Three More Wisconsin Land Trusts Receive National Seal

As we previewed last spring, we’re pleased to announce that Mississippi Valley Conservancy, Bayfield Regional Conservancy, and Caledonia Conservancy are officially accredited!  Our hats are off to you!

See a video we made about the process and hear testimonials from these land trust leaders.

The Land Trust Accreditation Commission was incorporated in April 2006 as an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance to operate a land trust accreditation program to build and recognize strong land trusts, foster public confidence in land conservation and help ensure the long-term protection of land. The Commission is governed by a board of diverse land conservation and nonprofit management experts from around the country. Commissioners volunteer their expertise to verify that a land trust is carrying out specific indicator practices from Land Trust Standards and Practices.

The accreditation seal is a mark of distinction in land conservation. It recognizes organizations for meeting national
standards for excellence, upholding the public trust, and ensuring that conservation efforts are permanent.

The invitation to apply comes after many months, often years, of work revising policy, updating records, and fund-raising to ensure perpetual agreements are upheld.

Previously there had only been one accredited land trust in WI, Kinnickinnic River Land Trust, so these three additions are significant!  Each of these organizations has had connections with and received services from GWC and the Land Trust Alliance as recently as this year.  As we look ahead to meeting our goals for the Land Trust Excellence and Advancement Program (LEAP), we’re proud to share with you these accomplishments that align so squarely with our commitment to land trust excellence.

New LEAP Peer Learning Opportunities – Join Us!

We at GWC are very excited to announce a new offering through the Land Trust Excellence & Advancement Program and our partnerships with the Land Trust Alliance Midwest Program and the Heart of the Lakes in Michigan. 

Building on the success of the Peer-to-Peer Mentoring program piloted in Michigan in 2010,  we are teaming up to offer a peer-to-peer mentoring program in Wisconsin and Michigan in 2012.  Due to the generosity of our LEAP funders, participation in the program is free and available to all land trust members of Gathering Waters!

What is the Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Program?

This is an organized effort to match peers of similar experiences throughout Michigan and Wisconsin to learn from one another as a component of both ACE (Accelerating Conservancy Excellence) and LEAP (Land Trust Excellence & Advancement Program).  This mentoring program will foster relationships and advance learning and sharing opportunities within the land trust community.  In addition to individual visits there will be group learning opportunities throughout the year and we will reimburse peers for making one trip to visit another peer.

 Is it right for me?

We hope so!  The program is designed for staff and board members of land trusts in WI and MI that are willing to share their expertise as well as learn from others doing similar work.  The requirements of the program are that participants make one trip between March 1 and October 31, 2012, and be willing to host peers at their land trust.

 How do I apply?

Applications are due by January 20, 2012 and should be submitted electronically to MaryKay O’Donnell, Kate Zurlo-Cuva, AND Julie Stoneman.

Questions?

Call or e-mail Kate Zurlo-Cuva  (608-251-9131, ext. 12).

LEAP: The Right Services at the Right Time

This past January Gathering Waters Conservancy launched Wisconsin’s Land Trust Excellence and Advancement Program (LEAP), a three-year program to deliver focused and enhanced services to Wisconsin’s land trusts.  LEAP offers customized services to land trusts through an application process, as well as universal services to all land trusts.

Earlier this month we began accepting applications for the second round of LEAP customized services.  There’s still time between now and December 2nd for Wisconsin land trusts to submit an application to receive these tailored, one-on-one services.

As the applications come in, we’re also focusing on new universally available services to land trusts in the coming year.  In the next week there are two especially terrific trainings that still have openings:

Friday, December 2nd at 11 a.m.
Ask An Expert Call: Is it Fund-raising or Not? Making Sense of Fund-raising Expenses
To register, please e-mail your organization’s name, participant names, and e-mail addresses today.

Wednesday, December 7th at 10 a.m.
LEAP Webinar: Succession Planning for your Land Trust
Come spend your lunchtime with national non-profit expert Andy Robinson. This 90 minute webinar is appropriate for all levels of knowledge and would be useful for board members, executive directors or operational directors. Because of the generous support from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation through LEAP, this webinar is being offered at the discounted rate of $25 per connection to our members. Register by December 6th.

