Land Trust News

     MALT participated in two recent Land Trust Alliance Zoom meetings – one with land trust state associations and the other with the Alliance Leadership Council – and one prominent topic on the state association call was the need for land trust participation in the 2021 National Land Trust Census. 

     The land trust census was launched on Jan. 4, and as of Feb. 10 185 census responses have been received by the Alliance. Participation in the census is important because it is the only comprehensive survey of private land conservation in America. Census data directly informs how land conservation is understood by the public, including policymakers, journalists, researchers, state associations and other partners at the state, local and national levels.

     New to the 2021 census are questions about trails, partnerships, universal access, and number of people served, while (good news) the census survey itself is 25% shorter than the 2015 census. Land trusts should expect another Alliance census email reminder on March 3, a final reminder on March 25, with a deadline of March 31. Release of census results is expected by November. 

     Other major topics covered in the two meetings were congressional and policy updates on issues such as conservation easement syndication and Farm Bill, an update on the Relevance Campaign, and a stirring tribute to Joselin Matkins, who was a member of the leadership council. 

The application deadline for the 2021 Montana Leopold Conservation Award – one of conservation’s most prestigious awards – is set for March 15. The Montana portion of the national award is presented by the Sand County Foundation in partnership with American Farmland Trust and state partners the State of Montana and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation’s Rangeland Resources Committee.

     The award is based on five criteria outlined as:

     1. Conservation Ethic – Describe how the nominee has voluntarily exceeded the minimum obligations of regulation to enhance and conserve natural resources.     

     2. Resilience – Describe the business and conservation methods used by the nominee to make the operation productive into the future. 

     3. Leadership and Communication – Describe significant efforts the nominee has made to share his/her conservation ethics and techniques with others inside and outside of agriculture. Describe community service, positions held, leadership roles and media outreach. 

     4. Innovation and Adaptability – Describe how the nominee has taken risks by utilizing or experimenting with new techniques to adapt to change (consumers, markets, weather, regulations, etc.). 

     5. Ecological Community – Describe how the nominee’s agricultural operation works with natural systems (soil, water, plants and wildlife, etc.). Describe how this benefits others.

     The previous two Montana award recipients, 2020 recipients Craig and Connie French (left) and 2019 Bill and Dana Milton (right) both have strong land conservation and land trust connections.  

     From the application information: Sand County Foundation proudly presents the Leopold Conservation Award to private landowners dedicated to leaving their land better than how they found it. They exemplify the spirit of Leopold’s land ethic.

      A group of respected Montana farmers and ranchers submitted an op-ed to statewide newspapers last week encouraging support for the partnerships and public funding that help conserve private lands.

     “If we are to protect the Montana product by conserving working lands and supporting the stewardship they perform, increased public investment is needed,” the op-ed reads. “We could start by enhancing the partnerships and tools that have gotten us this far. For example, conservation districts and watershed groups like Blackfoot Challenge, The Ranchers Stewardship Alliance or Winnett ACES continue to facilitate local stewardship of natural resources and wildlife. Yet, these collaborations consistently struggle to find adequate operational capacity. Voluntary, incentive-based tools like purchased conservation easements have helped keep millions of Montana acres intact for people and wildlife, yet demand far exceeds available funding.”

     The op-ed was signed by Heath Martinell of Dell, Leo Barthelmess of Malta, Denny Iverson of Potomac, Jeff Reed of Emigrant, and Laura and Levi Nowlin of Winnett.

     “New solutions are also needed…” the op-ed continues. “The continued stewardship of working lands is the foundation of the Montana economy, and yet our state needs to adequately support that stewardship. We look forward to working together.” 

      A new study released by the Flathead Lake Biological Station and Whitefish Lake Institute indicates that the clean water in Whitefish and Flathead lakes accounts for $3 billion in property value alone and $25 million in annual property taxes for state and local governments.  

     The study shows the value of homes on the two lakes, but in reality illustrates the incredible importance of maintaining clean water in the two popular lakes.   

     “These study results provide us with an economic argument in communicating the importance of maintaining water quality and our work,” Lori Curtis, science education director for the Whitefish Lake  Institute, said in the article. The Whitefish Lake Institute focuses on science, education and community stewardship to protect and improve Whitefish Lake and nearby water resources.

     The study only examines property values, not the economic contributions of fishing, boating, lodging, vacation spending, and other outdoor forms of recreation on the two lakes.

Big news…The Montana Land Reliance and Collins family team up to maintain open land and conserve large section of Whitefish Lake shoreline: “The easement allows us to manage our timberland to promote forest health and maintain species diversity while providing important habitat for all types of wildlife,” said John Collins.

Montana Land Reliance (MLR) Western Manager Mark Schiltz said the new easement is the largest ever completed on Whitefish Lake, and its finalization marks a rare occasion on a waterfront that is more desirable than ever.

