Connecticut Land Conservation Conference
March 21, 2026
Frank Center for Public Affairs, Wesleyan University
238 Church Street, Middletown
Michael J. Sikora
Workshops
Conservation Across State Lines – The Cooper Hill Conservation Alliance
In 2023, 1,000 acres in CT & MA suddenly went on the market. Extraordinary conservation values – Forest, farmland, mountains, floodplains, connectivity, headwaters, rare wildlife and plants,. Eight conservation organizations leapt into action to protect the land – Housatonic Valley Association, The Nature Conservancy Connecticut and Massachusetts, Trustees of Reservations, Salisbury Association, Sheffield Land Trust, Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy, and Massachusetts Audubon. Each partner used its expertise and experience to enlist allies and navigate the different funding landscapes of two states. So far, they have protected even more land than was initially on the market, with more in the works.
Presenter(s)
Shelley Harms, Conservation Director, Salisbury Association
Marianne Iarossi, Land Conservation Specialist, Trustees of Reservations
John Landon, Chair, Salisbury Association Land Trust
Kathy Orlando, Executive Director for Land Protection, Sheffield Land Trust
Sarah Pellegrino, Land Protection Director, The Nature Conservancy
Catherine Rawson, Executive Director, Northwest CT Land Conservancy
Julie Rogers, Conservation Director, Housatonic Valley Association
Resources and Handouts
“CLCC’s annual conference is like Woodstock for Connecticut’s land conservation community. It’s an opportunity to foster connections, get inspired, and celebrate our collective accomplishments”
- Pete Govert, Executive Director, East Haddam Land Trust
Previous Conferences
Interested in reading about past conferences? Check out past years' conference wrap-ups…
