2023 Land Conservation Conference

Tuesday, March 14 | 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Karen Grey, Executive Director, Wildlands Trust
Buzz Constable, Project Advisor

Zoom recording

Wildlands Trust recently purchased the last remaining private inholding within Plymouth's Halfway Pond Preserve, one of the Trust's most expansive and important conservation areas (550 acres). This purchase included a 12k square foot building, the former estate of cranberry baron LBR Barker, where Wildlands plans to host a training center to foster the development of volunteer land stewards and to promote continuing education of professional staff involved in land protection. Learn from project advisor Buzz Constable and Wildlands president Karen Grey about how this initiative seeks to grow stewardship capacity for land trusts and municipalities.

Wednesday, March 15 | 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Laura Marx, Climate Solutions Scientist, TNC

Zoom recording

In 2022, the American Forest Foundation and The Nature Conservancy expanded the Family Forest Carbon Program into western and central Massachusetts (as well as Vermont and 4 counties in eastern New York). This program provides landowners who are interested in managing their forests – when carbon is one of their top values – with management plans, technical assistance, and annual payments if they commit to either delaying harvest, or doing climate-smart forest harvests, for 20 years. Laura will walk through the program and explain how landowners, land trusts, and foresters can be involved. There will be plenty of time for questions, including about landowner eligibility and how this program is different from other carbon market programs.

Sponsored by:

LandVest
New England Forestry Foundation

Tuesday, March 21 | 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

An open discussion and conversation with David Santomenna, Sr. Director of Land Conservation and Nick Rossi, Land Protection Specialist

Zoom recording

Wednesday, March 22 | 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Sally Naser, Conservation Restriction Stewardship Director, The Trustees
Olivia Lukacic, Land Conservation Specialist, The Trustees

Zoom recording (partial)

Recording a Conservation Restriction (CR) marks only the beginning of a lifelong commitment. Join The Trustees CR Program Director Sally Naser and Land Conservation Specialist Olivia Lukacic to learn useful tips and tricks for baseline documentation reports, monitoring, enforcement, and maintaining landowner relationships. Using a case study approach, Trustees will draw upon its 50 years of CRs. Whether your land trust has one CR or 100, whether you are all-volunteer or have a staff, this workshop is for you. Ample time will be available at the end for questions and discussion.

Conference Room 171

Bob Wilber, Director of Conservation Services, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Kathy Sferra, Conservation Director, Town of Stow
Janet Milkman, Executive Director, Barnstable Land Trust

Presentation (PDF)

This workshop will describe and share lessons learned from three projects with varying conservation and housing components, interwoven. One involves addressing a longstanding conservation priority by including a relatively modest affordable housing component. The second is a work in progress in a densely settled part of Cape Cod, where competition for land between housing and conservation interests is particularly acute. The third is a story of a very large property where conservation and housing interests came together to work collaboratively to their considerable mutual benefit – perhaps creating some new models in the process. Three different stories, with different issues, outcomes and takeaways. Three co-presenters will strive to highlight challenges and lessons learned to help other conservation practitioners consider some of the complexities, and opportunities, involved with conservation / housing mixed-use outcomes.

Sponsored by Mass Audubon

Room 165

Reggie Hall, Conservation Finance Director, LegacyWorks Group 

Presentation (PDF)

This introductory overview will explore real estate transactions from the initial conversation with a landowner to the party celebrating the completion of the project. Emphasis will be on exploring best practices in the field while connecting the steps of sound real estate transactions as highlighted by LTA's Standards & Practices.

Sponsored by: Mass Audubon, LandVest, and Franklin Land Trust

Room 166

Andy Finton, Conservation Ecologist, The Nature Conservancy
Eve Schlüter, Assistant Director, Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife

The new BioMap builds on BioMap2 with several innovations. Statewide habitat data are now complemented by the addition of local biodiversity components to better support municipal planning and funding. BioMap also incorporates the latest climate resilient habitat and rare species data, as well as resources to support habitat restoration and management efforts. Our session will provide an overview of the new BioMap and its innovations, a live tour through BioMap's online resources and interactive map, and participant input on which resources will serve them best in applying the new BioMap.

Sponsored by: LandVest and The Nature Conservancy

Conference Room 172

Laura Mattei, Director of Land Stewardship, Sudbury Valley Trustees
Joan Deely, Project Manager, Land Stewardship, Inc.

