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About CLCC
The mission of the CT Land Conservation Council is to advocate for land preservation, stewardship and funding, and ensure the long term strength and viability of the land conservation community.
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March 21, 2015
31st annual
CT Land Conservation Conference
Wesleyan University
Middletown, CT
Registration opens in 2015
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Steering Committee
Alicia Sullivan, Chair
Trust for Public Land
Tim Abbott
Litchfield Hills Greenprint
David Bingham
Salem Land Trust
Sandy Breslin
Audubon Connecticut
David Brown
Middlesex Land Trust
Margot Burns
Lower CT River Council of Governments
Kevin Case
Land Trust Alliance
Eric Hammerling
Connecticut Forest & Park Association
Mary-Michelle Hirschoff
The Garden Club of New Haven
Elaine LaBella
Housatonic Valley Association
Connie Manes
Kent Land Trust
Elisabeth Moore
Connecticut Farmland Trust
Shirley Nichols
Darien Land Trust
Tom ODell
CT Association of Conservation & Inland Wetland Commissions
Catherine Rawson
Weantinoge Heritage Land Trust
David Sutherland
The Nature Conservancy
Humphrey Tyler
Lyme Land Conservation Trust
Staff
Amy B. Paterson
Executive Director
Cristina Gastador
Communications Coordinator
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Executive Director's Message
Sharing stories ... Caring for legacies
Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of taking a trail run with Gwen Marrion, President of the Bolton Land Trust, to check out trail improvements that the land trust had just completed at their 90 acre Lombardi Ridge Preserve.
The land is beautiful: a mixture of hardwoods and evergreens, steep slopes, great outcrops of rock and ledge, vernal pools and wetlands, scenic overlooks, and miles of newly marked trails.
But what most impressed me was the story that Gwen told about a very special hike she had taken with Mrs. Lombardi, the 85 year old landowner who donated a portion of the property in memory of her husband. During their walk together, Gwen learned of the favorite picnic areas, beloved stands of trees, and secluded spots made special by the sweet memories shared between a husband and wife. The significance of that preserve took on a whole new meaning for me.
Isn't that always the way? As valuable as our open spaces are to the environment, it is the stories and sentiments running with the land that make conservation transactions extra special.
Your hard work both in the field and in the office, day after day, is a testament to your devotion to caring for the legacies that have been entrusted to you by people who so deeply love their land.
Thank you for all you continue to do to protect and steward the rich and storied history behind Connecticut's landscape. I am honored to work with you.
Wishing you and yours a joyous holiday season!
With warmest regards,
Amy
 | | With Gwen Marrion |
PS: Read more about the Lombardi Ridge Preserve at our CLCC Blog.
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CLCC Annual Conference
Updates
Saturday, March 21, 2015
8:30am - 4:45pm, followed by post-event reception
Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT
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2015 Conference Curriculum Sneak Peek Now Available!
The 2015 Conference will offer eight subject matter tracks, featuring 30 workshops and three half-day seminars. Click HERE for a Sneak Peek of the 2015 curriculum!
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NEW for 2015! Sponsorship Category for Conservation Service Providers
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2014 Conference sponsors and attendees during a networking break
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In addition to sponsorship opportunities for conservation organizations and other partners, CLCC is offering a new sponsorship category for Conservation Service Providers, such as law firms, appraisers, surveyors, land trust and non-profit consultants, land management/environmental professionals, and other conservation professionals, to provide them with an opportunity to further increase their visibility within the conservation community, including a listing in our 2015 Conservation Service Provider Directory. For more information click HERE or contact CLCC ED Amy B. Paterson at [email protected]
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State News
Lyme Land Conservation Trust Receives Accreditation
The Land Trust Accreditation Commission has awarded accreditation to the Lyme Land Conservation Trust. "This accreditation demonstrates our commitment to permanent land conservation that benefits the entire land community," said Land Trust President John Pritchard. There are currently 285 accredited land trusts across the country, eleven of which are now located in Connecticut. Read more HERE. Way to go, Lyme Land Conservation Trust!
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Wildlife Action Plan - December Update
View the latest revisions to the Connecticut Wildlife Action Plan on the DEEP website. Take note of the recently revised drafts of Chapter One and the List of Key Threats. Turn in your comments and help keep Connecticut's species common and maintain a great wildlife legacy from future generations to enjoy. Instructions for submitting your comments can be found HERE.
Photo credits: Lyme Land Conservation Trust (top), Barrie Robbins-Pianka (bottom)
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Recap: Permanency not Achieved but Enhanced Conservation Easement Tax Incentive Extended through December 31, 2014
From The Land Trust Alliance
As reported last week, the Senate passed the one-year extension of the 50+ "tax extenders", including the enhanced conservation easement tax incentive, retroactive to January 1, 2014, expiring December 31, 2014. For more detailed information, see last week's CLCC e-blast HERE or visit the Land Trust Alliance website.
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Conservation Programs Expect to Maintain Federal Funding Levels
From The Land Trust Alliance
Congress has recently passed the "CRomnibus," which provides funding for all government agencies, with the exception of the Department of Homeland Security. With funding secure through the end of Fiscal Year 2015, conservation programs expect to maintain similar funding levels as seen in recent history. Programs include the Land and Water Conservation Fund, North American Wetlands Conservation Act, Forest Legacy Program and the Agricultural Conservation Easements Program. For more detailed information and breakdown of funding, visit the Land Trust Alliance website.
