eNews
The Newsletter of the Massachusetts Land Conservation Community

November 21, 2023, Volume 21, Number 11

Member Spotlight

Culturally Important Aquinnah Property Purchased by Native Land Conservancy

Native Land Conservancy (NLC) purchased 27 Aquinnah Circle on Martha's Vineyard in August to protect the culturally and ecologically significant land. The 3.3 acres are comprised of the iconic Gay Head cliffs, a restaurant, rare species habitat, and open space connecting it to the Aquinnah Cultural Center. NLC plans to hold the property temporarily until the newly formed Aquinnah Land Initiative (ALI), led by Wampanoag women, is able to fundraise the purchase cost. Wenonah Madison, ALI's president, stated the importance of having the land back in the hands of the Wampanoag people. The cliffs are central to the Aquinnah Wampanoags’ creation story, which explains that their red streaks are blood, which resulted from the Giant Moshup throwing whales against the cliffs to kill them for food and other bounty. Generations of tribal members have harvested the clay from these cliffs to make distinctive pottery honoring Moshup. Archeologists have also found rhinoceros and megalodon fossils here. The cliffs and surrounding open space will be perpetually protected with cultural access guaranteed to the people indigenous to the land, and the restaurant will be leased to a Wampanoag restaurateur. There are also plans to focus on erosion control on the land. Learn more here and here.

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MLTC News and Programs

A stunning October day for stunning views from Wellfleet Conservation Trust's Herring River Overlook property, which also includes a well-laid trail through open forest landscapes.

#OurMassLandTrusts

Barbara

For Development Staff: Online Giving Days

Thursday, November 30, 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 5:00 p.m.
We'll discuss "Online Giving Days" – pros, cons, success, ideas. We invite you to share your successful programs, and come with questions for your development colleagues. This is a Stronger Together networking program facilitated by MLTC. This call will not be recorded. Register.

Remembering Whit Beals – Arrangements

Thank you to all who reached out with your condolences. Whit was indeed a driving and beloved force in the community. His obituary can now be found here, which includes information about a memorial service on Saturday, December 2, 10:00 a.m. at Pilgrim Church in Southborough, MA.

Topics of Special Interest to AVLTs (All Volunteer Land Trusts)

Tuesday, December 5, 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

The focus of this call will be Community Outreach and Engagement. Come prepared to share your experiences and ask questions. Topics for discussion might include letters, websites, social media, email list management, reaching kids/teens, etc. This Stronger Together networking call facilitated by MLTC will not be recorded. Register.

Conservation Partners Meeting

Friday, December 8, 10:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Land trust staff and board members as well as conservation partners are welcome to this quarterly meeting, featuring relevant news from state agencies, a timely update on state and federal policy matters, announcements, and a featured topic. This month will include an update on the Governor's Forests as Climate Solutions initiative, with focus on the recommendations for increasing forest conservation. Register.

Conference Sponsorship & Exhibitor Opportunities

Want to promote your business to the movers and shakers of the Massachusetts conservation community? Sponsor, or exhibit at, the annual Land Conservation Conference, which takes place on Saturday, March 23rd in Amherst. Sponsorship at the Supporter level and above includes visibility to a live audience of over 400 people, plus thousands more through Conference online publicity. Details here and here.

Topics of Special Interest to Small Staffed Land Trusts – Quarterly Call

Tuesday, January 16, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Topic(s) are still being decided (November 2023), but may include: efficient committee management, trail audits, enforcing trail rules, and key networking topics to discuss at the 2024 Mass Land Conservation Conference on Saturday, March 23. This call is a Stronger Together networking program facilitated by MLTC. It will not be recorded. Register.

2023 Early Conservation Career Network Member Survey

Are you in your first 10 years of a land conservation profession? Please take this 5-minute survey to help ECCN (Early Conservation Career Network) plan future programs. Click here to take the survey. We appreciate your input!

Increasing the Pace of Farmland Conservation

The Ag Conservation Working Group, currently hosted under MLTC's targeted networking program, is working on developing strategies to increase the pace of farmland conservation in the state, including facilitating greater regional collaboration, developing more educational and outreach tools around farm conservation funding sources and mechanisms, and enhancing educational opportunities for land trusts. If you are interested in these topics, contact to Jamie Pottern (jpottern@farmland.org) for how to get involved.

