for conservation or recreation. New for FY11: Baseline Documentation Reports are eligible for reimbursement. Maximum award: $85,000. Reimbursement rate: 50%. Application deadline: July 12, 2010

* Conservation Appraisal for Small Communities Grant New for FY11!

Reimbursement funding for appraisals contracted in order to apply to the LAND grant program. Available to all communities with a population of fewer than 5,000 people. Funding is noncompetitive? all eligible applicants will receive contracts on a rolling basis until all available funding is allocated. Participants must have an executed state contract prior to getting the appraisal. The Participant must submit a LAND application for the appraised property to receive reimbursement. Reimbursement under this grant is not contingent upon the Participant’s LAND application being selected for funding.Maximum award: $5,000 per appraisal. Reimbursement rate: 80%. Application deadline: rolling, no later than June 11, 2010.

Contact: Celia Riechel, 617-626-1187
celia.riechel@state.ma.us
 

 

 

EEA 2009 Land Protection Report

November 13, 2009 MA Exec Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs

The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) and its agencies took action to permanently protect 22,353 acres of land – the equivalent of 61 acres per day – in fiscal year 2009.

View report

Religious Lands Conservancy in the News

December 11, 2009 Bridget Macdonald - Medill News Service

The Religious Lands Conservancy (RLC) is a joint project of the Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition and the Crystal Spring Center for Earth Learning. RLC is featured in the Religion and Environment report from the Medill News Service, Washington DC. View report

An abbreviated version of this article was published in the Washington Post on January 2, 2010.

EEA Sec Bowles on Wind Energy Siting

October 23, 2009 Ian Bowles

Mass Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles responds to Mass Audubon's Laura Johnson on the Patrick Administration's approach to wind energy siting.  

View Letter

 

Clarifications for the Drafting of Conservation Restrictions

October 19, 2009 Irene Del Bono

DCS guidance on drafting conservation restrictions; in particular subordinations and proportional value sections.

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