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The Land Trust Alliance Addresses Funding Issues with Conservation Programs
From The Land Trust Alliance
Last week, the Land Trust Alliance sent a letter signed by 99 land trusts to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) addressing issues with the implementation of the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). Issues addressed in the letter included land trusts' concerns over funding levels and the complications arising from approval of appraisals and new required easement language. A letter has also been sent to the House and Senate Appropriations Committee to lift a proposed cap on the funding levels for conservation programs. See the Land Trust Alliance website for further policy updates.
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CLCC ED Amy B. Paterson with land trust leaders from across the nation at the
2014 Land Trust Advocacy Day.
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NRCS Seeks Public Comments on Conservation Stewardship Program Interim Rule
From USDA NRCS Connecticut
Submit your public comments now on changes to the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) interim final rule, which includes statutory changes to the program. "These modifications will increase the level of stewardship needed to address critical resource concerns on working agricultural lands and enable them to deliver more conservation benefits," said NRCS State Conservationist Lisa Coverdale. Public comments may be submitted HERE through January 5, 2015.
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USDA Seeks Public Comment on New Environmental Quality Incentives Program Rule
From USDA NRCS
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking public comments on a newly published rule outlining improvement changes on the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). The proposed rule includes changes authorized by Congress to the 2014 Farm Bill. Details of the proposed changes can be found HERE. Comments may be submitted HERE now through February 10, 2015.
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Resources
Cloud-Based App Now Available to Manage Organization Activities in One System
From The Colorado Coalition of Land Trusts
The Colorado Coalition of Land Trusts (CCLT) has developed the Land Organization Conservation Activities Tracking Entity (LOCATE), a Salesforce Database application allowing land conservation organizations to manage all donor, membership, grant, land acquisition and stewardship activities at once. Features include property information tracking, custom dashboard for visual representation of key statistics and marketing and communication tools. For more information, visit the website and sign up for the webinar demonstrations.
*** Pennsylvania Land Trust Association Published Manual on Trail Management From Pennsylvania Land Trust Association
The Pennsylvania Land Trust Association (PALTA) has addressed questions regarding responsible trail planning and management. View or download the manual Universal Access Trails and Shared Use Paths: Design, Management, Ethical and Legal Considerations for topics on:
planning, designing and implementing guidance for developing trails and shared use paths that comply with accessibility standards and BMPs; showcasing case studies of successful trail projects incorporating universal design; providing a general overview of accessibility laws, regulations, exceptions and BMPs.
PALTA is also offering several new conservation easement guides which may be of interest including: The Nature of the Conservation Easement and the Document Granting It and Amending Grants of Conservation Easement, Although these guides are written with Pennsylvania law in mind, many of the content is applicable to those of other states' laws.
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For AVLTs: Land Trust Alliance Offers FREE Coaching Sessions & Opportunity for On-line Group Discussion
From The Land Trust Alliance
Are you a board member serving on all-volunteer land trust (AVLT) (defined as those either without staff or with a part-time staff member) boards? Take advantage of The Alliance's FREE coaching sessions by telephone, led by land trust expert Donna Erickson of Erickson Consulting, Inc. Donna will provide advice covering board development, fundraising, monitoring easements, and more. Participants will be expected to become members of the online group and to create a discussion forum post based upon their coaching experience.
To register for a coaching conversation, contact Donna Erickson at [email protected] or 406-370-0454 to schedule a time and to define your land trust's topics of interest. For other questions, email Mary Burke at [email protected].
Also available on the Alliance Learning Center is a moderated AVLT group, relating specifically to issues faced by board members in all-volunteer organizations. Members of the AVLT group are invited to post questions and to engage in discussion on any topic their organization is grappling with. share stories, seek advice, and join the conservation! Go to http://learningcenter.lta.org and click Get Started.
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Farmington Land Trust Produces New Video
As part of its record retention project (funded in part by the CLCC/Alliance Challenge Fund Grant Program), the Farmington Land Trust produced a video to honor the memory of its founder Jack Emery and their first executive director Dick Noyes, highlighting the progress made in the preservation of open space in Farmington over the past 43 years. A Story of Stewardship may be viewed HERE.
Share your stories, news and updates with Connecticut's land trust community through our CLCC Facebook site. Be sure to "like" us and share our page with others!
Photo of Farmington Land Trust's Carey Property. Credit: Tina Delaney
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Job and Volunteer Opportunities
ZOOM Public Policy Fellowship
The ZOOM Foundation is now accepting applications for its Public Policy Fellowship. Established in Connecticut in 2001, the ZOOM Foundation focuses on the areas of environment and education, impacting social change through philanthropy. ZOOM fellows will experience learning opportunities and leadership development training in order to become strong leaders contributing to Connecticut's public policy.Eligibility requirements include a bachelor's degree, two years of post-grad work and prior leadership experience. Click HERE for further details and application information.
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New England Wild Flower Society Seeks Plant Conservation Volunteers
Join over 600 volunteers and be a part of New England Wild Flower Society's Plant Conservation Volunteers (PCV) Corps. Activities include collecting data on rare plant populations and assisting with invasive and habitat management programs. PCVs are also offered field trips, classes and opportunities to interact with professional botanists. Join now to learn more about natural flora, meet others with similar interests and make an impact on conservation. Training will be held in March. Visit their website for more information and application instructions. For questions, contact John Burns at 508-877-7630 ext. 3204 or at [email protected].
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We count on you!
Your support enables CLCC to be here, there, & everywhere!
Please make your year-end contribution TODAY
The CLCC membership year runs from July 1 to June 30 and we count on your support! Your membership contribution will help give a voice to land preservation, its stewardship, and the need to secure funding for new conservation projects -- across Connecticut. Thank you!
DONATE ON-LINE OR DOWNLOAD AN ORGANIZATIONAL OR INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP FORM HERE.
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