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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)
November 20
Regional Directors' Summit -
7-8:30pm
Essex, CT
November 21
AGvocate Workshop
6:30-9:00pm
Canterbury, CT
December 4
Board Diversity Workshop
9am - 12:00pm
Norwalk, CT
December 4 Regional Directors' Summit - 7-8:30pm North Stonington, CT December 5 Bridge Financing Webinar 2-3:30pm December 17 Smartphone Data Collection Apps Webinar 2-3:00pm March 15, 2014 30th Annual CT Land Conservation Conference Wesleyan University Middletown, CT Click here! |
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
More on the Economic Benefits of Open Space
Dear Friends --
The US Fish & Wildlife Service recently released a study showing that national wildlife refuges support over 35,000 jobs and generate 2.4 billion for regional economies. Banking on Nature is yet another study showing that the conservation of open space not only enhances the quality of life in our communities, but is an investment that produces significant economic benefits.
The accumulating evidence indicating the economic benefits of open space will be explored through many of the workshops at our 2014 Connecticut Land Conservation Conference on March 15. We look forward to seeing you at what is shaping up to be our best conference yet.
In Connecticut, the state's investment in land acquisition through the Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Program (OSWLA) -- funded through the Community Investment Act and bonding -- has resulted in the conservation of thousands of acres of precious natural resources, while leveraging millions of matching municipal, federal and private dollars in return.
With DEEP's recent announcement of a grant round, Connecticut land trusts and towns are hard at work negotiating deals, arranging for appraisals, and otherwise doing what needs to be done to ready their grant applications for the January 31, 2014 deadline. Yet, while we are grateful that the 2014 state budget includes generous bonding for open space, until those funds are allocated the agency cannot be certain as to how much funding it will have for the current grant round. This makes our work in 2014 that much more critical.
Supporting your tireless efforts to conserve land throughout the state; advocating for consistent and maximum funding for conservation land acquisition programs; and pushing for policies to ensure that the significant public and private investments in these lands are permanently protected -- these are CLCC's top priorities for the upcoming legislative session.
Thank you for all you continue to do to create vibrant communities, enhance our collective quality of life and benefit our local economies.
Wishing you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving.
With warmest regards,
Amy
Thanks to our friends at the Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition for sharing the news of the USFWS report.
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CLCC Regional Directors' Summit Series
Still room to attend the last two summits of 2013!
The CLCC Regional Directors' Summit Series has proven immensely popular - with over 100 representatives from land trusts and other conservation organizations participating in discussions offered throughout the state over the course of the last year. Please join us for one or both of the last two Summits in 2013.
November 20, 2013, 7-8:30pm
Elisha Mather House
145 Dennison Rd., Essex, CT
Co-hosted by the Lower CT River Council of Governments and Lower CT River and Coastal Region Land Trust Exchange, with funding generously provided by the Community Foundation of Middlesex County
December 4, 2013, 7-8:30pm
Stephen Main Homestead
1 Wyassup Rd., North Stonington
Co-hosted by the Avalonia Land Conservancy, Inc.
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State News
Two Connecticut Land Trust Presidents Honored
From the Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) --
On November 2, HVA presented The Litchfield Hills Greenprint Award to Peter Litwin, President of the Litchfield Land Trust, for championing the concept of identifying significant landholdings as Legacy Properties within the heart of the Litchfield Hills and, along with his wife Eileen, becoming the first landowners to accept Legacy Land designation for their own Arbutus Farm in Litchfield, CT.
From the Working Lands Alliance (WLA)--
At its Annual Meeting on November 13, WLA presented its 2013 WLA Pathfinder Award for Outstanding Individual to Tom Crider, President of the Southbury Land Trust, recognizing his years of achievements in conservation, including the preservation of seven family farms and thousands of acres of habitat. Tom's tireless work was key to the passage of a bill last session to preserve 825 acres of prime farmland at the Southbury Training School.
