Browsing by Subject "Land trust"

Now showing 1 - 9 of 9
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    2018 Land Trust Communication Guide
    (2018-04-26) Hanway, Hayley
    Communications is a critical component of a land trust’s success. Since land trusts are mainly private, non-profit organizations, they are heavily dependent on donors and volunteers. A strong communications strategy will attract new donors and volunteers while retaining old ones. This project for the Land Conservancy of West Michigan (LCWM) evaluates different communications platforms and strategies and provides a list of recommendations for an effective communication’s plan. Research was conducted via a survey disseminated to LCWM members and informational interviews with other environmental organizations. Final recommendations include prioritizing Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube/Vimeo over other forms of social media, investing in an annual (or five-year) professional paper magazine product, strengthening partnerships with local organizations, and holding more events for outreach.
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    AN UPDATED ANALYSIS OF PRIORITY LANDS FOR CONSERVATION IN THE ELLERBE CREEK WATERSHED
    (2022-04-21) Shapiro, Shana; Keller, Sasha
    Traditionally, conservation organizations sought to protect the most pristine land from the pressures of conversion and degradation. The conserved lands were identified by their inherent ecological value such as biodiversity or their proximity to bodies of water. The legacy of protecting important ecological areas often overlooked natural spaces in urban areas because they were near developed areas or were themselves developed and required restoration. The contrast between urban and rural land protection led to more conservation outside urban areas and made the spaces and ecosystem services even more difficult to access. Our client, the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association (ECWA), is a Durham nonprofit organization looking to contend with the conservation of natural spaces in an urban area in a more equitable way. Founded in 1999, ECWA was born from the realization that invasive species were proliferating in Durham. Through the use of conservation easements, fee simple acquisition, and transfers ECWA now owns and manages 450 acres of conserved lands. They work to protect and improve the Ellerbe Creek with the help of volunteers, and they are working to expand their efforts with equity and environmental justice at the forefront. ECWA first partnered with The Nicholas School to prioritize conservation lands in 2012. Yacobson (2013) constructed ECWA’s first geospatial tool to identify target areas, and our project works to update and reconstruct the model with both ecological and equity perspectives. Following a multi-criteria decision analysis framework, we constructed an adjustable model that will allow ECWA to find the most opportune areas for conservation according to their needs. Additionally, we emphasized equity as a core component of the analysis. Like many land trusts, ECWA has limited time and resources to devote to geospatial expertise. A driving goal for the project was to create a usable tool for ECWA’s limited GIS infrastructure. We created an easy-to-access, standardized, and easy-to-update model that includes datasets that are reliably funded and managed. Additionally, we synchronized our data with regional conservation efforts and built on established research in the Durham area. In collaboration with ECWA, we decided to base the prioritization on four main themes: (1) Water quality, (2) Habitat, (3) Equity, and (4) Accessibility potential. We combined the criteria from each theme in both equally weighted and adjusted weighting scenarios, resulting in different parcel conservation score rankings. Overall, the prioritization tool fulfills the need for a usable and adjustable tool that identifies the most opportune parcels for conservation. We provide maps and tables of the contributing criteria scores as well as the overall scores for different weighting scenarios. We find that when equity or accessibility are emphasized and weighted more heavily in the model, the resulting parcels with the highest conservation values are in distinctly different locations from model results where water quality or habitat are weighed more heavily. When equity and accessibility are weighed slightly higher than water quality or habitat, the parcels with the highest conservation value are located in more urban areas with lower socioeconomic status. The differences in conservation value based on the weighting scheme reflect how the priorities of a conservation organization can affect which parcels are most sought for conservation. The results can then inform conservation planning, project evaluation, educational outreach, and communication efforts for ECWA as they continue their work to protect the Ellerbe Creek watershed’s quality and provide more equitable access to green space.
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    Climate and Conservation: Site Prioritization in the North Carolina Coastal Plains
    (2022-04-22) Gaffney, Michael
    Land trusts are typically focused on preserving land for the purposes of recreation, education, and biodiversity. Recently, however, many land trusts have begun to see their rationale extending beyond these traditional goals to include using land for different kinds of social benefits. Working with the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust, my project designed a geospatial method of analysis to optimize site prioritization for traditional conservation values as well as climate adaptation and mitigation. More specifically, I developed a method of ranking and selecting parcels for NCCLT based on their capacity to promote biodiversity, reduce flooding (through the restoration of headwater wetlands), and sequester carbon (through forestation and wetland restoration). I applied this method to two watersheds in eastern North Carolina, the Upper Cashie and the Waccamaw, and provided a ranked list of properties recommended for conservation.
