The national Land Trust Alliance    LTA NE Region         LTA Newletters

Land Trust Alliance  Grants and Resources

Land Trust Alliance Grants  The Land Trust Alliance has a number of grant opportunities throughout the year for land trust members.  Please check the Land Trust Alliance Grants page regularly. Notices of grant programs are often mailed and/or e-mailed to members, make sure your contact information is up to date. This link will also let you find a land trust in the USA.

National Land Trust Census 2005 Outreach Toolkit  2005 Census Final Report - Our complete report on the status of land trusts and private land conservation. (PDF; 395KB) State by State Census Factsheets - New! Use the map found below to download a fact sheet (in MS Word) with specific information for each state you serve. Includes graphs and data.

Land Trust Alliance Resources   Exchange, The National Journal of Land Conservation Published quarterly, Exchange is the nation's leading periodical written by and for land conservationists. Available for free when you join the Land Trust Alliance, the 40-page quarterly magazine offers up-to-date stories on the latest issues, innovations and trends in land conservation.Read sample articles and learn how you can receive it. Land Trust Standards and Practices Implementation Resources Over 450 pages of new materials to help you learn and implement the revised Land Trust Standards and Practices are now on LTAnet, the digital library for LTA members and partners. Visit LTAnet today, or learn more about it. Datebook A calendar of events for land trusts. The calendar includes all Land Trust Alliance sponsored events and other events that are relevant to a significant number of land trusts. View the datebook. Training and Conferences Learn about the many LTA-sponsored training events throughout the nation. View the Training and Conference homepage. LTA eNews Brief Sign up today! Once a month we'll send you the latest news and resources to assist you in your land conservation work. We'll give you brief highlights on public policy, training, new funding opportunities and much more. Land Trust ADVOCATES Land Trust ADVOCATES is a national network of land trust staff, board members, volunteers, and donors who work together to support public policies that further the conservation work of land trusts. Members of ADVOCATES are crucial links in educating lawmakers about the issues that concern land trusts. Learn more. Conserve-A-Nation® Insurance Program Land Trust Alliance Members qualify for the Conserve-A-Nation® Insurance Program with coverage options including a basic program that consists of general liability insurance, non-owned and hired auto liability, and property coverage. Offered by Franey, Muha Alliant, Inc., the program is ideally suited to land trusts and is available at very competitive prices to LTA Members. Learn more about the insurance. Expert Link: An Online Directory of Professional Partners The Land Trust Alliance thanks all of those organizations who have joined us as Professional Partners. As a membership benefit, we provide an online directory with their information. The Land Trust Alliance does not endorse the products or services of our Professional Partners. View Expert Link. LTAnet LTAnet (www.LTAnet.org) is an online service that puts comprehensive information about land conservation and organizational management at your fingertips. This searchable library contains Land Trust Alliance publications, sample documents, presentations from our annual Rally, and other technical materials, which land trust professionals need to keep current in their profession. The service, along with other membership benefits, is available free to all land trust members and Partners. Learn more. Featured LTAnet Resource: Land Conservation Case Law Summaries is a quarterly publication created by attorney Rob Levin for the Land Trust Alliance.  The latest installment is now available on LTAnet for Land Trust Alliance member land trusts and partners. Land Trust Alliance, The Nature Conservancy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration  created this online resource to help foster networking among organizations working to advance coastal conservation. Find funding, training, networking and tools specifically designed for coastal conservation. Visit today! RallyNet A special portion of LTAnet, RallyNet contains session information for the 100+ sessions held at the National Land Conservation Conference:  Rally. It includes information about presenters, session handouts (if provided to us electronically), additional reference materials, plenary speeches and more. Found at www.LTAnet.org, this resource is available year-round to Members and Partners. It is made available to conference participants and the public for approximately 3 months after the  conference. Link to LTA We get many requests to link to our Web site and we welcome the links. We've put together a new section to make it easier. We've even created logos to highlight your membership status with the Land Trust Alliance. There is also a request form for you to fill out if you want a higher resolution version of our logo to use in print publications. (updated 9/29/06) More Erler's LandStewardTM: Software to Track Stewardship Data Designed to help land conservation organizations store and access project and stewardship data for protected properties, Erler's LandSteward will be used by those land trusts interested in making their stewardship documentation systems stronger. More Jobs, Jobs, Jobs  Interested in working for a land trust?  Use the navigation bar to the left to get to listings of Jobs at Land Trusts or Jobs with LTA. LTA does not charge to run job announcements on the Web listing for LTA member land trusts and some Partners. LTA also accepts job announcements from others, with charges of $75 or $100.

