MLTN Infoline – June 1, 2023
LLBean Steps Up With Increased Funding for the Maine Land Trust Grant Program | |
In this the 20th year of the program, it is with deep gratitude and more than a little excitement that we announce that LLBean has stepped up with a significant increase in funding for the Maine Land Trust Grant Program. LLBean has become a key land trust partner through this fund, providing critical funding to enhance stewardship capacity across the state. This year, with $65,000 to distribute, land trusts may apply for up to $10,000 from the LLBean Maine Land Trust Grant Program, and we expect to make 7-9 grants. Visit mltn.org for grant guidelines, a list of past grantees, and the new application. Submissions are due September 29, 2023. We are filled with gratitude for this major boost to land trusts in Maine. With this kind of cross sector collaboration, we can accomplish so much more than we could individually. Thank you, LLBean!! Angela, Jeff, and Donna | |
Legislature Begins Final Month of Session | |
It has been a busy year in Augusta and many bills related to the work of Maine’s land trust community have been in play. With roughly a month left in this year’s legislative session, we’ve posted to the MLTN website an update on some of the active legislation we’re working on. Click here to read about:
Keep an eye on future Infolines and our website to hear how these important bills do in the last analysis. | |
Emerald Ash Borer and Ash Resilience Research | |
Monday, June 5, 2023 1:00-2:30pm Free webinar via Zoom Organized and presented by the Ash Protection Collaborative Across Wabanakik, this session features researchers Jill Hamilton, from Penn State, Jennifer Koch of the Forest Service, and Nate Siegert, Forest Entomologist at the Forest Service, who will discuss their current efforts to study ash resilience in the face of emerald ash borer (EAB). They will introduce current information about the spread of EAB in the Northeast, discuss new results from EAB management trials, and share recent discoveries of lingering ash and genetic resistance to EAB. Participants will also learn how forest managers can support these research efforts. This session is free but registration is required. Register here. Learn more about APCAW, past and future events in this series, and more at the APCAW website. | |
Accounting Standards Update | |
Thursday, June 8, 2023 3:00-4:00pm Cost: $35 for MANP members*, $70 for non-members This event is possible thanks to a partnership between Maine Association of Nonprofits and Montana Nonprofits Association Grab your coffee and hang on tight! This 60-minute Zoom session will be filled with new Accounting & Auditing standards that may impact your organization. The presenter will spend the hour discussing the accounting and disclosure requirements related to leases and in-kind donations. The focus in this session will be on the practical application of the standards and what your organization’s next steps should be. Register at MANP’s website. *Most MLTN members are MANP members. Contact Donna to check your organization’s MLTN membership status. | |
Internal Controls and Fraud | |
Wednesday, June 14, 2023 3:00-4:00pm Cost: $35 for MANP members*, $70 for non-members This event is possible thanks to a partnership between Maine Association of Nonprofits and Montana Nonprofits Association Fraud is an inherent risk in every organization. This insightful 90-minute Zoom session will cover common risks for fraud within nonprofits, using real-life examples from recent cases. Participants will learn about effective controls that are easy to implement and can help prevent and detect potential fraud within their organizations and help protect your organization’s assets and reputation. Register at MANP’s website. *Most MLTN members are MANP members. Contact Donna to check your organization’s MLTN membership status. | |
Managing Restricted Gifts | |
Wednesday, June 14, 2023 (rescheduled from an earlier date) 2:00-3:30pm Instructor: Kay Sohl Cost: $70 for LTA members, $100 for non-members Join Kay to learn more about the systems your land trust needs to make tracking gifts and grants with donor restrictions accurate, consistent and easy to explain. In this webinar, you will learn how to reduce audit costs and prevent confusing records and reports on restricted gifts. We will explore strategies to save time and increase accuracy in tracking receipt of gifts and pledges with restrictions and the proper use of donor restricted gifts. Perfect for those new to managing grants or needing a refresher to help cope with multiple complex gifts and grants, this webinar will build your understanding of the distinction between restricted and conditional gifts. Here’s a look at what we will cover:
Register at LTA’s website. | |
Using Outdoor Classrooms as a Tool For Statewide Climate and Forest-based Community Science | |
Thursday, June 15, 2023 12:00-1:00pm via Zoom Join this MLTN Lunch & Learn session with Maine TREE’s Director of Education & Maine Project Learning Tree Coordinator Lena Ives and learn about the Forest Ecology Research Network (FERN). FERN guides students, teachers, and non-formal educators through creating a 1/10 of an acre plot and infusing the data collection and study of the plot with cross-cutting concepts, current events, and the exploration of natural phenomena. FERN activities are inquiry-based and align with the Maine Science Learning Results and Project Learning Tree Curriculum, and guide students to generate their own questions and use forests as a lens to discuss climate tangibly. It’s a proven way to engage people of all ages! This presentation is free but registration for is required. Register here. | |
Shouting into the Void: Communicating Post-Social Media | |
