The Landscape Conservation Bulletin
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A bi-monthly publication of the Network for
Landscape Conservation
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Dear Network Friends and Partners,
As we move into the autumn season, I’m struck by what a whirlwind year we’ve experienced in the landscape conservation field.
This report—which emerged from the strategic dialogue of last year’s National Forum on Landscape Conservation—captures the current state of the practice by exploring recent innovations, on-the-ground examples, and action-oriented strategies.
Pathways Forward
is practically humming with the inspiration, ideas, and energy that all of you bring to your own regions and the growing field of landscape conservation overall.
Please share
Pathways Forward
with your colleagues and communities, and be in touch to let us know what you think and how you’ve used the report to advance your own work in the field
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Julie Regan
Network Co-Chair
Tahoe Regional Planning Agency
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Connectivity and Corridors
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Additional Landscape Conservation News
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Webinars & Additional Resources
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Banner photo: The Downeast Lakes Community Forest, Maine. Credit: Downeast Lakes Land Trust
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Featured News
The Network for Landscape Conservation publishes a new report on the current state—and future direction—of landscape conservation
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In August, the Network for Landscape Conservation released our newest publication—
Pathways Forward: Progress and Priorities in Landscape Conservation.
Pathways Forward
captures the insights of 200 conservation leaders from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico who convened for two days last November at the
National Forum on Landscape Conservation
to strategize on the rapidly growing practice of collaborative conservation at the landscape scale. The report assesses the state of the field, showcases many innovative examples, and recommends ways to further advance this transformative conservation approach—together and in our own landscapes.
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Pathways Forward
is intended to educate, inspire, and stimulate important conservations. We view this report as an on-going conversation, and there are several upcoming opportunities to join in the conversation:
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LTA Rally Landscape Conservation Breakfast
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Saturday, October 13, 7:15-8:45 am:
The Network, the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, and the Wildlands and Woodlands Initiative are hosting a landscape conservation breakfast (7:15-8:45 am) during the upcoming LTA Rally in Pittsburgh. Network leader Bob Bendick will present an overview of
Pathways Forward
, followed by questions and discussion.
Registration by email is requested.
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Pathways Forward
Webinar
—
Tuesday, October 16, 2:00-3:30 pm EST:
The Open Space Institute in conjunction with NLC will host a 90-minute webinar to discuss the new report. Emily Bateson (NLC coordinator) and Ernest Cook (NLC co-chair) will provide a thorough overview of
Pathways Forward
, to be followed by a robust discussion on this rapidly growing field, with a focus on capturing what we can do together and in our own landscapes to advance this practice.
Register for the webinar.
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Featured News
The Land and Water Conservation Fund is set to expire at the end of the month, unless reauthorized by Congress
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The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) has been an unparalleled force for landscape conservation since this federal program was signed into law in 1964. LWCF has had remarkable reach, conserving important public lands, urban and other local recreation opportunities, cultural heritage sites, and (through the Forest Legacy Program) conservation easement funding for private, managed timberlands—all important pieces of the landscape conservation puzzle. A
recent article
in
The Revelator
highlights the history and value of LWCF, and offers perspectives on the current climate of uncertainty surrounding its future. Though the program has enjoyed largely bipartisan support over its more than 50 years—it has tangibly benefited all U.S. states and territories—it is set to expire on September 30th. Both the
LWCF Coalition
and
The Trust for Public Land
have compiled impressive series of success stories from the Fund's history—and also provide information on how to weigh in with your elected officials.
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Featured News
Connectivity and wildlife corridors—new research around the ensuring connectivity in the face of changing climatic conditions and understanding the nuance of wildlife movements and migrations
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Wildlife corridors, and habitat connectivity more generally, continue to draw significant attention as conservationists wrestle with what it means to conserve wildlife populations and communities at the landscape scale. As Gary Tabor of the Center for Large Landscape Conservation argues in a
recent guest blog post
for Nature Needs Half, connectivity is the “safety net” of biodiversity conservation. Research is increasingly grappling with the temporal challenge: how can we ensure that this safety net continues to function under changing climatic conditions into the future? A
recently published study
in
Global Change Biology
identifies "climate corridors" at the continental scale—the best routes from current climate types to where those climate types will exist under future climate conditions (read a
Conservation Corridor summary post
). And in
Environmental Research Letters
,
researchers reviewed
the multitude of approaches to modeling and mapping climate-wise connectivity—connectivity to specifically facilitate species movement in response to climate change (read a
Conservation Corridor summary post
). Finally, recent articles in
The Atlantic
and
Anthropocene
highlight the evolving development of our understanding of wildlife movement and migration that necessitates connectivity. In
the
Science
paper
that both articles build upon, research out of the western U.S. suggests that there is a “cultural” component to wildlife migrations: Migration isn’t strictly instinctual, but rather wildlife populations accumulate and share knowledge across generations of how to make a living in their biophysical landscape—an insight that is consistent with many indigenous worldviews that readily accepted the cultural component of wildlife populations.