Other Grants, Loans and Awards Living Lands Pilot Projects Deadline: December 15, 2006  The Living Lands project provides funding for pilot projects that encourage local land trusts to increase their capacity to engage in biodiversity conservation. Pilot projects include funding and technical assistance to help land trusts advance specific projects with significant biodiversity values. Land trusts may apply for up to $10,000. Link:www.biodiversitypartners.org/Livinglands/pilot.shtml SeaWorld/Busch Gardens/Fujifilm Environmental Excellence Awards Deadline: November 30, 2006 This award recognizes the outstanding efforts of students, teachers, community groups and nonprofits across the United States who are working at the grassroots level to protect and preserve the environment. Eight projects will be selected, and each winning group will receive $10,000 to benefit the award-winning project among other prizes. Visit the program's Web site for complete application information and examples of previous award winners. RFP Link: http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/10002937/swbg-animals Fund for Wild Nature Invites Proposals Deadline: April 28 and November 3  The Fund for Wild Nature  provides money for campaigns to save and restore native species and wild ecosystems, including actions to defend wilderness and biological diversity. The fund supports advocacy, litigation, public policy work, development of citizen science, and similar endeavors. Visit the Fund for Wild Nature Web site for complete grant guidelines and application procedures. RFP Link: http://fconline.fdncenter.org/pnd/10001274/fundwildnature (From the Foundation Center) No-Interest Loan Fund for Land Protection Deadline: Always open In an effort to facilitate the land conservation work of grassroots organizations across the country, The Norcross Wildlife Foundation is offering a rare source of financial support. Loans of up to $250,000 are available for the purpose of acquiring interests in land that contains priority wildlife habitat. More More than $6 Million Available in Great Lakes Deadline: Always open  Land trusts and public agencies in the eight-state Great Lakes basin can apply to The Conservation Fund for interim funding to purchase land or conservation easements to protect coastal and freshwater sites of high ecological significance. Application forms are available from Michael Kelly, Great Lakes Office, The Conservation Fund, PO Box 734, Bay City, MI 48707, 989-892-9171, fax: 989-892-9172,  This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it .