Three case studies will be presented to cover a variety of mechanical and chemical techniques. Case Study One will highlight multiple mechanical control techniques that are being monitored for long-term success. Case Study Two is an intensive field restoration project with successful establishment of native grasses and wildflowers. Case Study Three is a floodplain forest restoration project, converting agricultural land. This last case study will focus on the measures necessary to protect new native plantings from wildlife damage.

Sponsored by:
Land Stewardship, Inc.
Nantucket Conservation Foundation

Room 167

Paul Catanzaro, Professor, Forest Ecology and Conservation program, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Tom Lautzenheiser, Senior Conservation Ecologist, Central/West, Mass Audubon

Presentation (PDF)

Old-growth forests were once the predominant natural condition before European settlement. Though new old-growth forests cannot be created, there is an opportunity through both passive and active management to restore old-growth characteristics in our current forests. There is renewed focus on restoring these characteristics given their compatibility with objectives such as biodiversity conservation, forest carbon, and resilience to climate change. This session will focus on the new publication Restoring Old-Growth Characteristics to New England's and New York's Forests, and offer a case study from Mass Audubon's Elm Hill Sanctuary to demonstrate the ways in which these strategies can be implemented.

Sponsored by: Mass Audubon and The Trustees

Room 169

Melissa Cryan, Grant Programs Supervisor, Division of Conservation and Stateside Coordinator, Land and Water Conservation Fund
Kristen Sykes, Director of S. New England Conservation Projects and Partnerships, Appalachian Mountain Club
Markelle Smith, Director, Friends of Conte and Conservation Partnerships Director, Mass Audubon

Presentation (PDF)

With the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act in 2020 ensuring that $900 million annually is disbursed nationally through the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the Commonwealth and its partners, AMC, TNC, and Mass Audubon created an outreach program to help take advantage of this increase of funds. These organizations hosted several listening sessions and workshops to hear from a diverse group of stakeholders on how the funds could be used to equitably serve diverse audiences, including Environmental Justice (EJ) communities. This session will present lessons learned on how we can promote inclusion of, and encourage participation by, DEI populations in the grant process. We will also discuss ways land trusts can effectively partner with EJ communities to encourage LWCF-funded projects.

Sponsored by: Mass Audubon, The Trustees, and The Nature Conservancy

Room 164

Colin Novick, Executive Director, Greater Worcester Land Trust, Inc.
Cynthia Henshaw, Executive Director, East Quabbin Land Trust
Diana Ruiz, Executive Director, Native Land Conservancy, Inc.

This workshop begins with a story of a partnership between the College of the Holy Cross, the Quinsigamond Band of Nipmuc, and the Greater Worcester Land Trust, who created a 40 minute documentary on the forgotten history of a Nipmuc village site, and then became the catalyst for that the site's conservation. East Quabbin will bring their experiences and perspectives on engaging indigenous communities in land conservation projects, as well as their part in the Nipmuc village project. The Native Land Conservancy will speak to its work building bridges between Indigenous communities and conservation groups, and will share some specific examples of land conservation work they have recently engaged in.

Sponsored by: The Trustees, The Nature Conservancy, Nantucket Conservation Foundation, Sheriff's Meadow Foundation, UMass Forest Conservation Program

Room 109

Ray Lyons, Conservation Attorney

Though the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law in 1990, its applicability to natural areas and the concept of Universal Design are not universally understood in the land trust community. This session gives an overview of how the ADA applies to nature preserves and conservation easement properties.

Sponsored by: Sheriff's Meadow Foundation

Auditorium.

Conference welcome from MLTC Executive Director Robb Johnson and President Cynthia Henshaw.

Massachusetts is widely regarded as facing a crisis in home affordability. Given that land is a limited commodity, land conservation interests and housing interests are sometimes perceived to be in competition. Why might it be important for conservation organizations to demonstrate responsiveness to housing concerns? What are some meaningful ways for land conservation organizations to engage? Given their conservation missions, how far should they go in working on housing? For their part, how might housing advocates foster more collaboration with conservation interests?