Policy

Alliance enters Agreement on Large-Scale Solar Development

On October 12th, the Land Trust Alliance joined major solar developers, conservation groups, agricultural organizations, environmental and environmental justice groups, and tribal entities in announcing a landmark agreement to advance large-scale U.S. solar development while championing land conservation and supporting local community interests. The Solar Uncommon Dialogue agreement commits to improving large-scale solar development in ways that recognizes that natural and working lands are important tools in reducing carbon emissions and combating climate change and that lands already in conservation status should be avoided when siting solar infrastructure. It even expresses an ambition to secure increased funding for federal and state programs that support private land conservation. Contact Zachary Sheldon (zsheldon@lta.org), the Alliance’s energy and climate policy advisor, for questions about the agreement.

News

Massachusetts Team Wins International Envirothon Competition

Source: Division of Fisheries and Wildlife website

After winning the Massachusetts Envirothon earlier this year, five teens from Lexington recently won first place at the international 2023 Envirothon in New Brunswick, where teams from the U.S., Canada, China and Singapore tested their knowledge of wildlife conservation, aquatic ecology, soils, and forestry. Read more. Envirothon is a natural resource education program that emphasizes hands-on, team-oriented problem solving and community involvement to prepare young people for environmental careers and active citizenship.

Webinars and eLearning

Dam Busters 101: Monthly Lunchtime Webinar Series

First Wednesday of each month starting November 1, noon – 1:00 p.m.

Sponsored by DER, Massachusetts Rivers Alliance and CRWA, each webinar focuses on a dam removal topic, features an expert, and offers time for questions and discussion. The goal is to give municipal and NGO dam removal project managers the knowledge they need to successfully manage and carry out a dam removal projects. Attend one or all. An in-person site visit is planned at the end of the series in the fall of 2024. Register. View previous sessions.

Annual Meeting of the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Districts (MACD)

Wednesday, November 29, 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

In addition to hearing about last year's results and future plans, Conservation Districts will have the opportunity to provide a brief update on their activities, and key partner organizations will be highlighted. Join the meeting.

Conserving Land, Water, and Wildlife Amidst Growing Climate Threats

Monday, December 4, 11:00 a.m.

In this "Washington Post Live: Conservation" segment, Bureau of Land Management Director Tracy Stone-Manning and Connected Conservation Foundation Executive Director Sophie Maxwell talk about efforts to protect land and water systems amidst growing climate threats. Includes a segment by ESRI founder and CEO Jack Dangermond about technology in conservation. Register.

Land Trust Alliance and Terrafirma Offer Free Risk Management Series

Thursdays December 7 and January 4, 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

December 7 | Basic Risk Management: Insurance 101 – A crash course on the basics of insurance coverage. Learn practical pointers on how to get the most out of Terrafirma insurance coverage.

January 4 | Basic Risk Management: Tips from Terrafirma – Leslie Ratley-Beach, conservation defense director at the Land Trust Alliance and vice president of Alliance Risk Management Services, will review trends from over 2,200 claims submitted over the past eleven years of Terrafirma conservation defense liability insurance and respond to attendee comments. If Terrafirma member organizations and their staff or board attends these webinars, the organization will receive the Terrafirma risk management discount for the 2024 policy year.

In-Person Events and Outings

Save the Date! 2024 Massachusetts Land Conservation Conference
Saturday, March 23, 2023 in person at UMass Amherst, and Friday, April 26, field trips around the state.

Thank you to the generous sponsors who have joined us thus far!

Lead

Patron

Supporter

Contributor

Community Preservation Coalition | The Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts | Horsley Witten Group | Law Office of Stephen J. Small | The Trust for Public Land

Grants

Landscape Scale Restoration (LSR) Grants

Application deadline: Thursday, November 30

This USDA Forest Service program encourages collaborative, science-based, high-impact restoration of priority forest landscapes. Project examples include water quality and watershed health improvement, wildlife habitat improvement, and community tree planting projects in communities with a population of less than 50,000. Learn more.

NEW! Merrimack Conservation Partnership Land Conservation Grants

Application deadline: Friday, December 1

Land Conservation Grants underwrite transaction costs—appraisals, surveys, title research, staff time, etc.—on conservation projects that protect land identified as a priority in the Merrimack Valley Regional Conservation Plan (2014). Projects must be located in these towns to be eligible for funding. Learn more and apply. The grant program is privately funded and administered by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests on behalf of the Merrimack Conservation Partnership.

