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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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Upcoming
Events
(See details under Training & Education Opportunities)
January 17-26
Bard College - J Term
Land Trusts
Land Trusts & Climate Change
Annandale-on-Hudson, NY
January 25
AGvocate Boot Camp
"Train the Trainer"
East Hartford, CT
February 20-22
Fire Ecology
Yale FES
New Haven, CT
March 15, 2014
30th Annual
CT Land Conservation Conference
Wesleyan University
Middletown, CT
Click here!
April 23, 2014
CT Land Conservation Day
Legislative Office Buiding
Hartford, CT
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Executive Director
Amy B. Paterson, Esq.
Steering Committee
Tim Abbott
Litchfield Hills Greenprint
Alicia Sullivan Betty
Trust for Public Land
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
Jim Gooch
Connecticut Farmland Trust
Ginny Gwynn
Greenwich Land 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
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Executive Director's Message
CLCC's Success is Driven by Your Desire to Succeed!
Dear Friends -
I recently had a meeting with a long-time supporter of CLCC to provide her with a report outlining our key activities, accomplishments and challenges over the past year. At the conclusion of our meeting, she offered two observations:
First, it was clear that we worked hard and accomplished a lot ...
- presenting at over 25 land trust meetings, workshops and conferences, and hosting trainings on topics ranging from use of GPS and mapping of land trust holdings to financial management, fundraising and community outreach
- providing over 280 conservationists from around the state with an opportunity to learn, network and socialize at our 2013 CT Land Conservation Conference
- convening over 130 land trust board members to share ideas and challenges with one another in Regional Directors' Summits around the state
- offering financial support to land trusts for capacity building projects in partnership with the Land Trust Alliance through our Land Trust Challenge Fund grant program (which has provided over $200,000 to 41 land trusts since 2009)
- advocating successfully for conservation funding and program support at the state Capitol during the legislative session and throughout the year
It was a busy and productive year and without your financial support -- none of this work would have been possible.
Second, the Connecticut land trust community seems to be stronger, more visible and engaged in advancing conservation than ever before ...
Why is that? It's because of YOU!
When we host trainings and roundtables, YOU come! When we ask for your letters and testimony to address critical policy issues, YOU respond! When we offer opportunities for capacity building support, YOU apply! And when it comes to conserving the natural resources that make our state so special, YOU deliver!
It is your energy, passion and tireless dedication to strengthening your organization and its conservation work that continues to inspire us at CLCC to do whatever it takes, everyday, all year round, to provide you with the services, tools, representation and leadership necessary to help you to achieve your conservation goals.
Our success as a statewide conservation service association is driven by your desire to succeed!
On behalf of the CLCC Steering Committee, thank you for all you continue to do to advance land conservation in Connecticut and best wishes for a happy, healthy and productive 2014.
With warmest regards,
Amy
PS: There's still time to respond to our 2013-14 Annual Appeal! Click here to download a membership form or to donate on-line.
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2014 CT Land Conservation Conference
Celebrating 30 years of learning, sharing and growing skills & knowledge!
Please mark your calendars for CLCC's annual, day-long training and networking event, followed by an informal reception with friends and colleagues from across the state.
Saturday, March 15, 2014
8:30am - 4:45pm, followed by post-event reception
Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT
2014 Highlights!
Many thanks to the growing list of organizations and businesses that have already pledged their sponsorship support!
Gold Level Sponsors
Alliant Insurance
Visjonaer Consulting and Communications LLC
Track Sponsors
Connecticut Forest & Park Association
(Conservation Policy)
Danosky & Associates
(Stronger Together: Collaborations, Partnerships & Mergers)
GEI Consulting
(Stewardship & Land Management)
Land Trust Alliance
(Land Trust Boot Camp: Basics for New Staff & Board)
Silver Level Sponsors
Brawley Consulting Group/Davis Environmental Consulting
Mayes Wilson
Next Step Living
Shipman & Goodwin
Total Community Manager
Trout Unlimited
Bronze Level Sponsors
Capital Consulting
Connecticut Farm Bureau
Diana, Conti & Tunila
Global Institute of Sustainable Forestry - Yale FES
Marjorie Shansky, Esquire
Stewart Appraisal Services
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State News
Model Easement Project Updates
Model Agricultural (Ag) Easement Project
CLCC was very fortunate to have the opportunity to partner with the American Farmland Trust (AFT) on its Model Ag Easement Project. Also joined in partnership by the Connecticut Farmland Trust, the project deliverables included a Model Ag Easement, drafted by Attorney Linda Francois, and three workshops on Farming Protected Land, led by AFT Consulting Scientist, Kip Kolesinkas and other partners. Click here to read more about the project and a featured workshop.
Additional trainings will be held in February and at the 2014 CT Land Conservation Conference, respectively. Funding for the Model Ag Easement Project was provided by a CT DoAG Agricultural Viability Grant, with CLCC's contribution funded through the Geoffrey C. Hughes Foundation.