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    Establishing Roots: Recommendations for Land Trusts' Role in Community Forestry
    (2014-04-25) Cook, Betsy
    Community forests ensure that community members actively participate in land management decisions and have secure access to economic and non-economic benefits of forestland. The community forest movement in the United States has been growing for the past thirty years. Currently, only a small handful of land trusts are deeply involved in the movement. There may be opportunity for this to change as land trusts are looking to employ new, innovative, community based tools of land conservation. Community forests could act as one of these new conservation tools. Through case studies and semi-structured interviews this study analyzes the current state of land trusts' involvement in community forestry. Through formal surveys, this study then assesses land trust professionals and community member’s perspectives on the role land trusts should play in future community forest projects. Interviews and surveys were analyzed with NVivo 10 software. Case study analysis shows that community forests range in size from 62 to 27,080 acres and the majority are located in the Northeast. Results of the survey show that both land trust professionals and community members are interested in pursuing community forest projects. These two groups would most like to see land trusts facilitate land transactions for municipalities looking to acquire and manage community forests. Land trust professionals and community members disagreed on the other roles land trusts should play in community forest projects. Land trust practitioners identified funding and staff capacity as the biggest challenges to land trusts involvement in community forestry. Land trust practitioners identified an increase in the number of people connected to land and an increase in the amount of land conserved as the biggest successes. The majority of land trust practitioners and community members agreed they would like communities to receive both recreational and economic benefits from sustainable forestry on a potential community forest. This study has implications for land trusts future involvement in community forestry and thus recommendations are given to Triangle Land Conservancy, a local North Carolina land trust.
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    Examining Urban Wildlife Conservation and Green Space Development Opportunities for Triangle Land Conservancy
    (2015-04-23) Wu, Charlene
    Rapid urban development has led to the displacement of wildlife and the disturbance of natural landscapes. As a result, biodiversity conservation and human access to natural resources are threatened. Through a city plan analysis, in which I quantitatively score and rank 30 U.S. cities on urban conservation approaches, and a case study on an urban land trust, I evaluate existing urban conservation tools to determine best practices and areas of improvement. With a focus on urban wildlife protection and green space development, results from the methodology are used to form guidelines for Triangle Land Conservancy, a land trust in Durham, North Carolina. Key points and recommendations include: 1. Secure vacant lots to transform into green spaces for community use and wildlife protection; 2. Implement conservation-focused community projects in urban areas in order to improve urban habitats and engage city residents in environmental activities; and, 3. Raise public awareness of urban environmental issues in order to garner collective action and public support. The final product is an Urban Habitat Improvement Plan for Triangle Land Conservancy that incorporates specific conservation strategies and tactics for the organization to implement in urban environments.
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    Identifying Collaborative Opportunities for Environmental Conservation and Historic Preservation
    (2012-04-26) Miller, Yaron
    Efforts to preserve open space in the United States have been conducted by land trusts, government programs, and private landowners. Most land trusts protect specific resources or environmental values, such as wetlands or Civil War battlefields. In a time of economic recession, budget cuts, and reduced funding from grants and private donations, land conservation efforts have waned. Yet, the need for conservation is as pertinent as ever, and the opportunity is ripe given the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War (2011-2015). Collaborative partnerships between land trusts and environmental organizations can lessen these hardships and present mutually beneficial opportunities for conservation. This project presents a strategic GIS approach, the Connecting Future Partners Process (CFPP), which layers “shapefiles” of various environmental values within federally-defined Civil War battlefield boundaries. By utilizing this process, historic land trusts can identify environmental values present on battlefields and establish partnerships with conservation organizations that advocate for those resources. Focusing on sites within Virginia, the results of this analysis show a wide variety of environmental features on battlefield sites, including wetlands, prime soils, waterways, and endangered species habitat, providing multiple opportunities for collaboration. The benefits of working together to protect both environmental and historic features are significant: increased capacity to influence legislators and leverage new resources from donors and grants, stronger public education campaigns, and more effective land management. The application of this strategic approach is not limited to just Civil War battlefields, but can be utilized wherever cultural or historic events have a strong geographic connection to the land.
