This webinar, hosted by the Connecticut Land Conservation Council, Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy, Save the Sound, The Nature Conservancy, and the Housatonic Valley Association, explored key findings from the report Conserving Northwest Connecticut: Adaptive Strategies for Accelerating the Pace of Conservation. The report examines the region’s conservation landscape and offers ecological, economic, and equity-driven strategies to advance land protection. Land trusts can use these insights to prioritize conservation efforts, advocate for policy changes, and strengthen regional collaborations to accelerate conservation progress.
Land conservation isn’t just about protecting nature—it brings economic, environmental, and community benefits that enhance quality of life. The resources compiled below outline the many ways open space contributes to clean water, climate resilience, recreation, public health, and local economies. Whether you’re advocating for conservation funding, engaging your community, or strengthening your land trust’s messaging, these resources provide compelling facts and insights to support your efforts.
Strong, clear conservation easement language is essential to ensuring lasting land protection. This resource, courtesy of the Land Trust Alliance explains why certain provisions are critical, legally necessary, and non-negotiable, helping land trusts safeguard against future challenges. Whether you’re negotiating an easement, educating landowners, or strengthening your organization’s legal framework, this guide provides practical insights and best practices to uphold conservation values for generations to come.
Attacks on voluntary private land conservation are putting critical conservation tools at risk. Join the Land Trust Alliance in setting the record straight on the importance of voluntary private land conservation, protecting private property rights and the various tools, such as conservation easements that are needed to get the job done!
While land conservation and affordable housing are often framed as competing priorities, Connecticut communities need both to thrive. In partnership with the Land Trust Alliance and the Trust for Public Land, CLCC hosted a full-day event exploring how housing and conservation organizations can collaborate for greater impact. The discussions highlighted successful partnerships, demonstrating how joint efforts can foster healthier, more equitable housing, expand land conservation, and unlock additional funding for shared initiatives.
Owning a building can bring opportunities—and challenges—for land trusts. Whether it’s preserving a historic structure, maintaining an office space, or navigating tax implications like unrelated business income, this resource provides guidance on the financial, legal, and operational aspects of building ownership. Explore best practices, case studies, and key considerations to help your land trust make informed decisions about acquiring, managing, or repurposing buildings in support of your mission.
New England’s forests are critical in mitigating climate change, already sequestering large amounts of carbon each year and they have the potential to do much more. The 2022 Highstead report outlines five complementary strategies for enhancing forest-based climate solutions: preventing deforestation, creating reserves, improving forest management, promoting mass timber use, and increasing urban tree cover. These actions could help maximize forests’ potential to reduce carbon emissions and meet climate goals
The Northeast Bird Habitat Conservation Initiative, co-led by Highstead and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, fosters partnerships among Regional Conservation Partnerships (RCPs) and bird conservation organizations to protect and restore habitats for threatened bird species. Their interactive mapping tool supports activities such as habitat management plan and stewardship development, land prioritization and acquisition strategies, and landowner and community engagement.
As climate change accelerates, land conservation is a powerful tool for building resilience—protecting ecosystems, reducing climate risks, and supporting communities. This curated set of resources from The Nature Conservancy, a leader in resilience and conservation science, offers practical guidance on climate adaptation, nature-based solutions, and strategies for integrating resilience into land protection.
This handbook outlines a parcel prioritization analysis developed for the Weantinoge Heritage Land Trust (now Northwest CT Land Conservancy) to guide land conservation in Litchfield County and Sherman, CT. Using data-driven methods, it evaluates factors like climate resilience, habitat quality, water resources, and connectivity to inform conservation priorities. With a repeatable GIS-based model, land trusts can adjust priorities over time to ensure they are protecting the most ecologically significant lands.
As climate change progresses, birds’ habitats will shift, forcing them to relocate. Audubon scientists analyzed 140 million bird observations to map the current ranges of 604 North American species, then used climate models to predict future shifts. The findings indicate that many species will struggle to find suitable habitats, potentially threatening their survival.
This guide provides essential tools for farmland preservation in Connecticut. It includes details on estate planning, tax advantages, and relevant state and federal programs like the CT Farmland Preservation Program and Agricultural Conservation Easement Program. The guide serves as a valuable resource for landowners, municipalities, and land trusts navigating farmland protection.
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