As we move to 2012, we want to be sure LEAP offers the right services at the right time to Wisconsin’s land trusts and are interested in talking with you about how to do this successfully.  Please contact Kate Zurlo-Cuva to talk more about how GWC can develop our programming to best meet your organization’s needs.

Big Gains in Voluntary Land Conservation Despite Recession

The Land Trust Alliance released the first national census of land trusts in 5 years and found that 10 million new acres have been conserved nationwide since 2005. The story was picked up by USA Today.

The Alliance’s report includes state-by-state analysis and shows that total protected acreage in Wisconsin exceeds 280,000.  Gathering Waters Conservancy helped spread the news about the National Census and Wisconsin’s success in this release.

Other highlights of the National Land Trust Census include:

• Voluntarily protected land increased 27% between 2005 and 2010.
• A total of 47 million acres — an area twice the size of all national parks in the contiguous U.S.  — are now protected by land trusts.
• Operating budgets for land trusts are up 36% since 2005.  State and local land trusts nearly tripled operating endowments in 5 years to ensure that land trust-protected land stays protected.
• The preservation of family farms and ranchlands is now a priority for 61% of land trusts, up from 21% in 2005.
• Urban parks, gardens or open spaces is now a priority for 27% of land trusts, a threefold increase over respondents in 2005.

Gathering Waters Conservancy completes an annual survey of Wisconsin’s land trusts and released a Wisconsin census report  in 2010.  Similarly impressive results included a 261% increase in acres protected by land trusts in Wisconsin from 2005 – 2009.

Land Protected by Land Trusts in Wisconsin

Celebrating Our Partnerships this Fall with the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust

In October, Ozaukee Washington Land Trust sponsored  a unique opportunity to showcase its partnerships to the Land Trust Alliance’s Rally conference participants.  OWLT has been innovative with neighboring industries including the Fondy Food Market, Mequon Nature Preserve, and Sprecher Brewery.  Follow along as the participants make a few stops along their beautiful fall hike.  Or, better yet, head to Milwaukee’s north side and re-create the journey yourself!

Hikers start off at the Mequon Nature Preserve

OWLT executive director Shawn Graff addresses LTA Rally field trip participants at the Mequon Nature Preserve

Steve Petro of the Fondy Market takes pride in the field trip lunch presentation. Fresh vegetables prepared for the lunch were grown just ½ mile from the Forest Beach Migratory Preserve in a partnership with Afterglow Farms.

Field trip participants end the day with smiles at the Sprecher Brewery. Here the group gets a tour before sampling the wares.

This is the third of a three-part series featuring the terrific field trips offered at Rally in Wisconsin last month.  We hope they inspire you to get outside and love the places that make Wisconsin special.

The Northern Kettles in All Their Fall Glory

Attending the Land Trust Alliance’s Rally gives us a few key reminders about our work.  That we are here to uphold perpetual land conservation, that we have lots to learn from each other, and that our landscapes are stunning and worth protecting for our grandchildren’s grandchildren.  If you were lucky enough to join in on a field trip with Kevin Thusius of the Ice Age Trail Alliance, you got to witness this scenery.

These photos are part of a three-part series.  Check back to see more of highlights from Rally in Wisconsin in the coming weeks.

Rally Training – It’s the Real Deal

We’re home and recovered from a long weekend of intensive seminars, workshops, field trips, and receptions at Rally, the Land Trust Alliance’s annual training event.  This year, we were proud to host the thousands of participants in our great state and enjoyed the opportunity to learn from land protection experts from around the country.

We got the latest information from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, participated in conversations that will help us take climate change into account with our work, were joined by several top attorneys and land trust leaders to ask ourselves, “are we doing the right thing” with perpetual conservation easements, and convened our Wisconsin land trust council to discuss future programming for our community.

We were especially excited to celebrate our Land Trust Excellence & Advancement Program with a reception sponsored by our board member Art Harrington and Godfrey & Kahn.  We are nearly one year in to this signature partnership program with the Land Trust Alliance and are proud that it was highlighted at Rally this year.

Rally is always a unique opportunity to learn from those around us.  The workshop sessions were incredibly useful as were the conversations in the hallway.  The energy was palpable in the conference center and though we left exhausted, we left filled with a sense of elation for what we do.

Next year’s Rally is in Salt Lake City on September 29-October 2.  See you next time in the mountains!

We’re Packing Our Bags for Rally 2011!

