MLTN Infoline – September 10, 2026

Land Trust Survey—Farmland Action Plan 

Maine’s Climate Action Plan, Maine Won’t Wait, recommends that the state develop a Farmland Action Plan with recommendations designed to increase the amount of protected farmland in Maine, as well as outline new strategies and tools that will help achieve this goal. As part of the planning process, the state is reaching out to the land trust community for feedback on several topic areas related to farmland conservation. Land trust responses will be used to inform the planning process and information received will be anonymously included in the final plan.

Click here to take the survey.

Thank you! Your participation is greatly appreciated.

Help Improve Invasive Species Management in Maine  

The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry are preparing a report for the Legislature describing the State’s efforts to prevent and control nonnative species that threaten Maine’s environment. This is to comply with LD 1661: Resolve, Requiring a Review and Assessment of the State’s Invasive Species Management Efforts. The report must also include suggestions for increased collaboration, education, and outreach, as well as projects aimed at the early detection and prevention of invasive species. If you work or volunteer for a municipality, nonprofit, or other organization involved in invasive species management in Maine, they hope to hear from you.

Please take this survey by Friday, September 25 to have your feedback considered. The survey should take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete. 

Tell Volunteer Maine What Your Organization Needs 

Attention nonprofit staff—tell Volunteer Maine what your organization needs from future grant opportunities. The deadline to respond is September 20th. 

Volunteer Maine was recently awarded a three-year Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF) grant from AmeriCorps to catalyze volunteer recruitment, streamline onboarding and training, strengthen management and supervision, and improve volunteer retention throughout the state. Your feedback will help Volunteer Maine design grants that respond to the needs of Maine’s nonprofit sector. This could include: 

• Expanding volunteer outreach and recruitment 
• Increasing the number of overall volunteer hours 
• Diversifying the roles and activities that volunteers in your organization or community take on 

All nonprofits, including those who will not be applying for grants at this time, are invited to offer their thoughts on how these grant funds can be used to support and increase your volunteer capacity. 

The survey is super short, just 5 questions. Click here to take the survey. Thank you for participating!  

2027 Maine Conservation Corps Host Site Webinar  

TODAY! Thursday, September 10, 2026 via Zoom

3:00–4:00pm

Are you interested in hosting a Maine Conservation Corps (MCC) individual steward in 2027? Join MCC staff for a webinar to learn more about the 2027 application process and opportunities to host MCC individual stewards through their Land and Water Conservation Stewardship program 

They are offering slots for the following stewardship positions: 

• Environmental Stewards 
• Community Tree Stewards 
• Shore Corps Stewards 

The 2027 host site application window opened on September 1, so this webinar is a great opportunity to learn about the process, what makes a strong host site, and what to expect from an MCC steward placement. 

Register to receive the call-in link for the information webinar. Bring your questions! There will be plenty of time for discussion and answers.

Understanding and Calibrating Risk Appetite 

Wednesday, September 16, 2026 via Zoom 

2:00pm 

Cost: FREE 

Presented by the Nonprofit Risk Management Center 

We often find that nonprofit leaders and boards struggle to agree on risk appetite—the amount of risk an organization should take to achieve its mission. Discussions and disagreements about risk appetite can be healthy, if done well! Learn how to bring different perspectives together to build consensus on your nonprofit’s risk appetite. 

Click here to register.

From Transparency to Trust: Engaging Staff in Finances  

Thursday, September 24, 2026 via Zoom 

3:30-5:00pm 

Cost: $50 for MANP members*, $70 for non-members 

This event is possible thanks to a partnership between Maine Association of Nonprofits and Minnesota Council of Nonprofits

In uncertain financial times, transparency alone isn’t enough—staff need to be active participants in financial problem-solving. At Hope Community, they’ve evolved from sharing quarterly budget updates to engaging over half their staff in a biweekly finance committee. Through collaborative budgeting, shared decision frameworks, and open discussion of trade-offs, they’ve built a culture of trust and adaptability that strengthens the organization’s resilience. 

Visit MANP’s website for more info and link and code to register on partner website.  

*Most MLTN members are MANP members. Contact us to check your organization’s MLTN membership status.

Strengthening Organizational Storytelling Workshop

Thursday, October 1, 2026 via Zoom 

10:00-11:00am

Cost: FREE

Every organization spends time creating communications, but few have the opportunity to step back and develop the foundational messaging that supports all communications. In this interactive workshop, you’ll use a guided worksheet to begin drafting or strengthening your “About” statement and Organizational Story– two versatile tools that bring greater clarity, consistency, and meaning to how you talk about your work. These assets can strengthen everything from your website and grant proposals to donor conversations and partner outreach. Come ready to reflect, write, and learn alongside peers.

Learn more and register at Momentum Conservation’s website.  

Addressing Encampments on Conserved Land 

Thursday, October 8, 2026 via Zoom 

2:00-3:30pm 

Cost: $75 for LTA members, $140 for non-members 

Nationwide housing shortages and inadequate societal supports have resulted in a sharp increase in Americans who lack one of the most basic human needs – shelter. As a result, unauthorized encampments of people experiencing homelessness on conserved lands are rising. As land trusts increasingly find themselves relocating unhoused people from preserves, they are seeking ways to do that in a manner that both preserves an individual’s dignity and upholds conservation values. Practitioners interested in preventing encampments and in managing relocation should attend this webinar. 

