|
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.
|
|
June 9
CLCC Regional Roundtable
Collaborations
6:30-8:30pm
Essex, CT
June 12
Alliance Webinar
Minor CE Violations
3:00pm
June 20
CLCC Model CE Workshop
Nuts & Bolts of CEs
9:30am - 1:00pm
Rockfall, CT
June 26
NRCS Seminar
Appraisals
10:00am - 4:00pm
Lebanon, NH or by teleconference
June 27
CLCC/Land Trust Alliance
Standards & Practices Stewardship Fundamentals
9:30am - 2:30pm
Hartford, CT
|
Executive Director
Amy B. Paterson, Esq.
Steering Committee
Alicia Sullivan, Chair
Trust for Public Land
Tim Abbott
Litchfield Hills Greenprint
David Bingham
Salem Land Trust
Hunter Brawley
Brawley Consulting Group
Sandy Breslin
Audubon Connecticut
Margot Burns
Lower CT River Council of Governments
Kevin Case
Land Trust Alliance
Stephanie Clark
Joshua's Tract Conservation and Historic Trust
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
Tom ODell
CT Association of Conservation & Inland Wetland Commissions
David Sutherland
The Nature Conservancy
Humphrey Tyler
Lyme Land Conservation Trust
|
|
|
|
|
Executive Director's Message
Attend a CLCC Regional Summit & Get to Know Your Neighbor!
Dear Friends -
The way land trusts work together is evolving. Whether through collaborations, partnerships or mergers, land trusts across the country continue to explore and implement new ways to maximize their organizational effectiveness and impact on conservation in their respective communities.
As the statewide land trust service association, one of CLCC's priorities is to annually provide a variety of venues for Connecticut's land trusts (now numbering 137+) and other members of the state's conservation community to learn from one another and advance their conservation goals through collaboration. (View CLCC's full calendar of workshops and roundtables here.)
Tonight, CLCC will kick off our annual series of regional summits in Essex with Collaborations, Partnerships, Mergers & Other Ways to Work Together, a facilitated roundtable/workshop for land trusts interested in exploring and pursuing alternative models for organizational capacity building.
Getting to know your conservation neighbors is fun, insightful, and inspiring
-- and you never know where these new relationships may lead. Come join us to explore the possibilities!
With warmest regards,
Amy
PS: Is your land trust involved in a collaborative relationship with other organizations? If so, please send us your news to feature in future editions of our monthly Enews.
|
|
Reminder! Register Now for CLCC June Roundtables and Workshops
Regional Roundtable - TONIGHT!
Collaborations, Partnerships, Mergers & Other Ways to Work Together
Time: 6:30 - 8:30pm
Location: Lower CT River Valley Council of Governments, 145 Dennison Road, Essex CT 06426
Cost: FREE for CLCC members; $10 (at the door) for non-members
This unique event -- a combination of workshop, roundtable discussion and break-out session -- will enable you to explore opportunities for collaboration with your land trust peers under the guidance of Sharon Danosky, a skilled and dynamic facilitator who works with land trusts and non-profits throughout the state and region.
Discussion topics include creating opportunities to share capacity building through shared staffing models, shared planning models, and more formal collaborative models including conservation partnerships and mergers.
Model Conservation Easement (CE) Training Series
Session 1: The Nuts and Bolts of Conservation Easements
Time: 9:30am - 1:00pm
Location: CT Forest & Park Assn., 16 Meriden Rd., Rockfall
Instructors: Attorney Linda Francois, Attorney Molly Ackerly, & other members, Model CE Working Group
Cost: FREE for CLCC members; $25 for non-members (lunch provided)
Experience Level: Beginner/Intermediate
Led by Attorneys Linda Francois and Molly Ackerly, and other members of CLCC's Model CE Working Group, this workshop is intended to provide an overview of conservation easements in Connecticut, add more detailed information about the conservation easement process using the Model CE and associated commentary as a guide, and allow plenty of opportunity for questions and answers.
CLCC's Model CE Project was made possible through the generosity of the Geoffrey C. Hughes Foundation.
Standards & Practices Training - presented in partnership with the Land Trust Alliance
Session 1: Stewardship Fundamentals
Time: 9:30am - 2:30pm
Location: The Lyceum, 227 Lawrence St., Hartford, CT 06106
Instructor: Rebecca Washburn, Northeast Conservation Manager, Land Trust Alliance
Cost: Free for CLCC & Alliance members; $25 for non-members (lunch provided)
Experience Level: Beginner/Intermediate
Stewardship is arguably the most important component of a land trust's work. Only through taking good care of protected lands can we ensure the perpetual conservation of their natural resources.
The Land Trust Alliance's Standards and Practices address stewardship principles and components of a successful stewardship program. In this seminar you will learn the essentials and strategies for their implementation with respect to both fee-owned and eased properties. Come with questions related to your unique stewardship needs and share successful outcomes with peer organizations.
This training is made possible through the generosity of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.
For further information for either or both of these workshops, please contact CLCC ED Amy B. Paterson at [email protected]
|
|
State News
CEQ Releases Annual Report on Environment
Environmental Quality in Connecticut, the Council on Environmental Quality's annual report on the condition of Connecticut's environment through 2013, is now available on-line.
Click HERE for a link to the report.
Click HERE for the news release.
Corrected Link for ERT Program - Free tech assistance for land trusts
(Note: Last month's update on the ERT Program included an incorrect link to the ERT Program. We apologize for the error)
The Environmental Review Team (ERT) Program provides FREE valuable, non-regulatory natural resource/planning information to municipalities and now Connecticut land trusts, in advance of making informed land-use decisions. New services also include: providing state and federal grant information and grant assistance for open space and natural resource and technical assistance in the form of a referral service in the coordination of meetings with local, state and federal agencies.
