Community Resources
Photo: Middlesex Land Trust
Links to Other Organizations and Websites
The following links will take you to other pertinent conservation websites:
The Bureau of Outdoor Recreation of the CT DEEP is charged with the conservation and management of statewide recreation lands and resources through the acquisition of open space and the management of resources, including state parks, to meet the outdoor recreation needs of the public. A Connecticut Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) identifies and evaluates outdoor recreation resources and issues of statewide significance.
The mission of the Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR) is to provide information, education and assistance to land use decision makers, in support of balancing growth and natural resource protection. To achieve this goal, CLEAR conducts remote sensing research, develops landscape analysis tools and training, and conducts outreach education programs.
The Wildlands and Woodlands vision calls for a 50-year conservation effort to retain at least 70 percent of New England in forestland, permanently free from development. Under that vision, 90% of that forestland would be “Woodlands,” conserved by willing landowners and sustainably managed for multiple uses, from recreation to wood products. The remaining 10% of the forestland would be “Wildland” reserves, identified by local communities and shaped only by the natural environment.
Conserving Habitat through the Federal Farm Bill - If you care about private land conservation, you can’t afford not to know the federal Farm Bill, the single greatest source of private land conservation funding in the United States.The 2008 Farm Bill offers more incentives than ever to help private landowners conserve and improve farms, ranches, prairies, wetlands and forests. And whether you’re interested in protecting wildlife habitat or rural lifestyles from the threat of development, restoring stream flows for better trout fishing or making your agricultural practices more sustainable, the Farm Bill has programs to help you.
UConn's NEMO (Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials) Program was created in 1991 at the University of Connecticut, as a collaboration of the Cooperative Extension System, the Connecticut Sea Grant College Program and the Natural Resources Management and Engineering Department . NEMO was created in recognition of the relative lack of education and assistance available for community land use decision makers. Local land use decisions are a key determinant of the social, economic and environmental health of our communities, yet our local decision makers are volunteers with little or no training in land planning or natural resource protection.
The Land Trust Alliance promotes voluntary private land conservation to benefit communities and natural systems. They are the national convener, strategist and representative of more than 1,700 land trusts across America. The organization's mission is to save the places people love by strengthening land conservation across America.
The Trust for Public Land conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, gardens, and other natural places, ensuring livable communities for generations to come. TPL was founded in 1972 with goals of protecting land in and around cities and pioneering new land conservation techniques. Over the years, their work expanded to include projects from inner city to wilderness, and their broad experience has made them a national leader and innovator in city park creation, state and local conservation funding, and using GIS for conservation planning.
The Connecticut League of Conservation Voters (CTLCV)is a bipartisan, statewide, nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting Connecticut's environment by making it a priority for our elected leaders. As a legislative watchdog, CTLCV works with Connecticut's environmental advocacy groups to promote important bills that affect our air, water, wildlife, open space, and our health.
The first meeting of the New England Governors as a regional body took place in Boston in September 1908. The Governors met to address the need for land and water conservation measures throughout the industrializing region. A century later the current New England Governors recognize the importance of continuing to protect our lands and waters for their many benefits to society. New England’s natural heritage is not only a source of recreation and beauty, it is an engine of our economy, the foundation of our shared culture, and the identity of New England regionally, nationally, and globally.
Private Landowner Network (PLN) provides a simple and effective means for landowners to connect with qualified, often local, professionals to navigate the complex ins and outs of real estate transactions, tax and estate planning, and regional land conservation activities. The PLN resource database contains local land trusts, nonprofit conservation organizations, and other folks out there who are in the business to help you fulfill your conservation objectives.
New England Forestry Foundation (NEFF) was founded in 1944 to encourage more prudent use of New England’s forests, which suffered from poor harvesting practices and a lack of good management planning. Today, NEFF is a recognized leader in sustainable forest management, conservation, forestry education, and assisting landowners in the long-term protection and management of their properties.