Regional Partnerships CLCC Conference March 18 2017 Margot Burns: - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

2006 Connecticut River Riparian Mapping Project – In conjunction with Tidewater Institute. A project which mapped, on the parcel scale along the banks of the Connecticut River within the Connecticut River Gateway Conservation Zone, the condition of the riparian buffer, location of existing vacant parcel protection opportunities, a cursory look at the location of invasive species, and a photo library of each parcel from the water. (Funded by the Environmental Protection Agency, Long Island Sound Office, Connecticut River Estuary Regional Planning Agency, Tidewater Institute, and the Connecticut River Gateway Commission.)

2008 The Lower Connecticut River Ground Truthing - An inventory of existing open space and vacant parcels greater than 5 acres with associated conservation index and land use classification as well as outreach to regional land trusts and conservation organizations to promote land conservation

2009

Lower Connecticut River And Coastal Region Land Trust Exchange (LTE) Chester Land Trust Clinton Land Conservation Trust Connecticut River Land Trust Deep River Land Trust East Haddam Land Trust Essex Land Trust Haddam Land Trust Lyme Land Conservation Trust Lynde Point Land Trust Middlesex Land Trust Old Lyme Land Trust Old Saybrook Land Trust Salem Land Trust Westbrook Land Conservation Trust www.lcrclandtrustexchange.org

Create a stronger connection between the local, regional conservation community, and the Regional, State, and Federal land use planning process; Further our ability to provide an educational and planning opportunity for environmental and landscape protection for members of our region’s land trusts and conservation commissions to promote landscape linkages , tool creation, data acquisition, and sharing to enable effective collaboration and cooperation , in a regional manner, towards the creation of trails and greenways, and protection of existing habitat, water quality, and scenic and cultural landscape corridors ; and Identify possible collaboration mechanisms and business structures that will not take away from an individual land trust’s unique and important relationship and place in its own community, but enable them to practice best management and business principles. This could allow each to operate to its greatest potential concerning long term planning goals, future land acquisition, and the sustainable stewardship of their already existing protected open space. Business structures and collaboration mechanisms could include shared staff to help with record keeping, membership mailings, newsletter production, record keeping, fund raising, and grant writing as well as office space to provide a place for meetings, and where members could share computer hardware and software.

Projects and Accomplishments Lower Ct River and Coastal Region Land Trust Exchange: • 8 th year of collaboration; • Where Have All the Bats Gone • Search for the New England Cottontail • Natural Resource Based Strategic Conservation Plan; • CLCC Land Trust Initiative Education and Coaching concerning Community Engagement and Fundraising Case Statement (fund raising objective) Stewardship – Management Plans Shared Services Study Lower Ct River and Coastal Region Forest Stewardship Initiative • Participation in Cockaponset and Nehantic State Forest Management Plans Community outreach – Regional Landscape Scale • Forest Owner Survey • Menunketesuck Cockaponset Regional Greenway • Haddam Quarter / Candlewood Hill Neighborhood Forest Meeting • 4 Corner Forest Neighborhood Forest Meeting

Suzanne Haig and Maureen Heidtmann $450

Search for the New England Cottontail Photo: John A. Litvaitis

Private Forest Landowner Reaction to Community Engagement and Landscape-level Approaches to Forest Stewardship - USFS, UConn Extension, Last Green Valley Can an easy and reliable method to measure the influence of a landscape approach And community engagement on private forestland stewardship be developed? Goals to date – • Reaching private land owners to let them know where help and information can be found concerning land protection and stewardship. • Raising the level of esteem held within a community for its private forest owners for the benefit they provide to the community in the way of ecosystem services. How do you increase community awareness concerning forest land conservation? How do you raise the esteem of and benefits to private forest land owners within a community?