Other Resources Books Be sure to visit LTA's Publications Catalog There you'll find books not only published by LTA, but also those published by other respected authors on topics from easement stewardship to conservation finance and from starting a land trust to the history of land trusts in America. Rescuing Wetlands Close to Home: Ten Stories of New England Landowners Read this new book by Anne Schwartz that celebrates the role of private property owners in preserving natural landscapes and how their efforts connect people to the land and to each other. Published by The Trust for Public Land, a member of the Land Trust Alliance Green Infrastructure: Linking Landscapes and Communities Published in 2006, this book provides both the history of greenways and green space networks, and practical advice on how to design and implement them. From the individual parcel to the multi-state region, Green Infrastructure helps us look at the landscape in relation to the many uses it could serve, for nature and people, and determine which use achieves the most benefit for both. Available for purchase at Island Press. From Walden to Wall Street: Frontiers of Conservation Finance This book published in 2005 by Island Press considers how the conservation community could dramatically increase the amount of capital available for conservation in coming decades. Available for purchase at Island Press. Scenic America Action Guide The recently published Scenic Easements: A Tool to Conserve America the Beautiful promotes the protection of visual resources in conservation easements. Events and Training Be sure to visit LTA's Training and Conferences pages and our Datebook of events for land trust professionals. Online Trainings on Software Selection for Nonprofits Idealware has partnered with NTEN to offer a series of online trainings to help nonprofits make effective software choices, e.g. donor databases, blogging software. These seminars will include all the candid advice and product comparisons of the reports and articles on which they are based, as well as plenty of extra guidance and insights straight from the authors. See upcoming trainings. (posted 9/29/06) NatureServe Calendar of Events Dates and locations for all NatureServe conferences, training events, and other activities as listed in the site description, e.g. scheduled coordinator conference calls, etc. See: www.natureserve.org/visitLocal/calendar.jsp Guides Guide to Forest Stewarship Council Certification for Land Trusts To help land trusts learn more about certification by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the Rainforest Alliance, a leading FSC-accredited forest management certifier, has produced the new Guide to Forest Stewardship Council Certification for Land Trusts. Certification can provide a land trust with recognition for sustainable forest management, and provide social and ecological standards against which a timber operation can be evaluated. (posted 6/2/06) Water Rights Handbook for Colorado Conservation Professionals The Water Rights Handbook for Colorado Conservation Professionals is available for purchase now through Bradford Publishing. Prepared and reviewed by accomplished Colorado water and conservation attorneys, engineers, and appraisers, this book presents essential information that will allow Colorado's land conservation professionals to sensibly evaluate, pursue, and protect the water resources necessary to preserve conservation values year after year. The retail price is $45 and it can be purchased online at www.bradfordpublishing.com or by calling their customer service line at 800-446-2831. Those in the Denver area can also purchase it at our retail store located at 1743 Wazee Street in downtown Denver. (posted 3/17/06) Partnership Guide This Partnership Guide, produced by the Forest Service and the National Forest Foundation, is a tool to help Forest Service employees, experienced partners, and first-time or potential partners work together more effectively and efficiently. The guide answers common questions about the agency's policies and procedures, helps partnerships anticipate potential hurdles, and provides contacts and other resources to help users find more specific guidance. Finally, the guide highlights creative approaches taking place across the country that promote sustainable and vibrant forests, grasslands, and communities. (posted 2/24/06) Stewardship Handbook for Family Forest Ownerships A Handbook for Planning, Managing and Protecting Your Woods, Your Investment and Your Environment This Fall 2005 publication from the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service helps family forest owners balance investment values and conservation values. Download it from the National Association of State Foresters website in either Notebook format (1.5MB) or in brochure format (290KB) (posted 1/13/06) Appraisal Guide Available Online from the Colorado Coalition of Land Trusts The Colorado Coalition of Land Trusts has produced a 38-page guide (PDF; 338KB) to appraisals of conservation easements, designed for landowners and for appraisers unfamiliar with easement appraisals. It also includes a section outlining the most common errors seen in conservation easement appraisals -- which makes this piece a must-read for land trust leaders. (posted 11/12/04) Conservation Funding Guides from The Wilderness Society Two reports released by The Wilderness Society detail sources of funding for open space protection. These guides identify resources available to protect forestlands, with a particular focus on the eastern United States, and are applicable to the work of any organization that preserves land. Conservation Capital: Source of Public Funding for Land Conservation describes public funding at federal, state, and local levels as well as notable innovative projects. Though public funding provides the majority of support for land protection, Conservation Capital: Sources of Private Funding for Land Conservation reveals how to look beyond the obvious, stretch available public funds, and tap into many different sources of funding. (posted 3/4/05) Conservation Funding in Colorado: A Guide to Federal and State Programs The Colorado Coalition of Land Trusts has produced a unique guide examining the history, funding limits and eligibility requirements for more than 45 state and federal conservation programs. View or download the guide at www.cclt.org. (posted 3/28/05) Saving Special Places: Community Funding for Land Conservation This guidebook is published by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (SPNHF) and the Center for Land Conservation Assistance, hosted by the Society. Printed copies of the guidebook are available by sending a check for $15.00 payable to SPNHF to: Kristine Graeme , SPNHF, 54 Portsmouth St., Concord, NH 03301. The guidebook is also available for download in Adobe Acrobat format at: http://www.forestsociety.org/pdf/savingplaces.pdf Conservation Bank Guidance from Interior Department The U.S. Department of the Interior has issued the first comprehensive federal guidelines designed to promote the establishment of Conservation Banks, which ensure perpetual protection for endangered species that are adversely affected elsewhere. Read the Department of the Interior press release. Reports Are Agricultural Easement Programs Working? The American Farmland Trust and the Agricultural Issues Center of The University of California, Davis have conducted a comprehensive analysis of agricultural easement programs in the U.S. and have just released the 2nd and 3rd reports in a 4 part series. The reports identify conclusive lessons about how program methods and strategies affect the accomplishments. Visit the American Farmland Trust's website for more information and to download the reports. Report 1 - Profiles and Maps (released 2003) Report 2 - How Programs Select Farmland to Fund Report 3 - Easements and Local Planning Report 4 - Measuring Success in Protecting Farmland with Easements (coming November 2006) eNonprofit Benchmarks Study The eNonprofit Benchmarks Study is the first of its kind look at the effectiveness of major American nonprofit organizations using the Internet to raise money and influence public policy. The study is a tool that nonprofits can use to measure and compare their online performance to other organizations' online programs. Videos Video on Conservation Easements An episode of the University of Florida's Living Green project features farmers who have partnered with the Conservation Trust for Florida and the Red Hills Conservation Program to establish conservation easements. Dr. Mark Hostetler visits several farmers who are establishing conservation easements on their property to discuss how conservation easements work and how a farmer/landowner can establish them on his or her property. Watch the video or buy the DVD on Living Green's website.  