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OUR VISIONStowe is a beautiful and healthy place to live and visit with:

Abundant locally-grown food, fuel, and timber

Access to exceptional recreation opportunities

Healthy and diverse native wildlife

Clean water

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THE CASE FOR CONSERVATIONLand is a finite resource.

The Stowe community overwhelmingly supports conservation.

Land continues to be developed at a steady pace.

Important lands are still vulnerable.

HOW WE WORKConservation Easements

Land Acquisition

Trail & Public Access Easements

Effective Strategies

Strong Partnerships

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3597 Acres Protected

38

5Land

Ease

men

ts Donated Easements

Purchased Land

Donated Land

Purchased Easements

58%

Reso

urce

s

1987 2017

Recreation Forest Agriculture Water

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LAND PROTECTION PRIORITIES

Scenic Beauty

Working Farmland

Working Forests

Recreation

Wildlife & Biodiversity

Rivers

Sunset Rock

WORKING FARMLAND

Protect productive farmlandthat can support a thrivinglocal food economy and is

affordable for future farmers.

Bouchard Farm

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FARMLAND PRIORITIES

Currently in active production

High quality soils and other agricultural resources

Part of a viable farm operation

Farmsteads with infrastructure

Under sound resource management

WORKING FORESTS

Protect productive forestland that can help support a

sustainable and innovative forest-based economy

Trapp Family Lodge

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FOREST PRIORITIES

Under sound forest management

Productive soils and growingConditions

Sufficient forest acreage and access for viable forest management

RECREATION

Protect public access to and between community

recreation areas

Cady Hill Forest & Joe’s Pond

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RECREATION PRIORITIES

Existing trail networks and connections between them

Community features such as swimming holes or ball fields

Areas that benefit a broad segment of the Stowe community

Includes a clear plan for the future management of trails, facilities, and public access

WILDLIFE & BIODIVERSITY

Protect high-quality habitat and critical connectors to

support a diversity of native plants and animals

Crawford Family Forest

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WILDLIFE & BIODIVERSITY PRIORITIES

Part of a large, unfragmentedforest (anchor block) or the forest connecting them (connecting block)

Important wildlife corridors and land adjacent to critical road crossings

Important wetlands, surface waters, and riparian corridors

Diverse physical landscapes

Rare, threatened, or endangeredspecies habitat

Significant natural communities or complexes of communities

RIVERS

Maintain and enhance thestability of Stowe’s rivers

Little River

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RIVER PRIORITIES

Priority lands identified by theVermont River ManagementProgram

Land with public access tothe river

A CALL TO ACTIONWe invite you to:

Share your ideas and suggestions

Become a Stowe Land Trust member

Donate or give a gift

Volunteer

Consider protecting your land

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Going PublicCreating a Strategic Conservation Plan to Share

Learning Objectives

• Explore some of the unique opportunities and challenges associated with creating a public version of a strategic conservation plan.

• Leave with ideas about creating a public plan for your organization and specific next steps.

© Richard Levine

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About Stowe Land Trust

• Who we are, what we do• History of conservation planning in our organization

• Why we created a publicly available strategic conservation plan

Getting Started

• Who has done this?  Examples from the field

• Vision, rationale, funding, time commitment

• Defining conservation priorities and a structure for the plan

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Which are the important lands to protect?

If you don't know where you're going, you might not get there ‐ Yogi Berra

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Planning Process

•2006 Conservation Plan• Resource Data Gathering & Mapping

• Local Knowledge (e.g. location of working farmlands)

Inventory

•Co‐Occurrence Assessment: High, Medium, Low Quality Resources

• Community Input• Threat Assessment

Assess • Identify and Rank Priority Parcels• Tier I ‐ Highest Priority• Tier II ‐ High Priority• Tier III ‐Medium Priority• Cost & Feasibility Analysis

Prioritize

•Proactive land protection• Efficient response• Capacity, $$• Community outreach• Plan to update plan

Act

Deliverables

Strategic Conservation Plan• Part I

– External– Big picture overview, outreach document– Summary/overview of Step 1

• Part II  – Internal– Details of analysis, priorities, action plan– Details of Steps 1, 2 and 3

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Data Collection & Analysis

• Local knowledge• Spatial analysis and mapping

• Board & community input

Co‐occurrence Assessment

Appropriate size50+ acres

Suitable Growing Conditions

In Current Use

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Prioritization ‐ Resources

Combined Resource Score

Farmland

High

Med

Low

Forestland

Wildlife

Rivers

Prioritization ‐ Enhancements

Develop‐ability

High

Med

Low

Scenic

High

Med

Near Conserved Land?

Yes

No

Viable Farm Size?

Yes

No

Existing Recreation 

Use?

