Between 2018-2022, the Buzzards Bay Coalition led an effort that brought together federal, state and local agencies and hundreds of individual donors to raise $6.2 million to purchase 68-acres of rare island habitats to prevent resort development and ensure that the island would be open for public access. That bold action then inspired a private landowner gift of a 230-acre conservation restriction, leading to an island today that is nearly 70% conserved. On this trip, we will cruise across the Bay to enjoy a hiking tour of the island’s trails and vistas and learn about the Coalition’s active grassland and shorebird management projects. Attendees will gather at the ferry at 8:30, travel together to and from the island, returning at 4 p.m. Parking & ferry fee are the responsibility of each attendee.
This session on best practices for working with appraisers in land conservation is designed for land trust staff and board members involved in land protection. It will feature insights from experienced land protection practitioners, Land Trust Alliance staff, and seasoned appraisers on how to develop effective relationships with appraisers and improve conservation outcomes. There will be plenty of time for Q&A. Co-hosted by the Land Trust Alliance, Connecticut Land Conservation Council, and the Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition.
Conversation on these calls is driven by current issues and concerns of those participating so this is a great place to bring questions for your peers. Part of MLTC's Stronger Together networking series for land trust staff and Board members. This call will not be recorded. Contact Robb Johnson (robb@massland.org) for more information.
The focus of this quarter's call will be on Volunteers: Recruiting, Engaging, and Retaining. This could be targeted toward using volunteers for fundraising and development purposes.
MLTC staff and a number of our contacts have recently received emails from multiple senders, offering to sell a list of Visitors/Attendees to the March 21 Mass. Land Conservation Conference being held at UMass Amherst. After consulting with the security departments of our CRM, events platform, and our computer consultant, we are confident that our systems have not been hacked, nor has information been leaked.
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With Paul Catanzaro, UMass Professor and State Extension Forester
New England touts a strong conservation ethic, but we suffer from a considerable shortfall in production of forest products compared to our enormously high rates of consumption and our capacity for sustainable production. Given New England's favorable climate and abundant, productive forests, as well as New Englanders' strong capacity to apply strict environmental oversight, few places on earth should be better poised to be a leader in advancing forest protection and the sustainable harvesting of forest products while upholding ecological and social values. This webinar will discuss an ambitious vision for 2060 to protect forests, reduce consumption, and expand ecological forestry that would not only remedy these production and consumption imbalances but also dramatically enhance protection of our forests and propel us toward meeting urgent climate and biodiversity goals.
Since January 20th, a series of executive orders and memos from the Trump administration have raised concerns for nonprofits, particularly regarding a freeze on federal grants and loans. The Office of Management and Budget issued a memo calling for a freeze on nearly all federal grants and loans, effectively pausing funds that had been appropriated by Congress. A judge temporarily blocked this freeze until February 3, citing the need for more time to evaluate the broad implications of the order. The situation has developed quickly, and as of January 29, the administration reversed the freeze with a brief two-sentence memo.....
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With Mark Anderson, director of TNC's North American Center for Resilient Conservation Science (CRCS); Barbara Charry, Director of Rivers and Lands; and Arlene Olivero, Aquatic Ecologist.
With Jennifer Ryan, Assistant Commissioner for Strategic Initiatives & Climate Policy at the Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game, and Eve Schlüter, Deputy Director at MassWildlife.
Executive Order No. 618, signed by Governor Healey, calls for the Department of Fish & Game to develop nation-leading biodiversity conservation goals for 2030, 2040, and 2050. DFG Assistant Commissioner Jennifer Ryan and Mass Wildlife Deputy Director Dr. Eve Schlüter will present on progress, next steps, and key priorities for a whole-of-government approach to biodiversity conservation. The presentation will highlight the crucial role of local land trusts and conservation partners in the success of this initiative with time for discussion on how we can come together to achieve the goals.
Hybrid
Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, 113 Brattle Street, Cambridge MA and via Zoom
Successful landscape-scale land conservation projects can hinge on productive engagement across municipal, sectoral, and sometimes national boundaries, but these boundaries can also pose logistical challenges to planning and collaboration. In this presentation, ILCN Director Jim Levitt, will look at the role of international communities of conservation, share insights into the work of the International Land Conservation Network (ILCN), and explore examples of cross-boundary conservation in New England and Canada. Please register even if you are coming in person, for planning purposes.