Sheila Dillon's presentation: Housing and Land Conservation in Boston (PDF)

Building Collaboration among Community Land Trusts Providing Affordable Housing and Conservation Land Trusts Protecting Land for Ecological Value | Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

Hudson Valley Affordable Housing & Conservation Strategy (PDF)

Steven Rosenberg – Co-facilitator, Hudson Valley Affordable Housing & Conservation Strategy; former Executive Director of Scenic Hudson.
Sheila Dillon – Chief of Housing and Director of the Department of Neighborhood Development, City of Boston
Jim Levitt – Director, International Land Conservation Network (ILCN) at the Lincoln Institute [Moderator]

Room 109

Jamie Pottern, New England Program Manager, American Farmland Trust
David Viale, Agricultural Lands Programs Supervisor, Division of Agricultural Conservation and Technical Assistance, Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources
Chris LaPointe, Vice President, Conservation Operations, Essex County Greenbelt

Presentation (PDF)

This workshop will provide context to the affordability and housing tools used by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resource's Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) program, as well as share newer innovations being employed by land trusts. Tools such as the Private APR, Option to Purchase at Agricultural Value (OPAV), and long-term ground lease models will be explored, and case studies by American Farmland Trust and Essex County Greenbelt will be shared. Recent state policy changes and efforts to increase the range of farms eligible for the APR program and the federal Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) will be discussed.

Research, Data, and other Resources:

Farms Under Threat: The State of the States Agricultural
Land Conversion Highlight Summary for Massachusetts

Farms Under Threat: 2040 Future Scenarios: Choosing an Abundant Future
mapped three scenarios of development in Massachusetts between 2016 and 2040

The Farmland Information Center (FIC)
A clearinghouse for information about farmland protection that serves people working to save farmland and ranch land for agriculture.

Sponsored by:
Essex Country Greenbelt

Room 110

Polly Reeve, Development Director, Mass Audubon
Delia Kaye, Natural Resources Director, Town of Concord
Christa Collins, Land Protection Strategic Advisor/Consultant (until recently Director of Land Protection, Sudbury Valley Trustees)
Rich Feeley, President, Concord Housing Foundation

Presentation (PDF)

When the Assabet River Bluff, a lovely seven-acre riverfront woodland just a short walk along the rail trail from the heart of West Concord, was put on the market for $2.8 million in 2021, neither local land conservationists nor affordable housing proponents thought it would be feasible to preserve the land for community benefit, despite its outstanding qualities. But by joining forces, they managed to accomplish just this: today, thanks to remarkable public and private support from the community, and to a significant grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, six of the seven acres are preserved forever as natural land, and one acre has been purchased for affordable housing. Representatives from the local Concord Land Conservation Trust and the regional Sudbury Valley Trustees, the Town of Concord's Natural Resources Division, and the Concord Housing Foundation will discuss how this was accomplished.

Sponsored by: Mass Audubon

Room 164

Jen Plowden, New England Program Manager, Land Trust Alliance
Linda Vanderveer, Land Manager, Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust

Presentation (PDF)

Are you new to stewarding conservation restrictions? What does it mean to have a program of responsible stewardship? In this introductory session, Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust and the Land Trust Alliance team up to walk you through the best practices of how to steward your conservation restrictions (CRs), from funding through baseline documentation reports, monitoring, enforcement, and more. This session will cover frequently asked questions related to stewardship funding, baseline documentation reports, organizing stewardship files, and landowner relationships.

Sponsored by: The Trustees, The Conservation Fund, Franklin Land Trust, Land Stewardship, Inc.

Room 166

Mark Robinson, Executive Director, The Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts
Ray Lyons, Conservation Attorney

Collateral:
Property Tax and Land Conservation in Massachusetts (PDF)
DOR Property Tax Form 1b-3-1 (PDF)
DOR Property Tax Form 3abc-2 (PDF)
GL c.59 sec 5 (PDF)
MGL  c  61A affidavit (PDF)
MGL  c  61B affidavit (PDF)
Municipal Tax Year 4 payments (PDF)

While state and federal tax benefits drive many conservation transactions, local property tax implications bear a good deal of influence too. We will help land trusts and landowners understand how land is assessed in MA and how land conservation strategies can affect valuations. We will also explain the timing and required process for property tax exemption of land trust fee simple holdings. Finally, we will underscore the 2014 landmark case of NEFF v. Town of Hawley in guaranteeing the how and why of property tax exemption.