Southington's Crescent Lake Recreation Area Recognized as CT's First Connecticut Grown Community Forest
From the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) --
CT's DEEP and Department of Agriculture (DoAg) have designated Southington's 223-acre Crescent Lake Recreation Area as the state's first community forest to receive the Connecticut Grown recognition for sustainable forest management. The Area's sustainable forest management plan includes use of sustainable forestry practices, protection of water quality during forestry operations, compliance with CT's Forest Practices Act, adherance to the standards of DoAg's Connecticut Grown Program, and responding to destructive forest pests and invasive plants, all of which helped qualify the Area for this special distinction. Click here to read the full press release and to learn more about Connecticut Grown.
Guided Walking Tours of "The Preserve"
From CLCC Steering Committee Vice-Chair, Alicia Sullivan Betty (Trust for Public Land) --
Come see the 1,000 acre forest known as "The Preserve" in Old Saybrook, Essex and Westbrook. Learn about the significance of the last large unprotected coastal forest between New York and Boston. Find out what the fight was all about and of the opportunity to protect it forever.
When: Sunday, December 15, 2013, 10:00am and noon
Where: Park and meet at the M&J bus lot at 130 Ingham Hill Rd., Old Saybrook for the shuttle bus to the trailhead.
For more information, please contact TPL Project Manager Kate Brown at [email protected].
This opportunity is supported by a partnership of many organizations, including: The Alliance for Sound Area Planning, Audubon Connecticut, Connecticut Land Conservation Council, Connecticut Fund for the Environment, Essex Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy, Old Saybrook Land Trust, The Trust for Public Land.
CTLCV: 2013 Environmental Scorecard Released
The Connecticut League of Conservation Voters released their 2013 Environmental Scorecard for the Connecticut State Legislature, showing how each member of the Legislature voted on 20 of the most critical conservation bills this year. Click here for more information and to download the 2013 Environmental Scorecard.
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Federal Policy News
Will the Conservation Tax Incentive be Renewed?
From the Land Trust Alliance --
As the clock ticks closer to the December 31 expiration, the Alliance has invested significant resources to keep the conservation tax incentive alive. Where could the tax incentive turn up? It could be stuck into the Farm Bill, where a House-Senate conference is hard at work trying to renew farm programs before January 1; or a budget bill the House and Senate are crafting to try to stop the looming big cuts in defense spending that will begin on January 15.
You can help! Leaders on Capitol Hill need to know that this incentive matters, and seeing their colleagues co-sponsor bills to make the incentive permanent provides a strong case to move the legislation forward. Please call your Member of Congress. Thank them if they are co-sponsors, and tell them you are worried about the effect of the incentive's expiration on your conservation work next year! If they aren't co-sponsors, ask them! Click here to view the Alliance's tax incentive page for talking points and further updates.
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Training & Education Opportunities
How Your Town Can Support New & Beginning Farmers
An AGvocate Program Workshop --
When: November 21, 2013 6:30 - 9:00pm
Where: Canterbury Community Center, Canterbury, CT
Learn more about the challenges of being a new farmer in CT and what your town can do to encourage and support them. The Workshop is FREE, but pre-registration is requested. For more information, please click here or contact John Guszkowski at [email protected].
Beyond Just the Numbers:
Achieving Diversity and Inclusion on Boards
Presented by the CT Association of Nonprofits --
When: December 4, 9am - 12pm
Where: Fairfield County Community Foundation, Norwalk, CT
An interactive/participatory dialogue ideal for Executive Directors and Board members. For full details and to register, please click here.
Session 1: Introduction
(Note: This webinar took place on November 14 but you may still register in order to receive the recording in advance of Sessions 2-4. Please contact Mary Burke at [email protected])
Session 2: Financing Options -- Getting Under the Hood
When: December 5, 2013
Session 3: Organizational Readiness -- Kicking the Tires
When: January 9, 2014
Session 4: Successful Deals -- From Soup to Nuts
When: February 6, 2014
State of the GPS "Apposphere": Navigating Smartphone Data Collection Apps
Presented by the UConn Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR)
When: December 17, 2013, 2-3pm
This webinar will provide an overview of the smartphone GPS universe and showcase CLEAR's favorite apps for field data collection. To learn more and to register, please click here. |
Conservation Funding Opportunities
NRCS Announces Sign-Up Period for Conservation Programs
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting applications from landowners interested in implementing conservation practices that improve natural resources on farmland, forestland, and wetland areas through the following programs:
- Agricultural Management Assistance Program (AMA): cost share assistance to agricultural producers to address issues such as water management, water quality, and erosion control by incorporating conservation into farming operations.
- Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP): cost share and incentive payments to implement conservation practices on eligible agricultural land.
- Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP): for conservation-minded landowners who want to develop and improve wildlife habitat on agricultural land, non-industrial private forest land, and Tribal land.
The deadline to submit applications for the first batching period is Friday, December 20, 2013. For more information, please visit the CT NRCS website.
DEEP Open Space & Watershed Land Acquisition (OSWLA) Grant Program
DEEP has announced that funds are available to assist towns, land conservation organizations and water companies with the purchase and preservation of open space lands, urban green space and community gardens through the OSWLA program. The deadline to submit applications is January 31, 2014. For more information and to download an application, please click here.
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Land Trust to Land Trust
CFPA Requests Info for Blue-Blazed Hiking Trail
The Connecticut Forest and Park Association (CFPA) is requesting your help locating areas of the Blue-Blazed Hiking Trail System that are permanently protected. Over the years, CFPA has worked with many land trusts, town planners, and conservation commissions to protect this wonderful recreational asset, but many of these projects never made it into CFPA's written record. CFPA is working hard to expand its trail protection efforts and could use any information you have about trail conservation restrictions, fee properties, or deed restrictions that help permanently protect the hiking corridor or its scenic qualities. Contact Lindsay Michel, CFPA Land Conservation Director at [email protected] or (860) 346-TREE if you have any information or questions.
Note: If your organization has a question that it would like us to address to the land conservation community on your behalf, or would like to share an experience or event with others interested in land conservation, please contact CLCC Executive Director Amy B. Paterson at [email protected]
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Conservation Job Opportunities
Agriculture Farmland Preservation Director --
CT Dept. of Agriculture
Application Deadline: November 25, 2013 at 4pm -- no exceptions
Duties include the planning, coordinating and administering of the Farmland Preservation Unit's activities.
Click here to view full job posting and links to official job specifications and salary plan.
Director, Environmental Education and Assistant Aviculturist --Livingston Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy, Litchfield, CT
Director manages and implements education outreach programs while supporting the LRWC Aviculturist in the management of a world-class captive bird collection. Click here to view full job description.
Communications Coordinator -- Highstead and the Wildlands and Woodlands (W&W) Initiative (in CT or MA office)
Application Deadline: December 16, 2013
Highstead is seeking a communications professional with environmental nonprofit experience who is familiar with the New England landscape and will play a lead role in implementing communications strategies an producing publications for the W&W Initiative. Click here to view full job description and application process.
The Trustees of Reservations (TTOR) Has Several Openings -- Leominster, MA
From the Land Trust Alliance and the Mass. Land Trust Coalition--
Government Grants Manager: r eports to the Director of Corporate, Foundation and Government Relations and will work closely with Development, Program staff and Senior Leadership to identify priorities and maximize support for Trustee's programs and properties across the state through public funding sources. Click here to view full job description.
Assistant Superintendent: responsible for the maintenance and care of the buildings, structures, and landscapes for a diverse portfolio of central Massachusetts properties: historic, structures, trail networks, open fields, community parks and gardens, and a popular campground. Click here to view full job description.
Managing Director for Conservation: oversees a staff of 11, an annual operating budget of approximately $1 million, and serves as staff lead for the Land Conservation Committee of TTOR Board of Directors.
Click here to view full job description.
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Thank you!
We count on your support!
Please renew your annual membership today!
Click here to contribute!
Conference Sponsorships Needed!
Sponsoring the 2014 CT Land Conservation Conference is a wonderful opportunity to showcase your organization's leadership in conservation while helping to keep the Annual Conference both affordable and tenable for all who wish to attend!
To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, please contact CLCC Executive Director Amy B. Paterson at [email protected] or visit our 2014 Conference webpage.
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