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September 2021 | Land Trust eNews
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Maryland Environmental Trust Spotlight |
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 Partner Spotlight: How Lens Saves MET Time and Money
From the low-lying coastal plains around the Chesapeake Bay to the rolling hills and ridges of Appalachia, Maryland earns its nickname “America in miniature.” The Maryland Environmental Trust (MET), a division of Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources, conserves and stewards land across these diverse landscapes. This is no small task, especially as state agencies are often faced with limited budget and staff resources.
We spoke with Jon Chapman, MET’s stewardship manager, about the many ways Lens bolsters their agency’s monitoring capacity - from helping them overcome a staffing shortage to supporting data management.
 Registration is Open for the Next Land Trust Roundtable
MET is pleased to announce the second act to the highly acclaimed 2017 Land Conservation Conference session, Beer, Brides, Brawls and Brussel Sprouts. Join MET for the next Land Trust Roundtable on Tuesday, November 9 to revisit and explore this timely and increasingly important topic.
Land Trust Roundtables are free to partner land trusts and conservation partners. Registration is required.
This Roundtable is being planned as an in-person event. However, given the ongoing and evolving COVID situation the event may move to a virtual platform. For more information or to register visit the Land Trust Roundtable webpage.
MET is Hiring a Conservation Easement Planner
MET is currently accepting applications for a Natural Resource Planner III to serve as a Conservation Easement Planner. The primary purpose of the Conservation Easement Planner position is to actively conserve land by conducting outreach, soliciting, negotiating, drafting and completing conservation easement acquisitions. This position also assists MET’s Stewardship Program with the monitoring and stewardship of the portfolio of conservation easements. For more information or to apply visit the State of Maryland Job Openings webpage. The closing date is September 24, 2021.
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 Conservation Alliance Forms in Southern Maryland
Environmental groups across Southern Maryland have come together to form a coalition to help protect the natural beauty of the region. The Southern Maryland Conservation Alliance held its inaugural meeting at Serenity Farm in Hughesville on Sepyember 7. Conservation groups from Charles, St. Mary’s and Calvert counties along with groups from Prince George’s and Anne Arundel counties joined in on the effort to protect the landscapes and waterways of the region.
“We hope to enable greater collaboration among the conservation community here in Southern Maryland to build capacity, better identify funding and conservation opportunities, and importantly to focus at a landscape scale,” John Turgeon, director of the Maryland Environmental Trust, said.
Joel Dunn, president and chief executive officer of the Chesapeake Conservancy, spoke on the importance of protecting landscapes during his remarks to the assembled crowd. Calvert County Commissioner President Earl F. “Buddy” Hance (R) spoke at the event on the need for working landscapes. Hance, a former state agriculture secretary, said land preservation was an important economic tool. Shirley Knight, a board member with the American Chestnut Land Trust, said the event was important to bring together conservation groups that are “dispersed” across Maryland. Read more.
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Tools, Tech and Tutorials |
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Tools for Mapping Smart and Walkable Locations
This webinar was hosted by the MDP in coordination with the Smart Growth Network and features the Smart Location Database, a nationwide data resource for measuring location efficiency. It includes more than 90 attributes summarizing characteristics such as housing density, diversity of land use, neighborhood design, employment, and demographics.
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Environmental Protection Agency's EJSCREEN
In order to better meet the Agency’s responsibilities related to the protection of public health and the environment, EPA has developed a new environmental justice (EJ) mapping and screening tool called EJSCREEN. It is based on nationally consistent data and an approach that combines environmental and demographic indicators in maps and reports.
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Family Forest Ownerships of the United States
The latest National Woodland Owner Survey Analysis was published this year, revealing the majority of forest land in the U.S. (about 60%) is privately owned. It also offers a deep-dive into family forest ownerships with over 10 acres of forest land. The most common reasons for owning family forests are “To enjoy beauty or scenery,” “To protect or improve wildlife habitat,” and “For privacy.”
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Input From Farmers and Agricultural Entities Needed on Climate Vulnerability Assessment for Maryland Agriculture
September 17, 2021 | Free
At the direction of the Maryland State legislature, the Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology, Maryland Department of Agriculture, and Maryland Department of the Environment are working together to create a process and strategy to develop a Climate Vulnerability Assessment for Maryland Agriculture. Input from Maryland farmers and representatives of the agriculture entities is needed to inform this statewide effort. Learn more.
The Power of Service: A Look at CLA’s Pro Bono Outreach Program
September 20, 2021 | Free
Join the Chesapeake Legal Alliance for a virtual behind the scenes look at their Pro Bono Outreach program. During the presentation you will hear directly from CLA's volunteer network attorneys about the work they do to defend the Chesapeake Bay watershed and what empowers them to give back to their community through CLA. Learn more.
National Public Lands Day
September 25, 2021
Established in 1994 and held annually on the fourth Saturday in September, National Public Lands Day is traditionally the nation's largest single-day volunteer effort. It celebrates the connection between people and green space in their community, inspires environmental stewardship, and encourages use of open space for education, recreation, and health benefits. This year, National Public Lands Day falls on September 25. Learn more.
Rally 2021: National Land Conservation Conference
October 5-7, 2021 | Registration Fee
The Land Trust Alliance is proud to host its 34th Rally online. The virtual Rally 2021 offers over 60 educational sessions focused on land conservation topics, virtual networking events like Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Trivia, exhibits, plenary sessions and an awards presentation celebrating conservation leadership. Learn more.
Bird-Friendly Forestry Webinar: Technical and Financial Assistance for RCPs, Conservation Partners, and Landowners
October 13, 2021 | Free
For many landowners, a barrier to managing their forest with birds in mind is understanding where to begin and how to make it financially viable. Fortunately, there are many NGOs, government agencies, consulting foresters, and other technical assistance providers throughout the northeast ready and able to guide landowners along their forest stewardship journey. Learn more.
2021 Chesapeake Watershed Forum
November 1-5, 2021 | Registration Fee
The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay's Annual Chesapeake Watershed Forum is a watershed-wide event reaching over 400 restoration and protection practitioners to inspire and empower local action towards clean water. This year's event will be held online November 3-5 with in-person networking November 1-3. The Forum will share successful tools and techniques, offer lessons and learnings from on-the ground work, build capacities of local organizations, foster partnerships, and celebrate successes. Learn more.
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Share Your News
If you would like to share relevant conservation news, success stories, announcements or events with Maryland's land trusts and conservation partners through this publication, please contact Michelle Grafton by the first of each month at michelle.grafton@maryland.gov.
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