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    Low Water Bridge Preserve: Comprehensive Management Plan Prepared for the LandTrust for Central North Carolina
    (2013-04-26) Vasto, Alicia
    In the face of non-native invasive species, historical land use change, and non-point source pollution, natural areas are often in need of active management in order to maintain biodiversity, habitat quality, and the ability to provide ecosystem services. The LandTrust for Central North Carolina owns the 1,288-acre Low Water Bridge Preserve in northern Montgomery County. This property has high conservation value due to its river frontage, buffer quality, rare plants and animals, and other conservation factors. The goal of this project was to provide detailed recommendations for the property’s unique features. Historical and scientific research as well as field studies were conducted over the past year in order to provide practical recommendations for property management. Included in this project are restoration plans for three loblolly plantations, recommendations for the protection and propagation of a unique Eastern white pine stand, recreational recommendations, and recommendations for an abandoned quartz quarry. Additionally, a streamside salamander survey was conducted in order to establish a baseline of species richness. Finally, a long-term strategy for the future of the property is discussed. This management plan focused on ways to enhance Low Water Bridge Preserve while staying true to the LandTrust’s mission to conserve Piedmont natural history and offer recreational opportunities.
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    MORE THAN BUCKS AND ACRES: ASSESSING THE VALUE OF CONSERVED LANDS
    (2010-04-29T19:56:49Z) Ryman, Ginevra
    Many non-profit conservation organizations resort to measuring their success in term of acres protected and dollars raised, also known as ‘bucks and acres’, for lack of better indicators. However, it is unclear how well bucks and acres actually measure progress toward mission driven goals such as the conservation of biodiversity. Many land trusts are now in the process of creating new indicators to better measure their progress. This study assesses the conservation benefits of the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy lands at both a landscape and parcel level. My analysis focused on 1) parcel-specific and cumulative conservation benefits of biodiversity protection, 2) landscape connectivity, and 3) scenic viewsheds. The conservancy has protected high proportions of Significant Natural Heritage Areas when compared to other private lands in the study area. However, private lands tended to have higher modeled species biodiversity than lands protected by the conservancy. Other commonly observed spatial benefits provided by Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy projects were contiguity with other protected parcels, buffering of publically protected lands, and protection of scenic viewsheds from the Blue Ridge Parkway and Appalachian Trail. It is important for land trusts to be able to demonstrate that they are meeting their goals to private funders, their members, as well as to the general public. These findings will assist the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy in measuring their conservation success, demonstrating their progress to funding organizations and the public, and to serve as a baseline measure.
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    The Common Landscape: A Case for Using Participatory Strategies to Improve Management of the Blue Ridge Parkway Viewshed
    (2018-08-31) Piacenza, Anthony Thomas
    The most popular site in the National Park System, the Blue Ridge Parkway—long-promoted as a key to the region’s economic and environmental well-being—generates billions of dollars in tourism-related activity in western North Carolina and Virginia. However, an exploration of the conservation and economic history of western North Carolina before and after the Parkway’s construction reveals a complex and often controversial relationship between the Parkway and the surrounding region. In this paper, I investigate whether the National Parks Service’s management of the Parkway is fulfilling both its own mandates and its promise to adjacent communities outside the park’s borders. This exploration reveals that regional land-use trends are putting at risk the key resource which sustains the Parkway and related tourism activity: the scenic viewshed. In North Carolina, the persistence of these threats necessitates an assessment of Parkway-related policies which guide efforts to grow the regional economy and protect the Blue Ridge Mountains’ natural and cultural heritage. I find that existing plans and initiatives lack the scale and scope needed to address viewshed threats. Because of the region’s checkerboard land-management and overlapping public-private lands, increasingly, private and non-profit conservation tools might represent the best available means for improving viewshed preservation. Implementing these strategies at a landscape scale requires convincing regional landowners and environmental organizations to work with government agencies with a frequency and in a way that promotes compromise and communication regarding best practices for maintaining the balance between land-use priorities. Ultimately, I suggest that planners consider the Parkway viewshed as a landscape-scale, common-pool resource and emphasize rural stakeholder participation in a comprehensive viewshed preservation initiative.