MLTN Infoline – March 20, 2026
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Conference Registration is Now Open!
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Yes, it’s official. Registration for the 2026 Maine Land Conservation Conference is now open. Huge thanks to this year’s sponsors, without whom this event would not be possible! Here’s what you need to know:
Before you begin your registration, we recommend you check out the workshop descriptions and make your choices first, to make registration easier.
Interested in exhibiting at the Land Fair? You can add on a table when you register: $100 for nonprofits and state agencies, $200 for businesses. Learn more.
Visit the MLTN website for all the details and to register. We look forward to seeing you there!
Angela, Donna, Katia, Jeff, and Megan
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National Land Trust Census: Participate by March 31
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Every land trust has a story worth telling. The Land Trust Alliance’s National Land Trust Census brings those stories together to show the collective impact of land conservation, from local communities to the national movement. Conducted once every five years, the Census provides essential data on land protection, stewardship and organizational capacity. The information land trusts provide helps demonstrate conservation impact at the state and regional levels and shows funders, policymakers and partners that we are a strong, united movement with a shared goal of lasting conservation. The Census survey is open through March 31, and broad participation is critical to accurately representing the scope and value of land conservation nationwide.
Learn more at landtrustalliance.org/census.
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Conserved Lands Registry Renewal Deadline Coming March 30
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It’s that time of year! As per 33 MRS §479C, a holder of a conservation easement or a fee owner of land held for conservation purposes that is organized or doing business in the State shall annually report to the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.
Renewing your account will allow you to update the Registry with newly acquired easements and fee holdings and confirm the monitoring status of your easement(s) records in your registry account. The Registry has been set up to be internet-based for online access for account holders and enables you to directly manage and update your account information and records online.
For online access to your account, click here.
For questions about your organization or agency’s account or about the registration renewal process, please telephone (207) 592-6135.
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Outdoor Recreation Economic Statistics Show Maine’s Outdoor Recreation Economy Has Nearly Doubled
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Siting new federal data, the U.S. Commerce Department finds that Maine’s outdoor recreation economy has nearly doubled in the last decade. This article on Maine Public goes on to report that the outdoor recreation sector generated nearly $4 billion and accounts for 4% of the state’s gross domestic product. Maine ranks sixth in the nation in the value that the sector generates for its gross domestic product. The data showcases how outdoor recreation continues to play an increasingly important role in Maine’s economy, and by extension, the important role land trusts play in supporting this economic driver. The sector has the potential to support employment, bolster local communities and contribute to long-term economic stability across the state. For further Bureau of Economic Analysis details on outdoor recreation economic statistics for Maine, click here.
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Accidental to Intentional Nonprofit Tech Leader
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Wednesday, March 25th, 2026 via Zoom 3:00-4:00pm Cost: FREE
Want to go from accidental techie to tech leader? Tune in for CommunityIT’s March webinar. This webinar will help you learn how to transform your experience as a problem-solver into a professional career as a nonprofit tech leader, from two people who have lived it.
Hugo Castro, author of the Accidental Techie newsletter on Linkedin, and Gozi Egbuonu, accidental and now intentional tech leader, will share what separates reactive problem-solvers from strategic technology leaders, and give you practical frameworks for repositioning yourself professionally. You’ll discover how to communicate your value differently, build the right relationships, and choose projects that showcase your strategic thinking.
Learn more and register at CommunityIT’s website.
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Effective Survey Design
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Tuesday, March 24, 2026 via Zoom
10:00am-1:00pm Cost: $95 for MANP members*, $135 for non-members
This event is possible thanks to a partnership between Maine Association of Nonprofits and Minnesota Council of Nonprofits
Surveys are often the first or only evaluation tool used by nonprofits, but poor surveys can frustrate users and produce untrustworthy or useless results. This workshop will introduce participants to the fundamentals of good survey design. Participants will learn strategies to choose, write, and test survey questions that are engaging for their users and effective for their evaluation purpose.
Using skills learned in this training, participants will be able to write survey questions that improve the usability of the results and their users’ experience. The concepts apply to paper or online surveys. If you need to create or update a survey but don’t know how to start, come to this session! Feel free to share a copy of your survey during the training. We will workshop a few questions from participant surveys.
Visit MANP’s website to learn more and get link and code to register on partner website.
*Most MLTN members are MANP members. Contact us to check your organization’s MLTN membership status.
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Advanced Boundary Setting with Staff
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Wednesday, March 25, 2026 via Zoom
10:00am-12:00pm 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.
Leaders are often faced with situations where the boundaries that have been established are not being honored. This can create frustration on the part of the leader and tension among team members. In this session, leaders will learn strategies to recognize when boundaries are not being honored and approaches that can be utilized as they work to reinforce them. They will also consider how delegation may be an important part of setting their own boundaries within the team. Attendees will be able to develop strategies for establishing boundaries in situations where a staff member is ‘pushing-back’.