Services American Farmland Trust American Farmland Trust (AFT) helps land trusts and landowners raise awareness about the economic, environmental, cultural and other benefits farms and ranches provide to individuals and communities. Raising awareness is a critical step in gaining support for initiatives to protect farms and ranches, strengthen the agricultural economy and ensure the use of healthy farming practices. AFT also helps communities create, implement and evaluate plans for agriculture that can include land use techniques, economic development tools and conservation practices. Learn more about AFT's full suite of consulting services. Expert Link: An Online Directory of Professional Partners The Land Trust Alliance thanks all of those organizations who have joined us as Professional Partners. As a membership benefit, we provide an online directory with their information. The Land Trust Alliance does not endorse the products or services of our Professional Parnters. View Expert Link. Computers and Technology Consistent Computer Bargains A leading authorized reseller of name brand computer technology to nonprofit and charitable organizations. www.ccbnonprofits.com Idealware Idealware (www.idealware.org) is a new website providing candid Consumer-Reports-style reviews and articles about software of interest to nonprofits, centralized into a website. Through product comparisons, recommendations, case studies, and software news, Idealware aims to allow nonprofits to make the software decisions that will help them be more effective. Online training on these topics is now available. (posted 2/24/06) NTEN NTEN is a professional community that connects people involved in nonprofit technology and strives to help them effectively use technology in their work. They offer trainings, conferences, listservs and more. Visit www.NTEN.org. (posted 9/29/06) IT Disaster Recovery This resource was developed by CompuMentor's Healthy & Secure Computing campaign and was created in the aftermath of the Hurricane Katrina tragedy. It provides advice on getting technology systems working again in small- and medium-sized nonprofits where business continuity plans were not sufficient or did not exist. (posted 9/23/05) More New York Area Technology Resources There are a number of internet sites that provide useful information for New York area (and beyond) nonprofits interested in technology issues. These were compiled by Alder Consulting, who also have an interesting newsletter about doing technology on a shoestring. (posted 6/4/04) More TechSoup TechSoup.org offers nonprofits a one-stop resource for technology needs by providing free information, resources, and support. TechSoup provides instructional articles and worksheets for nonprofit staff members who utilize information technologies, as well as technology planning information for executives and other decision makers. www.TechSoup.org TechSoup Stock Nonprofits can access donated and discounted technology products, generously provided by corporate and nonprofit technology partners. Exceptional discounts on software and technology services. Always check here before buying software. www.techsoup.org/stock/ Websites & Listservs Land Trust GIS Website The Land Trust GIS website contains a wealth of information about how land trusts can apply Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to their work. It is a joint project of GreenInfo Network in partnership with the Land Trust Alliance, and with the assistance of CommEn Space. (posted 6/30/06) Northwest Land Trust Mapping Program TheLand Trust Mapping Program is a project of CommEn Space in collaboration with the Land Trust Alliance. The site demonstrates how land trusts can best use maps and GIS technology to improve their operations, and connects land trust personnel with sources of data and other resources. The program also provides professional, cost-effective products and services on demand. (posted 9/29/06) Partnership Resource Center A partnership developed through the shared vision of the National Forest Foundation and the USDA - Forest Service. The purpose of the website is to provide our partnering organizations and Forest Service staff with the information and access they need for enhanced working relationships. Includes resources, funding, links to partners, and more. Visit www.partnershipresourcecenter.org. (posted 2/24/06) USDA Soil Survey Maps Available Online NRCS has soil maps and data available online for more than 95 percent of the nation's counties and expects that will improve to 100 percent soon.  The site is free and is maintained as the single authoritative source of soil survey information.  This information is critical to land trusts for baseline documentation done for agricultural lands under conservation easement management agreements.  Visit:  http://soils.usda.gov/survey.  For more information about natural resource conservation programs in your state, consult your local USDA service center or visit www.nrcs.usda.gov. Urban Land Trust List Serve Join this list serve to discuss the issues facing urban land trusts. Join today! The Program on Conservation Innovation www.ConservationInnovation.net is a website out of Havard University that focuses on efforts to forge remarkable advances in the fields of conservation science, education, advocacy and policy, resource protection, and stewardship. Website for Financial Advisors The Open Space Protection Collaborative serving the Carolinas has a website which aims to provide financial advisors with the necessary resources and know-how to advise conservation-minded clients about conservation planning. The website has information helpful to land trusts throughout the Carolina and beyond. Found on the Web at: www.openspaceprotection.org. (posted 2/25/05) LandTrust Listserv The LANDTRUST Listserv is an electronic mailing list of individuals interested in land trust issues. LTA thanks Tom Zeller at Indiana University, who started and has continued to maintain the landtrust list server. Learn more. Online Database of Conservation Ballot Measures Developed by the Trust For Public Land, a national conservation organization, the LandVote Database serves as the premier source of information about conservation ballot measures. The database, accessed online at www.landvote.org, brings together a comprehensive history for all conservation-related ballot measures that have been voted on since 1999. Farmland Information Center Website The Farmland Information Center website is available at www.farmlandinfo.org. You'll find a collection of statistics, laws, literature and technical resources related to farm and ranch land protection and stewardship. The Farmland Information Center is a service of the American Farmland Trust in partnership with NRCS. 2006 Update: Based on feedback from visitors, the site has new state pages that bundle key contacts, statistics, literature, laws, sample documents and legislative briefs to provide a snapshot of farmland protection activity.

top of page