2010 Maine Land Conservation Conference
Workshops – Session B: Saturday, May 1st 1:30 – 3:00 PM
B1: Conservation Easements: Addressing Climate Change
Many of the predicted effects of climate change will negatively affect lands intended to be protected by conservation easements. Among the predicted effects of climate change are desertification, extreme weather events, rises in sea level, species migrations, species extinctions and species invasions. It is expected that sensitive estuarine areas will be among those hardest hit by climate change. The focus of the session will be how conservation easements can be drafted to protect perpetuity, provide mitigation and protect land trusts from catastrophic liability in a climate changed world. Specific examples of suggested language for global warming era conservation easements will be provided. Intermediate/Advanced
Presenters: Karin Marchetti Ponte, Maine Coast Heritage Trust and James L. Olmsted, Conservation & Preservation Counsel, L.L.C.
B2: Farm Fresh Funding Assistance for Farmland Conservation
Preserving farmland is an art unto itself. Come learn about resources for funding farmland protection in Maine. In addition to the Land for Maine’s Future Program and the USDA Farm and Ranchland Protection Program, the Maine Farmland Trust has a new grant program that helps land trusts raise funds for farmland preservation projects. Your local farmland project could benefit from one of these great programs! All
Presenters: Stacy Gambrel and Nina Young, Maine Farmland Trust; Stephanie Gilbert, Land for Maine’s Future; and Bill Yamartino, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service
B3: Stewardship of Land Boundaries and Ownership Rights
Conflicts with neighbors over boundaries and other property rights can impact the ability of a land trust to protect conservation values. Does that stonewall or old wire fence really mark your preserve boundary? Does your neighbor truly have a right to drive across a woods road on an easement property? In this session, an attorney, a surveyor, and land trust staff will share their experiences avoiding and managing boundary issues and disputes with neighboring landowners. Learn how to satisfy a land trust’s responsibility to know land and easement boundaries, what information can be relied upon, when to seek professional help, and how to resolve disputes without heading to court. All
Presenters: Melissa Lee, Maine Coast Heritage Trust; Sarah A. McDaniel, Maine Land Law LLC, PA; and Robert A. Yarumian, PLS, Maine Boundary Consultants
B4: Stewardship of Fee Lands: Management Plans, An Essential Tool
Management plans are critical for providing effective long-term stewardship of conservation land, and their development and use are indicators upon which accreditation is based. Learn the essential components of a plan and how to involve the local community in building support for the property. The workshop will discuss the information necessary to begin planning, how to identify conservation targets and threats, and how to formulate actions that will conserve a property’s most important resources. Participants may bring a thumb drive if they would like a sample management plan. Beginner/Intermediate
Presenter: Nancy Sferra, The Nature Conservancy in Maine
B5: Community Forestry: Investing in People and Place
Learn how community forestry projects across northern New England are engaging people and empowering them to conserve land and address community and economic development priorities. All
Presenters: Mark Berry, Downeast Lakes Land Trust and Martha West Lyman, Community Forest Collaborative
B6: Room to Grow: Major Donor Cycles
All organizations are facing exceptional challenges this year. Learn how to establish a deeper relationship with your existing major donors and potential donors, how to move them toward more substantial support, and maintain the relationship going forward. There will be an opportunity for role-playing in this session. Beginner/Intermediate
B7: Organizational Fund Management
This workshop tracks the curriculum established by the Land Trust Alliance to help land trusts ensure sound fiscal responsibility in connection with Practice 6F: Investment of Financial Assets and Dedicated Funds. Learn various systems for investment and management of financial assets, including different dedicated funds (operations, land acquisition, stewardship, legal defense funds, endowments, etc.), and gain a better understanding of how to pay close attention to your finances to meet your conservation goals. All
Presenters: Hannah Colson, CPA, Berry, Dunn, McNeil & Parker and Susan Connolly, Maine Coast Heritage Trust
B8: Organizational Excellence: A Guide for Board Members - Part 2
An essential element of organizational excellence is a high-functioning board with the power to last, lead and connect the organization with its community. This two-part workshop will look at how the board can create a team to lead the organization to higher levels of achievement. In this second session, we will explore approaches to building organizational support, the link between fundraising and outreach, and how to build a sustainable organization. All
Presenter: Judy Anderson, Community Consultants. You may also recognize Judy’s name from the Land Trust Alliance’s Learning Center website, where she answers questions and offers her insights on all kinds of land trust issues via the “Ask an Expert” forum.
B9: Land Trust Advocacy Forum
This session is an opportunity to explore ideas on the future of public advocacy for land trusts in Maine. Rather than listening to a panel of speakers, participants will be asked to share thoughts on how Maine’s land trusts can enhance advocacy efforts. Are land trusts currently effective at influencing public policy? Are changes or new tactics warranted? What are the policy issues that need to be addressed in the years ahead? All
Facilitated by Jeff Romano, Maine Coast Heritage Trust
B10: Email Marketing: Principles and Best Practices
These days just about everyone uses email. If you want to reach younger constituents it’s a must. In this session we will examine the essential elements of building and maintaining a successful email marketing program for your land trust. We will talk about emerging best practices in this field by reviewing existing research and through the shared experiences of workshop participants. Beginner/Intermediate
Presenter: Ted Darling, Ethos Marketing and Design
B11: Fixing the Leaky Bucket: Keeping Your Volunteers
Do you have enough volunteers? By shifting the focus from recruitment to retention, you can keep volunteers engaged and better meet your organization’s goals. Learn the steps to move your program from replacement to growth mode in this hands-on workshop from the Maine Commission for Community Service. All
Presenters: Elizabeth Cole and Maryalice Crofton, Maine Commission for Community Service