Sponsored by: LandVest

Conference room 171

Rachel Horgan, Assistant Director of Development, Essex County Greenbelt
Sarah Wells, Conservation Director, Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust
Stuart Saginor, Executive Director, Community Preservation Coalition
David Santomenna [moderator], Senior Director of Land Conservation, Mass Audubon

Presentation: 
Funding Land Conservation with the Community Preservation Act (CPA) (PDF)

You've got a deal, now how to pay for it. The presenters will provide an overview of state, local and private sources of funding for land conservation projects. This is a "nuts and bolts" session and will cover the use of Community Preservation Act funds, state and federal grants, state agency partnerships and private capital campaigns to fund land conservation. Ample time will be allocated for questions and answers and to workshop projects from the audience.

Sponsored by: Mass Audubon, The Conservation Fund, and Essex County Greenbelt

Room 167

Buzz Constable, Lincoln Land Conservation Trust, MLTC Board, Attorney
Stephen Small, Law Office of Stephen J. Small, Esq., P.C.
Joel Russell, Land Use Attorney and Planning Consultant

Collateral:
Free "fix" of "defective" proceeds clause and more (PDF)
Perpetuity Ain't What It Used To Be (PDF)

This "legal roundtable" will address a range of issues suggested by those in attendance, as well as an array of new issues of import to land conservation. While the current IRS attacks on deductions will be discussed, so will issues such as access, enforceability, climate, and litigation postures. Questions will be assembled and solicited in a manner not feasible in Zoom conferences.

Auditorium

Andre Strongbearheart Gaines Jr., citizen of the Nipmuc people, Indigenous rights activist
Sally Loomis, Executive Director, Hilltown Land Trust
Jennifer Albertine, Climate and Land Justice Specialist, Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust

Resources for Respectful Relationships with Indigenous Tribes (PDF)

This workshop will focus on the importance of including land justice in the work of conservation organizations. Two land trust practitioners and a member of the Nipmuc Tribe will share their experiences collaborating, including principles of respectful relationships that allow conservationists to work with Indigenous persons in a way that respects their culture and acknowledges and appropriately compensates them for their time and expertise. They will discuss the importance of centering relationships and reciprocity in this work. Tools such as cultural use and respect agreements, cultural inventories, and co-management plans will be shared. There will also be a discussion of the need and opportunity for land rematriation. 

Sponsored by: The Nature Conservancy, The Trustees, New England Forestry Foundation, and UMass Forest Conservation Program

Conference room 172

Josh Rapp, Conservation Scientist, Mass Audubon
Jennifer Fish, Service Forestry Program Director, Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
Jennifer Shakun, Climate-Forest Specialist, New England Forestry Foundation

Presentation (PDF)

Two new efforts will enable Massachusetts landowners to implement climate-smart forestry, a powerful approach to mitigating climate change while increasing forest resilience. DCR provides cost-share for the new Forest Stewardship Climate Plan, enabling landowners to hire a forester to assess a forest’s vulnerability to climate change and select climate-smart management practices. NEFF is launching a USDA-funded $30 million, 5-year pilot forest landowner incentives program to improve forest management, monitor forest carbon, and produce climate-friendly forest products, including affordable, lower- impact housing made with engineered wood. Presenters will describe the Forest Stewardship Climate Plan, review forestry practices, and describe options for Massachusetts landowners to access funding.

Sponsored by: Mass Audubon, LandVest, The Nature Conservancy, Franklin Land Trust, and New England Forestry Foundation

Room 165

Abby Hardy-Moss, Director, Conservation Technology and Planning, Essex County Greenbelt
John Rogan, Professor of Geography, Graduate School of Geography, Clark University and Coordinator, Human-Environment Regional Observatory (HERO) program

Presentation (PDF)

There are many ways in which geospatial technologies help advance the work of land conservation. However, many land trusts have a limited capacity to undertake GIS projects. By contrast, many university GIS programs have a large pool of talented students and faculty seeking real-world experience. Building partnerships across these lines can be mutually beneficial, and can help land trusts work more creatively and efficiently. Join staff from Essex County Greenbelt and faculty from Clark University to hear both sides of what such partnerships look like; the many different types of GIS projects that can be undertaken; and the benefits of having a reliable stream of interns. Topics will include: climate research, natural resource analysis, data collection, cartography, drone/UAV technology and more.

Sponsored by: Essex County Greenbelt