Date of Publication: 07/01/2025
Last Reviewed by MLTC: 11/11/2025
Summary:
This collection features examples of complete mergers and collaborations among New England land trusts. These case studies provide valuable insights into organizational transitions, communication strategies, governance structures, and lessons learned from unification processes.
Documents:
- Merger Announcement (Press-Style) (Downeast Coastal Conservancy; 07/01/2025)
Press release announcing the merger of partner land trusts, used to communicate publicly with members, donors, and media.
Document: Merger-Announcement.pdf
- Unification Plan – CREA & BTLT (Sample Document #7) (Cathance River Education Alliance & Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust; 11/30/2022)
Comprehensive merger plan outlining mission alignment, governance integration, staffing transitions, communications, and implementation timeline for CREA and BTLT unification.
Document: Unification-Plan-2.pdf
- Coalition Memo of Understanding – Mount Agamenticus to the Sea (Mount Agamenticus to the Sea Coalition; 06/01/2019)
Formal memorandum of understanding establishing the Mt. Agamenticus-to-the-Sea Coalition’s shared goals, governance, funding, and stewardship coordination framework among member land trusts.
Document: Coalition-Memo-of-Understanding-Mount-A.pdf
- Maine Land Trust Mergers: Stories and Insights (Megan Shore, M. Shore Consulting for the Maine Land Trust Network; 06/01/2025)
Comprehensive report analyzing more than a decade of Maine land-trust mergers, summarizing motivations, strategies, and post-merger outcomes through nine detailed case studies.
Document: Merger-Report-2025-Final-Complete.pdf