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January 2024 | Land Trust eNews
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Maryland Environmental Trust Spotlight |
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Is Your Land Trust's Contact Information Up To Date?
MET's Land Trust Directory lists local, regional and national land trusts (with current Cooperative Agreements) as well as partners who co-hold conservation easements with MET. The online Directory is updated annually and provides contact information for MET's current partners. The 2023 Land Trust Directory is available on MET's website. If you have questions about MET's Directory please contact Michelle at michelle.grafton@maryland.gov.
If your land trust has had staff turnover, your office has moved or if your contact details have changed please let MET know. Please submit your changes via this Google Form. The deadline to reply is February 15, 2024.
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Land Trust Monitoring Reports
If your land trust coholds easements with MET, there is less than one month left to complete your annual monitoring visits for CY2023. The deadline to submit your monitoring reports to MET (for coheld easements) is just around the corner. For more details about annual monitoring requirements please contact Michelle at michelle.grafton@maryland.gov.
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 Save the Date
Join Maryland Department of Planning, Department of Natural Resources, and Maryland Environmental Trust for a free webinar on March 1, 2024 to learn more about a collaborative effort to collect and map the most comprehensive land trust and private conservation organization protected lands data.
MDP, DNR and MET are seeking your help in sending us your most recent land preservation data for properties where your organization has sole or joint interest. Accurate Protected lands data ensures that measurements of progress towards cumulative land conservation goals (e.g., 40x40 goal) are accurate, helps to direct public dollars to priority areas that are not already protected, and reflects a more complete picture of preservation accomplishments by all parties including the local land trusts and conservancies.
This webinar will discuss the goals and purpose of the project, explain the data collection process, and allow time for participant questions. Learn more.
This event is free, but registration is required. Please register by COB on February 23.
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Regional Conservation Partnership Program Opportunities
February 6 | Free
The Regional Conservation Partnership Program offers several pathways to fund innovative projects that center partnerships and locally led conservation. Over 25 land trust projects were awarded funding for 2023 and the Natural Resources Conservation Service wants to see that number grow! If your land trust is looking for new ways to fund important regional projects, join NRCS projects branch Chief Russell Ames for an overview of the program and information on how to get started. Learn more.
Adapting to Extreme Weather “Wild Cards”: A Rooted in Research Webinar Series
Online Webinar Series
Join the USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station, USDA Northeast and Northern Forests Climate Hubs, and the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science for Rooted in Research: Adapting to Extreme Weather “Wild Cards”. Between floods, severe storms, and wildfires, nearly everyone in North America has recently experienced an extreme weather event firsthand. These events pose new challenges for forestry and natural resource management that may require new, adaptive ways of thinking to address them. Learn more.
Online Recording
Partners for Open Space recently hosted a webinar on January 22, showcasing the importance of the Program Open Space (POS), the value it brings to Maryland, and the quality of life it provides to those who live and visit here. The webinar covered the history of (POS), the various programs it funds, and the role POS will play in helping Maryland achieve its goals as laid out in the Maryland the Beautiful Act (2023). Learn more.
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Tools, Tech and Tutorials |
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 MERLIN Online
Maryland's Environmental Resources and Land Information Network (MERLIN) is part of the MD iMap mapping system. MERLIN allows users to view spatial data and to use that information to make better informed decisions.
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 Protected Lands Dashboard
The Maryland Protected Lands Dashboard provides a quick assessment of the status of Maryland land conservation at the state, regional, and county levels. The 12 categories of protected lands include federal, state, county, and private programs.
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 Parcel Evaluation Tool
The GreenPrint/ Parcel Evaluation Tool evaluates the conservation benefits and ecosystem “value” of every parcel of land across the state of Maryland. The GreenPrint map also displays information about four of Maryland’s most active State operated land conservation programs: POS - Stateside, MALPF, MET, and the Rural Legacy Program.
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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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