If you are interested in learning more about the ERT Program, requesting assistance or in becoming a team member please view the ERT WEBSITE and contact Elaine Sych, ERT Coordinator at 860-345-3977 or [email protected].
|
Enhanced Conservation Easement Incentive Update - Tweet your thank-you!
From the Land Trust Alliance --
In case you missed it, we scored a very important victory late last month -- for the first time ever the House Ways and Means Committee voted to make the enhanced easement incentive permanent. The hard work of Northeast land trusts in securing more H.R. 2807 co-sponsors than any other region played a critical role in that success -- THANK YOU!
This is a great step forward on our community's top priority, but now we need your help publicly thanking the co-sponsors in your area to maintain momentum for a vote on the House floor. We've created sample press materials for this purpose, but one of the easiest and most effective ways to say thank you is via Twitter, with a tweet that mentions co-sponsors in your area. Here is an example:
Thank you @RepName [& @RepName2] for co-sponsoring #HR2807 to save tax incentives for #LandConservation in [place you're conserving].
The Alliance also has more sample tweets and a list of congressional social media handles -- follow them!
Great job in staying connected with your legislators, CT Land trusts!
|
|
Funding Opportunity: Introducing NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)
Regional Conservation Partnership Program Applications Open!
Connecticut NRCS State Conservationist Lisa Coverdale has announced that applications are open for the new RCPP. Established in the 2014 Farm Bill, RCPP works on a broad, regional scale to leverage funding through agreements with producers and private landowners. RCPP encourages partners to join in efforts with producers to increase the restoration and sustainable use of soil, water, wildlife and related natural resources on regional or watershed scales.
Through RCPP, NRCS and its partners help producers install and maintain conservation activities in selected project areas. Partners leverage RCPP funding in project areas and report on the benefits achieved. The Secretary of Agriculture may also designate up to eight critical conservation areas to focus RCPP assistance.
For more background on RCPP, including details on Connecticut's priorities and how to apply, click HERE.
Pre-proposals are due July 14, 2014; full proposals are due September 26, 2014.
Learn more: NRCS to hold RCPP Webinars
The national office of the USDA-NRCS is offering two webinars that will provide more information on the RCPP Program.
Monday (TODAY!), June 9, 2014, 2:00pm EST
Wednesday, June 18, 11:00am EST
Each webinar will last one hour. No prior RSVP is necessary; however, participants are encouraged to download the instructions and test their computer prior to the session. Complete instructions for testing and participating in the webinar are available HERE. Both webinars will be recorded and available for playback. |
Additional Training Opportunities & Resources
Alliance Webinar: Creative Remedies for Technical, Minor and Low Moderate Easement Violations
When: Thursday, June 12, 3:00pm EST
Click HERE for URL. Conference Call Number: 1-888-450-5996. Participant Code: 933095#
THIS IS A GREAT WEBINAR TO ATTEND PRIOR TO OUR JUNE 27 S&P TRAINING ON STEWARDSHIP FUNDAMENTALS!
Reggie Hall, Director at The Conservation Fund, and Jessica Blake, Director of North Carolina Coastal Land Trust, will speak on hot topics: dealing with minor and moderate CE violations and fee land trespass if you aren't going to sue. Discuss creative remedies for nominal violations and learn how to craft gray solutions in a black and white stewardship world. Sample documents will be available for those that attend. Bring your persistent technical and minor violations to discuss during group therapy!
NRCS Workshop on Appraisals
Date: June 26, 2014
Place
: Fireside Inn, Lebanon, NH (or by teleconference)
Time: Registration at 9:00. Course will be from 10:00 to 4:00 with an hour for lunch
Cost: $30.00 includes handouts
This workshop will emphasize the basic requirements for NRCS appraisals and the differences between USPAP, Yellow Book, and IRS requirements. However, it will also include other aspects of the NRCS conservation easement program. The goal of the workshop is to make the contracting and appraisal process more efficient for all parties. For more information, please contact Norman Lee directly at [email protected].
Invasive Species Mapping System
Attention land stewards: The Early Detection & Distribution Mapping System website includes a tool for mapping and inventorying invasive plant and (animal) populations! Check it out HERE.
|
|
Rally 2014 - Register by July 21 and SAVE!
From the Land Trust Alliance -
Rally has the perfect coordinates to get your land conservation skills shipshape. Offering a rare and amazing array of learning options with 17 seminars, 99 workshops and 16 featured sessions being taught by expert faculty - Rally covers everything from selecting projects, to acquiring land and easements, to monitoring and stewardship and more.
Explore the beautiful landscapes of Rhode Island on one of the 10 field trips. And expand your thinking and grow your ideas by meeting with land conservationists from across the nation and hearing what's working in their neck of the woods - or salt marshes - or mountains. See you in Providence!
For more information and to register, please click HERE. |
|
Conservation Job Opportunity
Southbury Land Trust Seeking Administrative Director
The Southbury Land Trust is looking for a part-time ( average of 15-20 hours per week) Administrative Director to plan and coordinate Land Trust activities, manage day to day operations, office activities, and support the organization's land conservation and outreach programs. The person hired will work closely with the Stewardship Director as well as the Board of Directors and various committees, and will report to the President.
For a more detailed description of responsibilities, minimum requirements and salary, please contact Tom Crider, President, Southbury Land Trust at [email protected]. |
|
Our Annual Appeal Kicks off this Month!
Watch for your 2014-15 Member Form
or
DONATE HERE TODAY!
The Connecticut Land Conservation Council's mission is to advocate for land preservation, stewardship and funding, and ensure the long term strength and viability of the land conservation community.
We count on your support!
Thank you!
|
|
|
