The Landscape Conservation Bulletin
A bi-monthly publication of the Network  for 
Landscape Conservation
May 2017
Dear Network Friends and Partners,

Inspired. Energized. Re-committed. These are a few of the descriptors that reverberated as we concluded the Network's annual strategic retreat in Lake Tahoe in April. As we reflected on our progress over the last year, it was clear the Network is growing in a positive direction. We've  added two staff members, expanded our leadership team to more than 25 experts from across sectors and geographies, and grown our partners to more than 80 organizations We've accelerated the Network's work, launching a pilot peer exchange program, expanding our policy work, and undertaking a new survey of landscape conservation initiatives. You'll enjoy reading those results soon.

Our leadership team used the Tahoe meeting to set an ambitious agenda for the coming year, including hosting a major forum this fall to advance landscape conservation nationally.
 
As I reflect on the April retreat, I am reminded of the importance of connecting with fellow practitioners as we build this pivotal conservation approach. We hope the Network's community of practice continues to add value to those working on the ground to promote collaborative conservation across the country, continent, and beyond.
 
All the very best,

Julie Regan 
Network Co-Chair
Chief, External Affairs, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency
In This Issue
Featured News
Landscape Conservation Cooperatives threatened by proposed budget cuts  

As outlined in a recent E&E News article, the administration's proposed budget eliminates funding for the Landscape Conservation Cooperative program, despite the Department of Interior's stated goal of improving and increasing coordination on conservation across federal bureaus. 

T he value of both conservation at the landscape scale and the LCCs has been reaffirmed through an in-depth 2015 review. Just last month the LCC Network was recognized with the Distinguished Landscape Practitioner Award from the  Association of Landscape Ecology (U.S. Chapter). As one LCC participant is quoted in the E&E News article, "Problems with natural resources and cultural resources are really difficult to solve, and any one agency can't really get us all the way to a solution. Having LCCs there to get the right conversations going and get the processes happening across boundaries is working."

In light of the uncertain funding future of the LCC program, organizations have voiced support for continued funding for the 22 Landscape Conservation Cooperatives in FY2018 - read the letter, spearhead  by the Trust for Public Lands and signed by many Network for Landscape Conservation partners,  that was submitted to congressional Appropriations Subcommittees last week. 

Losing funding for the LCCs would be an enormous setback to landscape conservation progress and partnerships across the U.S. Those wishing to follow up further should use the button below to contact members of Congress and the Appropriations Subcommittees.
Featured News
New report assesses the growing disconnection of Americans and nature and explores opportunities for reconnection  

Late last month, Nature of Americans National Review: Disconnection and Recommendations for Reconnection was released. The report is an in-depth national study of Americans' relationship to nature, and captures an alarming disconnect between nature and people. Importantly, the report also reveals a stark interest-action gap: despite various societal forces perpetuating the disconnect, Americans of all backgrounds continue to recognize the value and importance of nature to their lives and desire to have nature-based experiences. The report concludes with a chapter dedicated to identifying 22 actionable recommendations for reconnecting Americans and nature.
Featured News
Importance of habitat connectivity continues to draw attention in on-going political debate on border security

The on-going national political rhetoric around border security is bringing to the forefront habitat connectivity principles and values that are embedded in landscape conservation thinking and practice. Articles targeting a popular audience have remained prominent, with two recent examples - a Vox article offering an in-depth look at current border security infrastructure impacts along the U.S.-Mexico border as well as potential impacts arising from further wall construction; and an NPR report on the bi-partisan consensus that no wall should be built in Big Bend National Park. More practitioner-focused work continues to emerge as well: the Borderlands Connectivity Report from the Wildlands Network captures the state of research and wildlife connectivity data along critical portions of the U.S.-Mexico border. 

In light of this, a timely new resource has been created by Conservation Corridor: the Connectivity Tool Decision Guide is intended to help practitioners assess and select appropriate tools to design, implement, and/or manage corridors and connectivity in the landscape. 
Perspectives: Landscape Conservation in Action

Emerging landscape conservation trends from the George Wright Conference

In April, the George Wright Society held its biennial conference, a gathering of managers, scientists and professionals focused on protected areas. Brenda Barrett, a member of the NLC leadership team, was on hand at the Connections Across People, Place and Time conference, and was struck by the many ways in which the landscape conservation concept and approach is emerging as essential within protected areas conversation. In this month's "Perspectives" piece, Brenda shares brief reflections from a landscape conservation perspective on themes that she heard bubbling up during the three-day conference, including the indivisible connection between nature and culture, the importance of the urban interface, and the recognition of indigenous peoples' connection to landscape. 
Note: this piece was originally published through and is used courtesy of the Living Landscape Observer.



Additional Landscape Conservation News

The Outdoor Industry Association's newly released third edition of its Outdoor Recreation Economy Report documents $887 billion in annual consumer spending on outdoor recreation, which supports 7.6 million direct outdoor recreation jobs

The Nature Conservancy's Beyond the Source report analyzes 4,000 cities to demonstrate the health, climate and biodiversity benefits of source water protection 

Envision the Susquehanna: A Vision for the Susquehanna Watershed, released by the Chesapeake Conservancy and many partners, presents a shared vision for the river and its watershed, capturing locally supported conservation priorities and recommendations that emerged through a multi-year community engagement and data analysis effort

"Ecosystem Earth," a Special Issue of Science, examines the human impacts on the integrated ecosystem that is Earth, seeks to understand barriers to change, and explores potential solutions

Lincoln Institute of Land Policy releases new publication, Minnesota's Road to a Legacy Amendment, as a case study in using a state constitutional amendment to generate conservation funding at the state level

Highstead funds launch of Regional Conservation Partnerships Exchange Program in New England

Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. announces 11 community grants featuring collaborations of more than 50 organizations to advance quality of life in communities across North America 

Conservation Corridor collates recent research that looks at the effectiveness of urban habitat connectivity and provides new methods for planning and implementing connectivity corridors

Article highlights the importance of maintaining connectivity between habitats as a key strategy for conserving wildlife populations in face of changing climate 

Coordinators of State Wildlife Action Plans (updated last year) from across the Northeast are exploring opportunities to collaborate strategically across jurisdictions
Read more  here  and here

New report from the Conservation Finance Network employs a market development framework to understand the private capital investments and markets for working lands conservation
Read  synopsis  or  full report

Recent meta-analysis suggests that fences are most effective mitigation strategy for reducing wildlife roadkill 

Upcoming Conferences & Opportunities

June 12-16, 2017 -- Conservation Finance Boot Camp
Durham, North Carolina

Cartagena, Columbia

August 1-3, 2017 -- Borrowing Money Boot Camp
Adamstown, MD

Bangor, ME

Quebec City, Canada

October 26-28, 2017 -- Land Trust Alliance Rally
Denver, CO


Webinars & Additional Resources

A weekly podcast that explores the challenges presented by adapting to climate change and the approaches the field's best minds believe are already working.

A Conservation Biology Institute webinar
June 13, 2017

A National Park Service "Scaling Up" webinar
June 21, 2017 

A Conservation Biology Institute webinar
June 22, 2017 

A National Park Service "Scaling Up" webinar
July 19, 2017 

A Conservation Biology Institute webinar
August 24, 2017 


The Network for Landscape Conservation is the community of practice for practitioners advancing collaborative, cross-boundary conservation as an essential approach to protect nature, community, and culture in the 21st Century.


Contact Emily Bateson, Network Coordinator, for more information. 
Contributions of news, upcoming events, and resources for future Bulletins are welcomed.