Haddam Quarter / Candlewood Hill Neighborhood Forest

4 Corner Neighborhood Forest

Partners David Brown – Middlesex Land Trust Christine Clayton – Old Lyme Land Trust Tom Elliott – Westbrook Land Conservation Trust Dick Harrall – Chester Land Trust Lisa Niccolai – Lyme Land Conservation Trust, CT River Land Trust Nancy Rambeau – Essex Land Trust Gail Reynolds – Haddam Land Trust Rob Smith – East Haddam Land Trust Javier Cruz, NRCS District Conservationist, Norwich Rick Potvin, Refuge Manager, Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge, US Fish and Wildlife Steve Gephard, Supervising Fisheries Biologist, CT DEEP Inland Fisheries Division Emery Gluck, Cockaponset State Forester, CT DEEP Division of Forestry Tom Worthley, UConn Dept. of Extension, Forestry Technical Assistance: National Park Service Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program John Monroe

Why? Land conservation is hard work! We want to make sure that we are conserving the places that will do us the greatest amount of good. Want to be proactive instead of reactive. Compete for conservation dollars. Photo: USFS

• For regional purposes the models and maps identify where the vast majority of agreed upon important natural resources exist within and bordering the RiverCOG Region. • Plan becoming part of the Region’s Plan of Conservation and Development. Recognition by regional staff and municipalities of the importance of proactive conservation and the Region’s economic development. • Increased awareness of the land trusts place in and value to their communities

Primary and Connecting Corridors account for: • 79% of area of all large natural areas; • 91% of all core forest area; and • 81% of all surface hydrology with intact buffer.

Primary Corridors (dark green on map) – 86 largest and/or most resource rich large natural areas: • 68% of area of all large natural areas; • 81% of all core forest area; and • 69% of all surface hydrology with intact buffer. Connecting Corridors (yellow on map) – next 63 largest and/or most resource rich large natural areas; • 11% of area of all large natural areas; • 10% of all core forest area; and • 11% of all surface hydrology with intact buffer.

Data Sets All data sets had to cover the entire region. • UConn CLEAR 2010 Land Cover • Inland Wetland Soils • Water bodies, streams, intermittent streams • DEEP Critical Habitats (25 rare and specialized wildlife habitats in the State) • Natural Diversity Database Areas (State listed species – endangered, threatened, or special concern – Blob data)

Specialized Land Cover Dependent Data Sets • Large Natural Areas • Core Forest Areas – Our LNAs’ are 82% forested. • Early Successional Habitat • Surface Hydrology with 300’ buffer • Critical Habitat with 300’ buffer

The final data sets chosen for the local model consist of: • LNAs; • Core Forest Areas ; • Early Successional Habitat Areas; • Surface Hydrology; • Critical Habitats; and • Natural Diversity Database Areas. The local model weighted core forest areas, surface hydrology, and critical habitat data sets as twice as important as the LNAs, early successional habitat and natural diversity database data sets.

Regional Model Data Sets • Size of the LNAs >1,000, 500 – 1000, 100 -500. and <100; (acres) • Percent Core Forest in LNAs; • Percent Surface Hydrology in LNAs; Stand alone: • Critical Habitat; • Natural Diversity Database Areas.

• 1004 LNAs greater than five acres • 64 Tier 1 LNAs are 1000 acres or greater, and cover 170,145 acres. • 55 Tier 2 LNAs are 500 acres to 999 acres, and cover 37,874 acres. • 178 Tier 3 LNAs are 100 acres to 499 acres, and cover 42,722 acres. • 703 Tier 4 LNAs are < then 100 acres and cover 17,147 acres.

Regional Model Acreage Large Natural Area % Core % Tier 1 ≥ 1000 Acres Forest Hydrography Class 1 75 -100 Class 1 75 - 100 Class 2 50 - 74 Class 2 50 - 74 Class 3 25 - 49 Class 3 25 - 49 Class 4 0 -24 Class 4 0 -24 Tier 2 ≥ 500 < 1000 Acres Class 1 75 - 100 Class 1 75 - 100 Class 2 50 - 74 Class 2 50 - 74 Class 3 25 - 49 Class 3 25 - 49 Class 4 0 - 24 Class 4 0 -24 Tier 3 ≥ 100 < 500 Acres Class 1 75 - 100 Class 1 75 - 100 Class 2 50 - 74 Class 2 50 - 74 Class 3 25 - 49 Class 3 25 - 49 Class 4 0 - 24 Class 4 0 - 24 Tier 4 < 100 Acres Class 1 75 - 100 Class 1 75 - 100 Class 2 50 - 74 Class 2 50 - 74 Class 3 25 - 49 Class 3 25 - 49 Class 4 0 - 24 Class 4 0 - 24

CLCC Land Trust Advancement Initiative • Community Engagement and Case Statement (fund raising) • Stewardship • Shared Services Photo: CT DEEP