Learn more and register at Land Trust Alliance’s website.  

MLTN Programs & Funding Update: Resources to Help You Achieve Your Mission  

Tuesday, October 13, 2026 via Zoom

3:30-4:45pm  

Cost: Free but registration required. Click here.   

2026 has been a year of growth at the Maine Land Trust Network. Among other things, MLTN completed an ambitious strategic plan. We also – for the first time – received significant funding from the Peter and Carmen Lucia Foundation with the goal of increasing the pace of land conservation in the state, resulting in new and expanded programming and much needed pass-through funding for Maine Land Trust Network members. This webinar will be a chance to hear about all the advancements in one place! We’ll discuss:  

• Expanded Sustained Merger & Collaboration Assistance Grants  
• The new Organizational Assessment and Capacity Support Program  
• The new Transaction Assistance Grant (TAG) Program  
• Maine Coast Heritage Trust’s Climate Resilience Conservation Fund  
• The new Organizational Assessment and Capacity Support Program    
• Leadership Coaching for MLTN Member Staff and Board    
• Land and Easement Acquisition Program from the Peter and Carmen Lucia Buck Foundation 

We’ll even be announcing a brand-new funding program! Don’t miss it! 

Norma Wong Speaking at Two Maine Events 

Norma Wong is a Native Hawaiian and Hakka life-long resident of Hawaiʻi. She is the author of two books, When No Thing Works: A Zen and Indigenous Perspective on Resilience, Shared Purpose, and Leadership in the Timeplace of Collapse (North Atlantic) and Who We Are Becoming Matters: The Courage, Wisdom, and Aloha We Need in a Timeplace of Collapse (North Atlantic), ranked 13th among independent bookstores and featured on UC Berkeley summer reading list. 

Wong served as a Hawai‘i state legislator on the policy and strategy team for Governor John Waihee. She led teams to negotiate agreements on the munitions cleanup of Kahoʻolawe Island, ceded land revenue for Native Hawaiians, and the return of lands and settlement of land issues for Hawaiian Home Lands. She was active in electoral politics for over thirty years.  

Ms. Wong will be speaking at two Maine events next month: 

• Who We Are Becoming Matters, Wednesday, October 14th from 6:30-8pm at the Peter J. Gomes Chapel, Lewiston (free admission)
• And the Maine Conservation Voters’ Evening for the Environment, October 15th at UNE’s Innovation Hall, Portland  

Drawing on decades of Zen training, Indigenous Hawaiian knowledge, and practical political strategy, Ms. Wong will explore what she calls the Human Quotient: four essential inner capacities — courage, compassion, aloha, and strategic wisdom — needed to navigate this era of accelerating change.  

Latest Postings on Our Jobs Page

As the seasons begin to shift, are you looking for a new start? Here are the most recent postings from our job board. View the full list any time. 

Vice President of Finance and Operations – Forest Society of Maine

Instructor – Hearty Roots

Advancement Director – Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust

Operations Forester – Appalachian Mountain Club

Administrative Assistant – High Peaks Alliance

2026 Land for Communities Grants

Applications Due: Tuesday, September 15, 2026

The Maine Community Foundation is offering two categories of grants — up to $25,000 and up to $50,000 — from its current semi-annual Land for Communities grant cycle.

The Land for Communities program funds projects in Maine that expand access to land and/or water for an underserved geography or population, focus on land for community use, specifically — land return (land back to Wabanaki Nations or Wabanaki-led organizations, restoring Wabanaki stewardship of land and/or water and/or land for food (hunting, fishing, wild food harvesting, working farms, community agriculture, working waterfront, community fisheries), and engage the people served in the design, delivery, evaluation, and/or leadership (board or staff) of the work.

Up to $50,000 is available toward the purchase of land or easements or deed restrictions that meet the criteria above. Up to $25,000 is available for projects that do not entail acquisition or land protection, for example, infrastructure, convenings, technical assistance, land stewardship, and/or staff time dedicated to the project.

You can review a Microsoft Word version of the grant application before applying online. If you have additional questions, please contact Stephanie Cesario, scesario@mainecf.org, 207-412-0824.

New England Land Conservation Due Diligence Fund 

Application Deadline: Friday, September 25, 2026, for consideration in the first cycle

The Open Space Institute (OSI) is pleased to announce $500,000 in new funding for New England conservation efforts.    

The New England Land Conservation Due Diligence Fund supports small and mid-sized land trusts in early-stage project development expenses to advance fee acquisition conservation projects. The purpose of this funding is to offset costs required to advance a project to the contract stage. This opportunity has been made possible with generous support from an anonymous source.  

Grants up to $25,000 will be awarded quarterly through the fall of 2027, while funds are available.  

Please review the Fund’s Request for Proposals and Eligibility Map for complete information. 

All proposals must be submitted on Foundant, OSI’s grant management platform. A reference copy of the application is available here for review.   

Prospective applicants are encouraged to reach out directly to OSI’s New England Program Manager Sarah Wells (swells@osiny.org) with inquiries.