Tuesday, June 20, 2023 2:00-3:30pm Cost: $70 for LTA members, $100 for non-members For nearly two decades, social media has been an invaluable communication asset for land trusts, and many of us have invested years of our professional lives honing our social media skills to increase our reach online. But lately, are you seeing your tried-and-true strategies falling flat? Are the audiences you’ve amassed not engaging with your posts? If so, it’s not just you — everyone is seeing a change. So, what can we do? Join the team at Bold Bison for a thought-provoking webinar where we’ll explore what’s changing on social media, evaluate strategies to lighten the load of account management and consider new ideas to rebuild community with our audiences in a (post?) social media world. Visit LTA’s website for details and to register. | |
Wildlands in New England: Past, Present, and Future | |
This recently released study from Wildlands, Woodlands, Farmlands & Communities (WWF&C) partners Harvard Forest, Highstead Foundation, and the Northeast Wilderness Trust shows why New England, with some of the most intact temperate forest on the planet, is uniquely positioned to lead the nation’s participation in the global effort to address the global crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and the related threats to human health and safety while also securing the region’s future. Wildlands in New England: Past, Present, and Future, provides a baseline and a path forward for policy makers, landowners, conservationists, and citizens to accelerate Wildlands conservation — permanently protecting the forests, wetlands, meadows and other areas from development and active management while allowing natural processes to unfold with minimal human interference. Wildlands in New England fills a critical knowledge gap by providing an inventory of the location, characteristics, and protection status of all 1.3 million acres of Wildlands across the six New England states. This report is the first to map and characterize all Wildlands across any region in the United States. Download the full report and the executive summary or request a print copy here. | |
Jobs in the Conservation Sector | |
Looking for your next exciting career opportunity? Look no further! Our latest job posting are here or view the full list at mltn.org/jobs. Marketing Specialist – Maine Coast Heritage Trust Administrative Assistant – Boothbay Region Land Trust Maine Land Protection Project Manager – The Trust for Public Land Executive Director – Kennebec County Soil & Water Conservation District Field Team Member (Fall) – Maine Conservation Corps Recreational Trail Coordinator – Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands Communications & Operations Coordinator – Kennebec Estuary Land Trust Education Program Coordinator – Cape Elizabeth Land Trust Land Conservation Specialist – Boothbay Region Land Trust | |
Consultant Support for Applicants to the 2023 Land and Climate Grant Program | |
The Open Space Institute is pleased to announce one-on-one community engagement consultant support for applicants to the 2023 round of the Land and Climate Grant Program. The support, part of a new pilot program, is exclusively available to applicants in the northern New England states of Vermont, New Hampshire, or Maine. Land and Climate Grant recipients selected for this pilot will have access to 40 hours of consultant support over the course of the 12-month grant term. With generous support from the Jane’s Trust Foundation, OSI is partnering with consultants with deep experience working with communities in northern New England to support Land and Climate Grant recipients in engaging communities as part of their climate planning process. Specific areas of expertise offered by the consultants include:
Land trusts, other nonprofit organizations, and state or federally recognized tribes in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine are eligible. Contact OSI Conservation Planning Manager Hallie Schwab at to express your interest in this opportunity, or with any questions. To be considered, applicants should contact OSI before the June 8th grant application deadline. The Land and Climate Grant Program is a joint initiative of the Open Space Institute and Land Trust Alliance. The full request for proposals is available here. | |
Maine Natural Resource Conservation Program Request for Letters of Intent | |
Letters of Intent Due: 5:00pm, Wednesday, June 28, 2023 The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is requesting Letters of Intent for a new round of competitive grants from the Maine Natural Resource Conservation Program (MNRCP), which TNC administers on behalf of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Over $6.8 million will be available for award in 2023 for those seeking to restore, enhance, and protect aquatic resources and significant wildlife habitat in Maine. In 2023, MNRCP will be prioritizing funding for projects that include wetland restoration and enhancement. These projects are likely to score and rank higher than “preservation only” projects and will likely have a better chance of receiving funding. Restoration and enhancement projects more directly address MNRCP’s goals to offset impacts to natural resources and better address state and federal “no net loss” mitigation policies by replacing and enhancing the wetland functions and values lost to development. “Preservation only” projects are still eligible to submit a Letter of Intent. These projects are more likely to be invited to submit a full proposal if they protect specific resources or habitat types that are difficult or impossible to restore, including projects that protect known vernal pools, mapped Inland Waterfowl and Wading Bird Habitat, marsh migration sites, or rare species habitats. Public agencies, non-profit conservation organizations, tribes, soil and water conservation districts, and municipalities are all eligible to submit a Letter of Intent. All Letters of Intent must be submitted online at http://mnrcp.org. Applicants whose proposed projects meet the program’s requirements will be invited to submit full proposals, which will be due in September. Final grant awards are expected to be made in November 2023. Please contact Bryan Emerson at TNC () with any specific questions regarding potential projects or MNRCP in general. For more information, visit http://mnrcp.org. | |