Visit MANP’s website to learn more and get link and code to register on partner website.
*Most MLTN members are MANP members. Contact us to check your organization’s MLTN membership status.
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Trust in Action — The Six Steps to Collaborative Success
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Thursday, March 26, 2026 via Zoom 1:00-2:30pm
Cost: $45 for MANP members*, $65 for non-members
Scholarships available for MANP members! Prior to registering, email your scholarship request to and be sure to include your name and organization.
For leaders navigating complex, cross-functional environments, this session offers a practical framework for building and sustaining trust—the foundation of all successful collaboration. Participants will explore six key steps to deepen trust across relationships, clarify shared goals and priorities, and anticipate challenges that can disrupt alignment. Through real-world application and peer dialogue, they’ll strengthen their ability to start new partnerships with confidence and maintain momentum in collaborative work. Leaders will leave with tools and insights they can immediately apply to create stronger, more resilient teams.
Learn more and register at MANP’s website.
*Most MLTN members are MANP members. Contact us to check your organization’s MLTN membership status.
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The Silviculture of Ash Stewardship in the Northeast
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Thursday, April 2, 2026 via Zoom
12:00-1:00pm
Cost: FREE
Tune into this webinar organized by the Sustaining Ash Partners Network (SAP-Ne), a regional network that aims to amplify ongoing efforts to sustain ash by supporting landscape level stewardship, sharing stories of hope for ash preservation, and uplifting the cultural significance of ash among Indigenous peoples. It is part of their Cultivating Ash Resilience Across the Landscape series, where they’ll dive into practical silvicultural approaches to steward healthy ash trees and forests amid the growing threat of emerald ash borer (EAB).
In this webinar, you’ll learn:
Learn more and register for the webinar here.
SAP-ne is also offering a follow-up opportunity for folks to venture into the Maine woods for a guided field tour at the Bud Leavitt Wildlife Management Area to see ash stewardship in action on April 16 from 9am-1pm. Learn more.
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It’s All Legalese to Me: Reading and Understanding Conservation Easement Provisions
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Wednesday, April 22, 2026 via Zoom 2:00-4:30pm
Cost: $130 for LTA members, $235 for non-members (free with the Alliance’s Online Learning Pass)
Reading and understanding conservation easements is a specialized skill that acquisition and stewardship practitioners need to protect and steward the easements in a legally defensible manner. While legal language can be complex, the Land Trust Alliance’s Ailla Wasstrom-Evans, conservation defense fund and education manager, and Diana Norris, conservation defense and tax manager, will teach you to confidently read and understand fundamental conservation easement provisions. Grab your organization’s easement template and follow along as they cover:
Participants should locate and review their organization’s conservation easement template (or a sample document on the Resource Center) prior to the class.
Learn more and register at LTA’s website.
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Jobs in the Conservation Sector
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As we turn the page into spring, the MLTN jobs page is sprouting lots of intriguing opportunities, everything from seasonal full and part time openings to high-level permanent career builders! Newest openings listed here or view the full list on our website. Education Director – Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust
Nature Camp Instructor/Counselor – Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust
Development Assistant – Maine Audubon
Summer Camp Environmental Educator – Maine Audubon
Seasonal Retail Associates – Maine Audubon
Director of Land Conservation – Kennebec Land Trust
Land Trust Planner – Downeast Salmon Federation
Trail Crew Member – High Peaks Alliance
Public Lands Steward – High Peaks Alliance
Assistant Trail Crew Leader – High Peaks Alliance
Stewardship Manager – Kittery Land Trust
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2026 National Coastal Resilience Fund
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Letter of interest due Tuesday, March 31, 2026 by 11:59pm
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is requesting letters of interest for funding from the 2026 National Coastal Resilience Fund. The National Coastal Resilience Fund is a national program focused on reducing risks to coastal communities. The Fund makes investments in planning, design, and implementation of nature-based solutions to enhance protection for coastal communities from the impacts of storms, floods, and other natural hazards while improving habitats for fish and wildlife.
Habitats such as coastal marshes and forests, floodplains, rivers and lakes, dune and beach systems, and oyster and coral reefs can provide communities with enhanced protection and buffering from the growing impacts of coastal hazards, including coastal inundation, changing flood patterns, increased frequency and intensity of storms, and other environmental stressors.
There is no maximum limit on the award amounts that can be requested for individual grants. The foundation expects average awards for pre-implementation projects to be in the range of $100,000 to $1,500,000. For implementation projects, likely awards will be in the range of $1,000,000 to $7,000,000. A non-federal match is not required but is encouraged. It can comprise any combination of cash and/or in-kind services and goods.
Learn more on NFWF’s website.
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