“This project represents one of the most important conservation easements in the Flathead Valley and MLR is honored to partner with the Collins family to help make this happen,” Schiltz said.

     The 30 x 30 goal – 30% of America’s land and water protected by 2030 – a Land Trust Alliance goal for over a year, is gaining traction. 

     A fact sheet outlines an array of executive actions to “tackle the climate crisis at home and abroad, create jobs, and restore scientific integrity across the federal government.” Among the many proposed actions within the fact sheet is this one: The order commits to the goal of conserving at least 30 percent of our lands and oceans by 2030 and launches a process for stakeholder engagement from agricultural and forest landowners, fishermen, Tribes, States, Territories, local officials, and others to identify strategies that will result in broad participation.

     In a news release the LWCF Coalition said: The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Coalition today hailed the Biden administration’s executive order addressing climate and environmental justice challenges and calling for the protection of 30 percent of America’s lands and oceans by 2030 (30 x 30). These goals will rely heavily on LWCF, one of the nation’s premier conservation and outdoor recreation tools, to help fuel a targeted and robust land-based response from America’s inner cities to remote wildlands. LWCF Coalition partners and supporters have joined with the American Nature Campaign along with hundreds of conservation organizations, businesses, national leaders, state and local officials, and leading scientists in support of the 30 x 30 initiative.

     Andrew Bowman, president & CEO of the Land Trust Alliance, said: President Biden’s executive order calling for conservation of at least 30 percent of the U.S. land base by 2030 is one the Land Trust Alliance applauds. This is an audacious and timely conservation challenge that requires the conservation of millions of acres of land in private ownership. The nation’s land trusts are ready and willing to help private landowners conserve their lands at this ambitious scale.

     While some land trust organizations formally support the 30×30 program, the Montana Association of Land Trusts membership as an organization has never voted to endorse or support the 30×30 proposal.

     The NRCS and NCAT are sponsoring the first Soil Health Innovations Virtual Conference on March 8-9.  Registration is open now.

    Soil health has emerged as a central theme in conversations about the future of American agriculture. Soils have become a focal topic due to new scientific understanding, the application of emerging technologies, and a growing interest among producers and policymakers in improving climate resilience and mitigating emissions.

      The Soil Health Innovations Conference will live-stream speakers and panels and include real-time chats with exhibitors and sponsors, producers, industry professionals, educators, and students who are at the cutting edge of soil health across the country. Contact Alyssa Ness at [email protected] or Sandra Booth at [email protected] for info.

   Thanks to the partnership between The Laundress, musician John Mayer and the Montana Association Land Trusts, MALT has received $56,209 to distribute to the MALT membership to help fund  Montana land trust 2021 conservation projects.

    The funding is part of a roughly four-year collaboration among The Laundress, Mayer, and MALT in which partial proceeds (50%) from a product named “Out West” are donated to MALT and its members. The Laundress X “Out West” is a combination of two products, a specially scented laundry detergent and fabric spray. (Great products!) The $56,209 pushes total partnership donations to Montana land trusts to over $115,000.

     John Mayer, world-renowned singer, songwriter and guitarist, has earned seven Grammy Awards and sold millions of records. He is also a Montana resident with a conservation commitment, and in working with The Laundress he wanted to ensure a share of the product sales benefited Montana’s open lands. 

     “We’re extraordinarily grateful to John and The Laundress for their partnership and support,” said MALT board president Gavin Ricklefs. “We very much look forward to continuing the partnership into the future.”

     The Laundress, maker of eco-friendly and high-efficiency laundry and cleaning products, is interested in expanding sales of Out West beyond its current flagship store in New York and online sales to more retail markets and venues, which – because of increased marketing and shipping costs – will reduce the percentage of product proceeds to MALT. The corresponding increase in sales, however, may mean an actual increase in the annual donation. The Laundress and MALT are jointly working on a new contract to reflect those modifications.

An article in the Ravalli Republic details how Frank Mogen worked with Bitter Root Land Trust and the Ravalli County Open Land Program to conserve 161 acres of open land in the rapidly growing Bitterroot Valley.

“We can all see that the Bitterroot is changing quite a bit,” Kyle Barber of Bitter Root Land Trust says in the article. “It’s landowners like Frank that give me a lot of hope for the future of the valley. He has worked himself to the bone to pay for this place.”

“This is just what the voters wanted to keep when they passed the open lands bond,” said Sharon Schroeder, who serves on the county open lands board. “It’s a beautiful expanse of land that’s valuable for agriculture. The land will be preserved and the waters protected.”

“I now realize that my ownership of this land is not about maximizing my return on investment, but rather an opportunity to maintain what is special about this country,” wrote landowner Frank Mogen. “I feel a spiritual connection with all the animals, domestic and natural, and the decision to conserve this land is an opportunity to do right by them. For the rest of time, I want this property to be open space left untouched for wildlife and productive agriculture.”