NEW! Watershed Collaboration Funding Workshop

Tuesday, December 5, 10:00 a.m. via Zoom

Sponsored by Mass ECAN (Ecosystem Climate Adaptation Network), this workshop will explore the needs and opportunities related to funding for the facilitation, relationship building, and collaborative capacity that makes these partnerships a success. Register.

Forest Legacy Program

Application deadline: Monday, December 11

This program is to identify and conserve environmentally important forest areas that are threatened by conversion to non-forest uses, and to provide economic incentives to landowners to keep their forest as forests. Landowners may participate by either selling their property outright, or by retaining ownership and selling only a portion of the property’s development rights. Learn more.

Municipal Vulnerability Program (MVP) Action Grants

Expression of Interest (EOI) Form deadline: Friday, December 15

Through this form, potential applicants provide basic information about their project idea. MVP staff will then provide feedback prior to the Request for Responses (RFR) release date. Submission of an EOI for a project is not mandatory in order to submit an application once the RFR comes out (tentatively mid-March 2024), but is encouraged. Submit a form.

NEW! LSP (Licensed Site Professionals) Association Grants

Application deadline: Friday, December 15

This pilot grant program supports local environment and natural resource projects that benefit Massachusetts communities with Environmental Justice (EJ) populations. The focus is on implementing community-driven projects that provide a better understanding of local environmental and public health issues, and assist communities in developing strategies for addressing those issues. $7,500 remains to be awarded in the Southeast Region of the state and $6,000 to be awarded in the Central Region. Learn more and apply.

Funding for MA Forest Landowners to Improve Native Wildlife Habitat

Application deadline: Friday, January 5 (also March 8 or May 10)

Offered through the Massachusetts Collaborative for Private Forestland – Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), this funding focuses on improving and protecting wildlife habitat on private forest land in the Massachusetts. Eligible landowners must own forestland in Massachusetts that is at least 10 acres. Applications received by January 5 (or March 8 or May 10) will be ranked and considered for funding in fiscal year 2024. Learn more.

Land and Water Conservation Fund Grants (LWCF)

Application deadline: Thursday, January 11

These grants provide financial assistance to municipalities and the state's Departments of Conservation and Recreation and Fish and Game for the acquisition of parkland, development of a new park, renovation of an existing park, development of trails in an existing conservation or recreation area, or the acquisition of conservation land. Grant limit: up to $1,000,000. Learn more and apply.

Community Forest Program Grants

Application deadline: Friday, January 12

This program provides financial assistance to establish community forests by protecting forest land from conversion to non-forest uses through fee simple acquisition of private forest land. Public access is required for all projects. Applicants are strongly encouraged to work with their appropriate Forest Service Region/Institute contact during the application process before submission. Learn more. View the RFP.

NEW! MassTrails Grants

Application deadline: Thursday, February 1

These grants provide funding and technical expertise for project development, design, engineering, permitting, construction, maintenance of recreational trails, shared-use pathways, and the amenities that support trails. These are reimbursement grants with a match requirement. Learn more and apply.

NOAA Climate Adaptation Partnerships (CAP) Program

Application deadline: Monday, February 5

CAP is an applied research and engagement program which supports sustained, collaborative relationships that help communities build lasting and equitable climate resilience. It seeks to support new creative, solution-oriented approaches that are both responsive to communities and that integrate across silos of scientific knowledge and expertise. Funded by five-year cooperative agreements. Info sheet. Learn more.

Cornell Land Trust Small Grant RFP Opens in January

Application deadline: Friday, March 1

Cornell Lab’s Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative grant program will award around $230,000 to as many as 14 projects in two categories: Capacity and Partnership Projects – up to 6 grants of $5,000 each, and Management and Restoration Projects – 8 grants of $25,000 each. Funds to be dispersed in late May. Learn more.

Innovation and Capacity-Building Grants

Application deadline: rolling through Wednesday, April 3

These grants, part of the EmPower Program of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, provide seed funding for the exploration of innovative ideas for potential program models or projects that will provide access to the benefits of clean energy, or reduce energy burden for previously underserved or vulnerable populations in the state. RFP. Learn more.

NEW! Solar Moonshot Program

This program helps non-profits afford the switch to clean energy. Grant priority is given to solar projects that have additional funding sources and community support. Grants are typically awarded up to $25,000, with grant amounts dependent on various factors, including the organization’s need for funding. The program is managed by Hammond Climate Solutions Foundation, and grants are funded by generous philanthropists and foundations. Questions? Contact solarmoonshot@hcs.foundation. Learn more and apply.

Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area Partnership Grants

Application deadline: accepted on a rolling basis starting October 1 until funding is exhausted

This program serves as a catalyst for new, creative programs and projects within 45 communities of the Heritage Area. Reimbursable matching grants are offered in support of the goals and objectives outlined in the Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area Management Plan and summarized as: Inclusive Storytelling; Education, Interpretation & Curation; Community Planning & Resource Conservation; Historic Preservation; and Regional Cultural Events. Funding ranges from $1000 to $7500. Discussion of your proposal with a grant specialist before applying is highly recommended. Learn more here and here.

Land Conservation Networking Mini Grants

Applications accepted on a rolling basis, but applying in the fall is recommended

Projects must be complete by April 15, 2024

Recognizing that many land conservation projects require partnerships among community leaders and other conservation partners, this mini grant program focuses on creating intentional opportunities for networking and relationship building. The ideal proposal will bring together people from a shared geography to build or strengthen relationships in service of community conservation. Learn more.

Neighborhood Outreach Project

Applications accepted on a rolling basis, but applying in the fall is recommended

Landowner decisions are often informed by advice and stories of friends and neighbors. The goal of this grant is to use neighborhood-scale social networks to help inform landowner decisions about the future of their land. Past projects include direct mailings to high-priority landowners, videos, workshops, potlucks, site visits, and individualized follow-up with interested landowners. Learn more and apply.

Supporting Underserved and Small-Acreage Forest Landowner Participation

Application deadline: reviewed quarterly, with final deadline Wednesday, August 21, 2024
These grants, funded by the US Forest Service, support the participation of underserved or small-acreage forest landowners in emerging private markets for climate mitigation or forest resilience. Learn more and apply.

Resources and Opportunities

Wetland Delineations Needed for Statewide GIS Models
Deadline: Thursday, November 30
MACC (Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions) is working with consultants on a MassDEP wetlands carbon project to help improve wetlands mapping information for the state. Please send any confirmed wetland delineations / points in Massachusetts, ideally in GIS formatted shape file, but digitized PDFs will do. The data will be used to help calibrate GIS models. Questions? Contact Eric Giordano at ericg@regenerativedesigngroup.com or 978-886-0831.

Need Help Building a 5-Year Conservation Plan?

Application deadline: Friday, March 8

This service of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services’ (NRCS) Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), assists private forest landowners, land trusts, farmers, sportsmen clubs, and others by designing a 5-year conservation plan that provides financial assistance for active conservation measures already being conducted on the land units enrolled such as forest thinning, invasive species control, installing wildlife structures, etc. Minimum annual payments to participants start at $4,000/year ($20,000 over the 5 year contract). Learn more. Contact John Doyle, Forestry and Wildlife Implementation Specialist, or your local NRCS Field Office for more information.

Tree Equity Score by NOAA
This tool measures the benefits of urban tree canopies, and gives a score for the health, economic, and climate benefits provided by neighborhood tree cover. This score can guide investment in communities disproportionately affected by extreme heat, pollution, and other environmental hazards.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Framework and Resources for Change

This new, free tool by Land Trust Alliance can help chart organizational learning and action planning for land trusts pursuing DEIJ goals. Intro video.

Are Your Trails Correctly Represented on AllTrails?

If you're looking to correct any misplacement of your trails on AllTrails, check out their new tool, which allows registered organizations to manage trail information and view data analytics on visitation. Learn more and register (free).

Updated Conservation Tax Guide now available

This newly-updated third edition of the popular Tax Guide to Conservation Easements is written for a general conservation audience. Author Timothy Lindstrom covers basic legal concepts underpinning conservation easements, requirements for tax benefits, appraisals and more.

Why Do Coyotes Howl?

Whether you love it or are spooked by it, the call of a coyote is haunting. What does it mean? Learn more.

Jobs

Post your job openings on the MLTC self-serve Job Board anytime!

View more jobs on our Job Board.

Development and Operations Coordinator - Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition

Program Officer, Conservation - Fidelity Foundations

Development Manager - Essex County Greenbelt Association

Land Protection Manager - The Nature Conservancy

Land Protection Specialist - The Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts

Land Protection Specialist - Essex County Greenbelt Association

Land Conservation Specialist (Hybrid) - The Trustees of Reservations