Model Conservation Easement Project With the Model Ag Easement project nearing completion, CLCC will focus on the drafting of a Model Conservation Easement (CE) for use by the Connecticut land conservation community. The goal of the project is to provide a usable template, featuring simple language and easy adaptation to a broad array of situations. The Model CE will be launched at the 2014 CT Land Conservation Conference through a 3 hour seminar presented by Attorney Linda Francois and several members of the CLCC Model CE Working Group. (See 2014 Conference Workshop Sneak Peek here)
Additional trainings and technical assistance on the use of the CE will be offered by CLCC throughout next year. Funding for CLCC's Model CE Project is made possible by the Geoffrey C. Hughes Foundation. |
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Federal Policy News
Farm Bill Update and More!
From the Land Trust Alliance --
House members backed a bill (H.R. 3695) on a voice vote that would extend the 2008 farm bill through January 31. Although the bill is described as a short-term extension, it would be retroactive to September 30, the day the fiscal 2013 renewal and extension of the 2008 farm law (PL 110-246) expired. Senate Democratic leaders, however, have said they will not take up the short-term extension because it would ease pressure on negotiators to come up with a new farm bill. House and Senate farm bill conferees are working to finish by mid-January.
Good News:
The budget deal for the 2013 Farm Bill has been released and it appears that the conservation easement programs have missed getting another haircut. Give yourself a hand: your outreach made the difference! Steady pressure on the Senate and House Agriculture Committees, as well as legislators in a position of leadership, has paid off. Cost Share Waiver:
The waiver was still on the table and had risen to the level of the four primaries (Chair & Ranking member from both committees) during one of their face-to-face discussions. It is a feat in and of itself that it's survived to this level - yet another example of land trust outreach and intestinal fortitude! Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) has been a tireless advocate for this increased match flexibility. Are We There Yet?
It appears that the leadership on both sides have committed to getting a framework in place before year-end and pushing for a vote in early January. If they don't get something done before the January 15 deadline when the current budget expires, the legislation automatically reverts back to the 1949 Farm Bill rules, which no one wants to have happen for a whole host of reasons.
Continue to check our Farm Bill page for the most recent updates.
For more federal updates, including the status of the Conservation Easement Incentive and the defense of Charitable Deductions, check out the most recent Land Trust Advocates here. |
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Training & Education Opportunities
Bard College (Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y.)
Center for Environmental Policy
Managing Private Lands for Conservation
Taught by Judy Anderson of Community Consultants with guest lecturers
Jan. 17-20, 9am-4pm: Land Trusts: Understanding Key Strategies
Jan. 24-26, 9am-4pm: Land Trusts & Climate Change
Cost: $300 per week
To learn more and to register, click here.
AGvocate "Train the Trainer" Boot Camp
Learn how you can help "AGvocate" for local agriculture
Saturday, January 25
8:30am-4pm
Goodwin College -- The River Campus
One Riverside Drive, East Hartford, CT
To learn more and to register, click here.
Fire Ecology of the Northeast: Restoring Native & Cultural Ecosystems
Addressing the need for prescribed fire
Co-hosted by Yale FES and Tall Timbers Research Station & Land Conservancy
February 20-22
Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studie
195 Prospect St., New Haven, CT
To learn more and to register, click here.
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State Land Trust News
Darien Land Trust ED Wins Award
An award for "Excellence in Resource Conservation" was given to Shirley Nichols, Executive Director of the Darien Land Trust by the Southwest Conservation District, a branch of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Over the past six years, grants from the NRCS have enabled the DLT to restore habitats at Mather Meadows and Nearwater Lane. Most recently, NRCS grants have been used to improve the woodland environments at three additional DLT properties. Click here to read more. Congrats, Shirley and DLT! |
Conservation Job Opportunities
Land Trust Alliance -- Northeast Conservation Manager
The Northeast Conservation Manager position offers an exciting entrepreneurial opportunity to play a leadership role in advancing land conservation and the land trust community in New England. The successful candidate must have the ability to build and sustain close, working relationships with a diverse array of land trust organizations and partners operating in a very dense geography with a wide array of capacities and ambitions.
Duties include developing, managing and delivering Alliance programs focused on advancing the all-volunteer land trust community in New England, delivering a suite of targeted organizational development services, as well as other tools and resources, such as organizational assessments, training and mentoring programs, one-on-one technical coaching and assistance, and accreditation prep services. This is a full-time position, with frequent travel. Click here for full job description and further information on how to apply.
New Haven Land Trust -- Executive Director
The New Haven Land Trust seeks a dynamic and skilled executive director with a proven track record in fundraising and community relations to lead this well-respected, 30-year-old organization. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced leader who is passionate about environmental preservation and community food systems and can lead this organization to the next level of its important work in the community. This is a part-time position. Application deadline is January 13, 2014. Click here for a link to the full job description and further information on how to apply.
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Thank you!
We count on your support!
Click here to contribute!
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