At last count over 25 Wisconsin land trusts have registered for Rally in October.  We’re really excited that so many of our member land trusts are seizing this excellent opportunity to learn from each other and the national faculty that make it all possible.

As we announced on this blog last week, Gathering Waters Conservancy was able to offer eight Rally scholarships this year.   We’re pleased to report that we’ve added to this number through our Land Trust Excellence & Advancement Program partnership with the Land Trust Alliance.  The following groups received an Alliance scholarship:

• Bayfield Regional Land Conservancy
• Kettle Moraine Land Trust
• Milwaukee River Greenway Coalition
• Milwaukee Urban Gardens
• North Avenue Marketplace BID 32
• Northeast Wisconsin Land Trust
• North Central Conservancy Trust
• Ozaukee Washington Land Trust
• River Revitalization Foundation

All told, at least 17 Wisconsin land trusts are receiving some well-deserved assistance with Rally costs. Thanks go to the generous donors who make LEAP possible.

We can’t wait to see each of these Wisconsin land trusts and more at Rally in Milwaukee on October 13-16.  You’ll have endless opportunities to learn in workshops, get outside together, share with colleagues, and hear some pretty spectacular plenary speakers including Milwaukee’s own Will Allen while we’re there.

If you haven’t already, here’s your chance to register.

We promise you’ll get your money’s worth and feel reminded of why we love our important work.

LEAPing on Over to Rally

GWC is proud to announce that we’ve awarded scholarships to eight of our land trust members to attend Rally, 2011, the national land trust conference in Milwaukee this fall.

The land trusts receiving scholarships include:

• Baird Creek Preservation Foundation
• Baraboo Range Preservation Association
• Driftless Area Land Conservancy
• Glacial Lakes Conservancy
• Northwoods Land Trust
• The Prairie Enthusiasts
• Tall Pines Conservancy
• West Wisconsin Land Trust

We’re awarding these scholarships as part of our commitment to making land trusts stronger through the Land Trust Excellence & Advancement Program (LEAP).  These scholarships have been awarded through our LEAP universally-available services.  We’re also working on customized services with six land trusts right now and plan to bring more into the program later this year.

Now more than ever we’re committed to standards of excellence in land trust work.  Click through to support our efforts to help land trusts protect the places that make Wisconsin special.

Federal Tax Incentive Needs Our Support

Legislation to make the federal tax incentive for the donation of conservation easements permanent has an incredible 260 co-sponsors in the House (H.R. 1964)!  That’s more co-sponsors than any other bill that’s currently pending before Congress.  The Senate version of the tax incentive bill has 11 co-sponsors (S. 339).  The Land Trust Alliance has spearheaded the advocacy effort on this legislation nationally, but they always need help at the state and local level.  See this fact sheet for more information.

Wisconsin’s Congressional delegation really needs to hear from land trust leaders and their constituents on this important issue – Representatives Kind, Baldwin, and Moore have signed on to the bill, but Representatives Ryan, Sensenbrenner, Petri, Duffy and Ribble have not.  Neither of Wisconsin’s U.S. Senators – Johnson or Kohl – are cosponsors either.

You can reach Members of Congress by calling the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121.  When you get through to a Member’s office, ask for the staffer who handles tax issues, and let them know how important this tax incentive is to land conservation in your local community and to your conservation work.  If landowners in your area have benefited from the easement incentive, please share their stories!

The enhanced federal tax incentive for conservation easement donations is set to expire at the end of 2011, unless it is extended or made permanent.  A permanent tax incentive would create predictability for landowners who are trying to plan for the future, and would significantly bolster private land conservation nationwide.

We know that land trusts are strategic with their time and resources, particularly when deciding to engage in public policy advocacy, but every land trust – large or small, staffed or all-volunteer – can help the broader conservation community by developing relationships with their elected officials.  In an effort to enhance the role of land trusts as policy advocates, Gathering Waters recently partnered with the Land Trust Alliance to host a one-day training in La Crosse, Wisconsin, called Advocating for Success – How do I get from here to there?  This workshop provided land trust leaders with an opportunity to learn from LTA and GWC staff, to hear from an in-district staffer for Representative Ron Kind, and to talk to their peers about making their advocacy efforts more efficient and effective.  Stay tuned for more opportunities like this in the future.