Land Trust Alliance’s Post

TALT is the only land trust in the state to focus solely on the conservation of agricultural lands, wildlife habitat, or natural resources. Hear from TALT Chairman, Russell Marshall, on why we value the work we do so much. https://lnkd.in/g_hHNu9E

GREAT NEWS: The Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust released this week its five-year strategy to secure more water for the lake, which hit historic lows just a few years ago. The five-year plan highlights key objectives for the trust, which was created with $40 million in taxpayer money with the objective of getting more water flowing into the lake, a resource critical for Utah’s wildlife, industry and continued growth. 🌊 🦆 🦐 Read more...https://lnkd.in/gJU6Fu_p Great Salt Lake Artemia: https://gsla.us

Kansas Farm Bureau had an incredible year in 2023. KFB stood up for its members on policies that impact water, wildlife, rural living, landowner rights and more. ⁠ ⁠ 💧Supported the transfer of an additional $35 million from the state general fund for the state water plan and the establishment of a water technical assistance fund. ⁠ 💬 Advocated for infrastructure projects such as allowing certain water rights holders to participate in multi-year flex accounts, legislation requiring groundwater management districts to focus on conservation and helped appoint stakeholders to find a resolution for the Rattlesnake Creek watershed. ⁠ 🚚Helped pass a law allowing cotton producers to avoid onerous secured load requirements when hauling cotton bales from the field to a storage facility or market. ⁠ 🏡Supported the expansion of the Kansas Reinvestment Housing Incentive District to include certain cities in developing housing projects. ⁠ 🦆Supported a resolution and a presidential veto override that disapproved of U.S. Fish and Wildlife listing of the lesser prairie chicken as a threatened species in Kansas. ⁠ ⚡Advocated for legislators to spend more time discussing the energy needs of Kansans with a special focus on landowner rights, transparency in planning electric transmission lines and providing a forum for a comprehensive review of energy issues facing communities across the state. ⁠

The Eastern Colorado Resource Management Plan does a good job of increasing protections for 300k currently undeveloped acres "By setting aside several hundred thousand acres to stay the way they are now, for wildlife, for the headwaters, for the different tributaries into the Arkansas River." Read more about the Plan, including where it could be improved, from our very own Alison at the link below! #MondayMotivation

#FridayFriends Thanks to our #friends at Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Resource Environmental Solutions LLC, Lake Forest Open Lands recently completed woody #invasivespecies clearing at our #skokieriver #nature #preserve. Lake Forest Open Lands dedicated Skokie River as an #Illinois Nature Preserve, with the Illinois Nature Preserve Commission (INPC) in 1992, the highest level of land protection available in Illinois and the first of its kind in the Lake Forest and Lake Bluff areas. INPC sites, managed by #landtrusts are eligible for #naturalareas #grant funding from IDNR. Lake Forest Open Lands has received 2 Natural Area Stewardship Grants these past two years for a total of $138,269! The Illinois Natural Areas Stewardship Grant Program purpose is to: 1) Increase stewardship on dedicated Illinois Nature Preserves (INPC) through grants to Conservation Land Trusts, and 2) Increase stewardship capacity within Conservation Land Trusts. Funding for this grant program is derived from the Illinois Natural Areas Acquisition Fund (NAAF). The first grant awarded in 2022 provided $70,660 for invasive species management at Skokie River Nature Preserve, Mellody Farm Nature Preserve and Middlefork Farm Nature Preserve through #prescribedburns and selective herbicide applications. The 2nd grant awarded in 2023 provided $67,609 for the purchase of a #utv, trailer and necessary #stewardship #equipment as well as #chainsaw #training for volunteers and staff to assist in addressing woody invasive species during the dormant season at these same sites.   This funding supports a sustainable, resilient, and community conservation-based model that builds staff and volunteer capacity for the stewardship of these rare precious habitats. If you are interested in learning more about Lake Forest Open Lands, Illinois Nature Preserves or volunteer opportunities, please check out these links: www.lfola.org https://lnkd.in/ed_V-Mp3 https://lnkd.in/e96k64QG

Seems to me it’s time for a clear and active policy, with the criteria clear for everyone, and proper consideration of the impacts on farmers and landowners … #ecologicalrestoration #speciesreintroduction https://lnkd.in/exgSiwFk

At a local level, corporate landowners can meet the needs of #SpeciesOfConcern and help them thrive for many years to come. Check out these simple actions corporations can take to support their nearby species of concern: https://lnkd.in/d-8WzCVn

Can you believe it has been two years since bison were released into Blean Woods? This phase of the project, which was a huge partnership effort with Wildwood Trust has not only changed the woodland but also the way we think about conservation in the UK. In their time with us, the three original bison have become a herd of six and we have welcomed ponies, pigs, and cattle into the reserve too. We have left the herd to get on with their bison business and we are already seeing some remarkable changes. Soon, we are hoping to install bison bridges that will allow the 'Big Six' to access more of the area. Now, we look to the future and are investigating how we can connect the Blean landscape with The Woodland Trust, RSPB, and other landowners. The bison have started something quite special, and now we are working towards building that into a vision for a connected landscape, where wilderness meets wildlife-friendly infrastructure with a thriving green economy in one of the most land-scarce corners of England. In our video, Bison Ranger Heidi talks us through some highlights. 👉 kwtg.uk/blean2

Happy New Year, everyone! As we kick off 2024, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on EBTJV's progress and the projects we've funded over the past 17 years as a member of the National Fish Habitat Partnership. While we've often used infographics like this, I can't help but wonder if there's a better way to display our importance to coldwater conservation. As the go-to link between management agencies and scientists for eastern brook trout, we host the assessment (the 'map' showing where they are by small watershed) and award grant dollars to promote the best strategies for brook trout conservation. To date, we've put over $4M into these on-the-ground projects, which brought in another $22M in leverage or match. We know that $4M, or even the $22M, is just a drop in the bucket compared to the work of our partners since 2006, but we're committed to continuing to support their successes. I'm curious if anyone has an example - from any field - of an infographic that shows influence towards partner successes, without claiming ownership of them. Let me know in the comments! #conservation #partnerships #grantfunding #infographic #fisheries #infrastructure

Word keeps spreading about the new state park at River Partners’ former Dos Rios Ranch Preserve near Modesto. On NPR's “All Things Considered” show, host Ailsa Chang shared that, “…stepping into this park is like stepping into a time machine, where the land has been restored to a semblance of what it used to look like centuries ago…” The 1,600-acre Dos Rios is the largest public-private floodplain restoration project in California history, has been dubbed a "park of the future," and delivers critical wins for the state's environment and communities. Those benefits include improved flood safety for vulnerable communities, increased water supply for farms and households, more habitat for struggling wildlife, natural carbon capture, and increased public health through new outdoor-recreation opportunities. "We need thousands more acres just like this. Not just not for just water, not for habitat, but for the people of the land, for the people that were here long before anybody else." - Austin Stevenot, Northern Sierra Mewuk, River Partners San Joaquin Valley Field Manager https://lnkd.in/gUu6U272