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A direct and compelling headline
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Additional Landscape Conservation News
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New guide published to help practitioners to facilitate local stakeholder participation in collaborative landscape conservation planning.
Land use in America:
Bloomberg
analysis shows how America uses its land.
Washington Post
article highlights new research published in
Environmental Research Letters
that captures the detrimental impacts of climate change on our national parks.
USFS announces new strategy for improving forest condition, with a newly released report outlining the plan to work more closely with states to identify landscape-scale priorities for targeted treatments in areas with the highest payoffs.
Stanford Social Innovation Review
article explores promising new models for collaboration and collective action in landscape-scaled conservation.
New study by The Trust for Public Land and fellow members of the Vermont Forest Partnership shows a 9-to-1 return on land conservation dollars in Vermont.
High Country News
article captures the story of a mule deer doe and a 242-mile one-way migration—and underscores the need to protect connected tracts of land to sustain wildlife migration paths.
Alliance of Regional Collaboratives for Climate Adaptation releases new white paper detailing the connection between California cities and the Sierra Nevada ecosystem.
Anthropocene
article highlights new research published in
GeoForum
calling for a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of human-wildlife conflict—and the social, political, and/or economic trends that often are precipitating factors.
CityLab
article highlights the history and diversity of wildlife crossing infrastructure on roads and highways around the world.
National Parks Traveler
article highlights the Eastern Wildway, a north-south corridor through eastern North America intended to ensure flora and fauna populations can persist and thrive.
Meeting of the Minds
post highlights the value of equitable access to urban parks and trails.
Conservation Corridor summarizes recent research on urban connectivity.
Article in
The Narwhal
makes the case for the value of indigenous-led environmental assessments when evaluating major industrial projects near or through First Nations lands.
EcoAgriculture Partners and the IUCN National Committee of the Netherlands formalize partnership to advance landscape finance.
Conservation Corridor highlights recent research on creating better, more efficient wildlife corridors.
The Revelator
article highlights a new technical report that explores the increased mortality of grizzly bears in western Canada around roads, and suggests landscape targets for managing motorized access in wilderness areas.
Portland Press Herald
article highlights The Nature Conservancy’s newly-launched carbon offset project on 124,000 acres of timberland in northern Maine.
Article highlights how environmental management decisions around surface water can push nations apart—or bring them together.
Note: this article is part of “Shallow Water,” a nine-part collaboration between the
Texas Observer
and
Quartz
that explores the complexities of border water along the Texas-Mexico border.
University of Utah Environmental Dispute Resolution post highlights a case study of the value of state funding of conflict resolution in Oregon.
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A direct and compelling headline
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Upcoming Conferences & Opportunities
Join us for a Landscape Conservation Breakfast at LTA Rally -- October 13, 2018
Join the Network for Landscape Conservation, the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, and the Wildlands and Woodlands Initiative at the Land Trust Alliance Rally for a landscape conservation breakfast on Saturday, October 13th (7:15-8:45 am). Discuss the new
Pathways Forward
report and learn about an emerging landscape conservation water fund,
Sebago Clean Waters
. Registration is requested - reserve your place now by contacting
Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler.
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Pittsburgh, PA
Westminster, CO
New York, NY
Vancouver, WA
A US/ ICOMOS Symposium
San Francisco, CA
Baltimore, MD
The 2018 RCP Network Gathering
Amherst, MA
Canmore, AB
Washington, DC
Shepherdstown, WV
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A direct and compelling headline
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Webinars & Additional Resources
Pathways Forward
webinar -- October 16, 2018
The Open Space Institute in conjunction with the Network for Landscape Conservation are convening a webinar to review the new
Pathways Forward
report, and continue the discussion about the future of landscape conservation.
Register today
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A Connected Conservation Webinar
October 3, 2018
A Conservation Biology Institute webinar
October 4, 2018
An Open Space Institute webinar with the Network for Landscape Conservation
October 16, 2018
A Connected Conservation Webinar
October 17, 2018
A Connected Conservation Webinar
November 7, 2018
A Connected Conservation Webinar
November 14, 2018
A Connected Conservation Webinar
December 12, 2018
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.
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The Network for Landscape Conservation is the community of practice for practitioners advancing collaborative, cross-boundary conservation as an essential approach to protect nature, culture, and community in the 21st Century.
www.landscapeconservation.org
Contact
Emily Bateson
, Network Coordinator, for more information.
Contributions of news, upcoming events, and resources for future Bulletins are welcomed. We also welcome inquires for future "Perspectives: Landscapes Conservation in Action" stories; please be in touch if you are interested in sharing stories and insights from your work.
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A direct and compelling headline
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