Yes

No

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Map Num. Landowner Name Location Description Fa

rmland

 Tier

Farm

land

 Res. R

ank

Combine

d Re

s. Ran

k

River C

orrid

or Ran

k

Developa

bility

Scen

ic Value

Near C

onserved

 Lan

d

Viab

le Farm Size

Existing Re

c. use

Farmer  Type Use Possible Strategy326 PIKE LESLIE C REVOC TRUST WATERBURY RD 211.04 AC FARM / 4 DWLS 1 Med High High High PIKE OWN DAIRY Easement Purchase333 RICKETSON KENNETH H PUCKER ST 221 AC & FARM 1 High High Med High RICKETSON OWN DAIRY Easement Purchase

160 ADAMS LESTER S JR & JANET B PUCKER ST 102.6 AC & FARM/5 DWLS/1 APT 1 High High Med Med ADAMS OWN VEGETABLES Easement Purchase

297MORRILL ARTHUR H & LAWRENCE BRUSH HILL RD 276.2 ACRE FARM 1 Med Med  n/a High MORRILL OWN DAIRY Easement Purchase

321 PERCY PAUL E WEST HILL RD 277.71 ACRE FARM 1 Med High n/a Med PERCY OWN HAY/SUGARBUSH Easement Purchase323 PERCY PAUL E PERCY HILL RD 118.31 AC & FARM 1 Med Med  n/a High PERCY OWN DAIRY Easement Purchase322 PERCY PAUL E STAGECOACH RD 102.4 AC WARE FARM 1 High High High Low PERCY OWN DAIRY Purchase OPAV320 PERCY PAUL E TINKER LN 194.21 AC TINKER FARM 1 High High Med Low PERCY OWN DAIRY Purchase OPAV324 PERCY PAUL E BOUCHARD RD 281.29 ACRE FARM 1 High High n/a Low PERCY OWN DAIRY Purchase OPAV

194 CONNACHER MARY J TANSY HILL RD 251.06 AC & 3 DWLS 2 Med High High High PERCY LEASE HAY Easement Donation w/ SLT cont.

250 KAISER CHRISTINE GONYAW NEBRASKA VALLEY RD 66.5 AC & FARM / DWL/2 DW  MH 2 Med High Med Med KAISER OWN ORGANIC DAIRY Bargain Sale Easement 230 GOODSON GREGG W STAGECOACH RD 33 AC & DWL/VET CLINIC 2 High High Med Med PERCY LEASE HAY Bargain Sale Easement 354 SNOW ROSE & SNOW DOUGLAS PUCKER ST 29 AC & DWL 2 High High Med High PERCY LEASE HAY Bargain Sale Easement 

224 GERSHMAN ERIC W FAMILY TRUST MEADOW LN 189.16 AC & DWL/CAMP 2 Low Med  n/a Med PERCY LEASE HAY Easement Donation w/ SLT cont.

405WEEKS HILL HOLDINGS LLC WEEKS HILL MEADOWS 90.95 ACRES 2 Med Med  n/a High PERCY LEASE HAY/PASTURE Bargain Sale Easement 253 KELLOGG FRANKLIN R & MARION BRUSH HILL RD 39.8 AC & 2 DWLS 2 Med Low n/a High KELLOGG OWN DIVERSIFIED Bargain Sale Easement 189 CHASE ROBERT LUCE HILL RD 15 AC & DWL 2 High Med  n/a Med PERCY LEASE HAY Bargain Sale Easement 247 HUNNEWELL WILLARD P TRUST WEEKS HILL RD 17.3 ACRES 2 High Med  n/a High PERCY LEASE PASTURE Bargain Sale Easement 

Tiered Priorities

Visibility

Resource Score

Descr. Grant Funding? Strategy SLT Fundraising

Tier I High Farmstead, substantial acreage

High rank for VHCB/NRCS (up to $500K)

Purchase of Development Rights 

Full public campaign if needed

Tier II Medium Farmstead,med/small acreage

Limited VHCB/NRCS support

Bargain Sale or Donation of Development Rights 

May consider full PDR with small private campaign

Tier III Medium Supporting land, small acreage

No VHCB/NRCS funding

Donation of Development Rights only

SLT may cover some project costs 

Working Farmland Example

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Tier I & II Priority Parcels with Focus 

Areas

Anchor Blocks (Forest Focus Areas)

Ecological Reserves

Connecting Blocks

Agricultural Focus Areas

Recreation Focus AreasRecreation Focus Areas

Action Plan

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Goal 1. Proactively protect the highest priority lands

• Set goal; integrate into fundraising plan.Raise Funds

• Send letter and copy of public version of plan

Cultivate Landowner Relationships

• Shutesville Hill Wildlife Corridor CoalitionCreate Focus Area Initiatives

• Share the public version of plan with all partnersMaintain Partnerships

Goal 2. Respond to opportunities

• Review this plan with Lands Committee annually. Ensure all board members are familiar with the plan.

Streamline Projects

• Plan for short‐term increase in staff needs to complete multiple projects.Assess Staff 

Needs

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Goal 3: Build and maintain community awareness & enthusiasm

• Available in public locations• Refer to at SLT events and outings

• Post on SLT’s website.• Mail to all current SLT members• Sponsor a series of talks/events

Increase community 

awareness and understanding

Goal 4: Incorporate new information and adapt plan accordingly.

• Build out analysis• Tracking landscape change over time using aerial imagery

Apply New Information

• Review annually• Update in 2019Update Plan

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Outcomes

Most Important and Vulnerable 

Lands Protected

Strong Relationships• Landowners• Community• Partners

Solid Organization• Efficient & Effective

Things to Consider…

• Getting Your Board on Board

• How much land is enough?

• The proverbial “target on my back”

© Tom Rogers

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Your Turn

• How would you approach creating a public conservation plan?

• What are your unique challenges & opportunities?

• Any next steps?

Thank you

Caitrin MaloneyExecutive DirectorStowe Land Trust(802) 253‐7221caitrin@stowelandtrust.org

www.stowelandtrust.org