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MLTN Infoline – February 10, 2021

March 24, 2021|

Call for Espy Land Heritage Award Nominations

Deadline: March 5, 2021
Maine Coast Heritage Trust presents the Espy Land Heritage Award to an individual, organization, agency, or coalition for exemplary conservation efforts in Maine. The award recognizes those that have made outstanding contributions to land conservation in Maine while inspiring others. Maine is particularly rich with many people and groups worthy of this honor who, like the award’s namesake Jay Espy, have demonstrated outstanding conservation vision and leadership, and spread a spirit of collaboration. Please consider submitting a nomination this year for a person, organization, agency, or coalition you admire. The recipient of the award will be recognized at the 2021 Maine Land Conservation Conference in April and will be entitled to direct $5,000 to the land conservation organization of their choosing. Visit the MCHT website for more information and an application.
 
Celebrate those who go above and beyond for Maine,
Whit, Jeff, and Donna
 

Land Trusts and President Biden’s 30×30 Vision

Soon after taking office last month, President Joe Biden released an executive order calling for conservation of 30% of the U.S. land base by 2030. It’s an ambitious call to action. Land Trust Alliance President Andrew Bowman talks about what this means for land trusts in his latest blog. We’re excited to share the news that Andrew Bowman will be delivering the keynote address at the 2021 Maine Land Conservation Conference. The 30×30 challenge is likely to be a topic he touches on in his remarks. We look forward to thinking as a community at this year’s conference about how we can help meet this ambitious goal. Learn more about the conference here. Registration will begin soon!
 

MCHT Seeking Reaccreditation

Maine Coast Heritage Trust is seeking reaccreditation for the second time. Are we meeting your expectations as a land trust? We welcome your feedback.
 

Maine Invasive Species Network Annual Meeting

Tuesday & Wednesday, February 23 and 24, 2021
9:00-11:00am
Cost: Free but please register in advance
Maine Invasive Species Network brings together professionals and amateurs who are interested in understanding and managing invasive species in Maine. Each year, they host a gathering to share the latest science and management techniques. All are welcome and you are invited to attend. Click here to view the agenda. Register here.
 

Drafting Current Conditions Reports

Tuesday, February 23, 2021
2:00-3:30pm
Price: $70 for member; $100 for non-members
Brought to you by The Land Trust Alliance
Baselines are critical to ensuring what you protected stays protected. However, what do you do if your land trust has baselines that are insufficient or even worse don’t exist at all? Join stewardship experts Toby Jacobs, Presumpscot Regional Land Trust, and Heather Jobst, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, as they discuss their land trusts’ two very different approaches to filling in the gaps in their portfolios.
 
For details including pre-work and registration link, visit the Land Trust Alliance website to register.

 

Stewardship 101 for New Staff and Volunteers

Wednesday, February 24, 2021
2:00-3:30pm
Price: $70 for member; $100 for non-members
Brought to you by The Land Trust Alliance
Do you have new stewardship staff, an AmeriCorps volunteer or simply want to educate new board members on what stewarding easements entails? If so, this webinar is for you! Join long-time stewardship directors Jesica Blake, North Carolina Coastal Land Trust, and Megan Knott, Colorado Cattleman’s Agricultural Land Trust, as they provide an introduction to what land trust stewardship is all about. Filled with practical advice and case studies, this webinar is essential for those new to land trust work.
 
Visit LTA’s website to register.

 

Commercial Use Provisions in Easement Drafting and Interpretation 

Thursday, February 25, 2021
2:00-3:30pm
Price: $70 for LTA members; $100 for non-members
Brought to you by the Land Trust Alliance
For so long, conservation easements have categorically prohibited commercial activities. This approach certainly made for simpler drafting, but failed to consider whether the commercial nature of an activity made such activity inconsistent with the conservation purposes of the easement. Does the exchange of currency necessarily render an activity inconsistent with the conservation purposes? Or, rather, should we consider the effect of the activity on the land and its conservation values rather than whether the activity was commercial or not? When we consider perpetuity, prevailing wisdom now asks us to build in flexibility so that landowners are able to survive on the land while ensuring that the conservation values of the land are protected.
 
Commercial use language poses challenges for stewardship as well. Are cell towers okay on easement lands? How about weddings? Or roadside farmstands? With land uses evolving, land trusts are learning that the types of commercial uses that landowners might propose on easement lands can’t always be predicted, particularly as more easements are placed on working lands.
 
Visit LTA’s website to register.
 

Succession Planning Re-Imagined

Two Tuesdays, March 16 & 23, 2021
3:00-4:30pm
Cost: $60 for MANP members*
Offered through a partnership between Maine Association of Nonprofits and Washington Nonprofits
What does “succession planning” mean in your organization? Nonprofit executives and their boards often react nervously, even negatively, to the idea of leadership succession discussions. And according to BoardSource, 73% of nonprofits don’t have a written succession plan.
 
A change in leadership is always a challenge, and COVID-19 is putting more pressure than ever on nonprofits. Especially now, not having a succession plan creates a huge risk for your organization if there’s a sudden vacancy in a key position. But leadership transitions also provide opportunities for growth if your organization has a culture focused on developing the human capital it needs for the future.
 
Visit MANP’s website for more information and to register.
 
*Most MLTN members are MANP members. Contact Donna to check on your organization’s membership status.
 

Nonprofit Social Media Decision Guide

With so many platforms, how do you make sure you’re not just on social media but succeeding there? Now in its fourth edition, the Nonprofit Social Media Decision Guide from Tech Impact provides the framework for your success. Its detailed research and 10 actionable worksheets will help you:
  • Create a social media strategy
  • Define your goals and choose the right platform to meet them
  • Build an audience and find your voice
  • Plan your communications cycles and create engaging content
  • Manage your social media efforts
  • Measure your success
It will also help you create a policy to guide and protect your nonprofit as it navigates the world of social media. 
 

Jobs in the Conservation Sector

It’s the time of year when job postings abound, both seasonal and permanent! Too many to list all but here are a few highlights.
Land Stewardship Technicians and Field Coordinator – Appalachian Trail Conservancy
Midcoast Project Manager – Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Seasonal Trail Crew Member – The Land & Garden Preserve
Stewardship Assistant – Great Works Regional Land Trust
Wild Gardens of Acadia Intern – Friends of Acadia
Supervisory Fish & Wildlife Biologist (East Orland) – US Fish & Wildlife
 
Full list here.
 

Maine Community Foundation Community Building Grants

Applications must be submitted through the online grant system by Monday, February 15, 2021
MaineCF’s largest grant program is the Community Building Grants. Last year, 185 awards provided more than $1.3 million to help build strong communities. For the 2021 grant cycle, the program will focus on building community resilience in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Priority will be given to projects or organizations that support people at higher risk to be negatively impacted by COVID-19.
 
Please visit MaineCF’s website to see changes to the program’s criteria, priorities, and types of funding. You can also see slides from their recent webinar explaining their new criteria and watch a recording.