Collaborating Across Borders to Advance Connectivity Work

– and Finding Money to Pay For

It Jon Kart, Richmond Land Trust, Richmond VT

Phil Huffman, The Nature Conservancy – VT Chapter

Priority LinkagesPriority Linkages

Two Broad Categories of Work Two Broad Categories of Work

- - Strategies within linkagesStrategies within linkages

- Cross-cutting strategies- Cross-cutting strategies

- 5 primary strategies:- 5 primary strategies:• Technical assistance for local efforts – coalition Technical assistance for local efforts – coalition

and capacity buildingand capacity building

• Conservation science supportConservation science support

• Land protection Land protection

• Local land use planningLocal land use planning

• Enhancing permeability of key roads Enhancing permeability of key roads

- Mix of strategies varies among linkages - Mix of strategies varies among linkages based on current status and what’s neededbased on current status and what’s needed

Strategies Within LinkagesStrategies Within Linkages

Technical Assistance for Local Efforts – Technical Assistance for Local Efforts – Coalition and Capacity BuildingCoalition and Capacity Building

Objective:Objective: Local groups and activists have Local groups and activists have necessary skills and capacity to effectively necessary skills and capacity to effectively pursue and implement a broad range of pursue and implement a broad range of connectivity-related actions.connectivity-related actions.

Conservation Science SupportConservation Science Support

Objective:Objective: Provide scientific information at Provide scientific information at a variety of scales on the ecological a variety of scales on the ecological features, connectivity priorities and features, connectivity priorities and community values within linkage areas to community values within linkage areas to inform other strategies.inform other strategies.

Land ProtectionLand Protection

Objective:Objective: Protect tracts with high Protect tracts with high connectivity value (e.g., stepping stones, connectivity value (e.g., stepping stones, missing pieces, around key road crossing missing pieces, around key road crossing segments) as determined through modeling segments) as determined through modeling and ecological assessments. and ecological assessments.

Local Land Use PlanningLocal Land Use Planning

Objective:Objective: Communities in priority areas Communities in priority areas incorporate goal of maintaining connectivity incorporate goal of maintaining connectivity in local land use planning and zoning.in local land use planning and zoning.

Enhancing Permeability of Key Enhancing Permeability of Key Roads Roads

Objective:Objective: Transportation agencies Transportation agencies incorporate connectivity objectives in long-incorporate connectivity objectives in long-range plans and road maintenance/upgrade range plans and road maintenance/upgrade work along priority corridor segments. work along priority corridor segments.

Cross-Cutting Strategies Cross-Cutting Strategies

- - Model easement standards and management Model easement standards and management plan plan guidelines for connectivity guidelines for connectivity

- - Outreach materials – connectivity “branding”,Outreach materials – connectivity “branding”,

land useland use planning toolsplanning tools

- Guidelines and models for addressing - Guidelines and models for addressing connectivity in connectivity in transportation planning, maintenance, barrier transportation planning, maintenance, barrier mitigationmitigation

- Convene a landscape connectivity conference - Convene a landscape connectivity conference

Cross-Cutting Strategies Cross-Cutting Strategies for Another Grantfor Another Grant

- Coordinate modeling across state boundaries - Coordinate modeling across state boundaries

- Region-wide connectivity signage, e.g.: - Region-wide connectivity signage, e.g.:

"You Are Entering a Wildlife"You Are Entering a Wildlife Superhighway, Superhighway, the Northern Apps Wildlife Corridor“the Northern Apps Wildlife Corridor“

- Other ideas?- Other ideas?

Concluding ObservationsConcluding Observations

- Great opportunity to advance work, leverage - Great opportunity to advance work, leverage other $$other $$

- A step in the right direction – but only one step - A step in the right direction – but only one step

- Valuable regardless of grant outcome:- Valuable regardless of grant outcome:

• Better defined work planBetter defined work plan• New relationships and coordination – within New relationships and coordination – within andand across bordersacross borders• A sense of what’s needed…and what’s A sense of what’s needed…and what’s possiblepossible

- 2C1F role:- 2C1F role:

• Help find and secure funding Help find and secure funding • Connect local initiatives to big compelling Connect local initiatives to big compelling visionvision