Wildlands and Woodlands, Farmlands and Communities
For Immediate Release – September 15th, 2017
Media Contact – Chrissy Beardsley Allen
Development and Outreach Director
Blue Hill Heritage Trust
chrissy@bluehillheritagetrust.org
(207) 374-5118
Blue Hill Heritage Trust Presents: “Wildlands and Woodlands, Farmlands and Communities,” a presentation of the latest New England Conservation Plan, published by The Harvard Forest and Highstead Foundation.
Free admission, light refreshments will be served, all are welcome.
Blue Hill Heritage Trust, in cooperation with the Downeast Conservation Network, is pleased to host Spencer Meyer, Senior Conservationist at Highstead, on October 3rd, at 7pm, at the Bagaduce Music Lending Library’s Performance Hall (South St., Blue Hill).
Meyer will present on Wildlands and Woodlands, Farmlands and Communities, a regional conservation report, published this month, by Harvard Forest and Highstead. The report is being debuted on September 19, 2017, at Harvard University, and Blue Hill will be the first stop on a New England-wide tour.
“Since 2004, two editions of Wildlands and Woodlands have offered bold visions for conservation in New England, calling not only for increased protection of ecologically important wildlands, but also of New England’s vital working woodlands. This latest edition takes that vision one step further, addressing the need for more farmland conservation, as well as smart urban development, all in a rapidly changing conservation funding landscape. Far more than earlier versions, this edition is focused on conserving the character and the communities of New England, along with the land that supports them. This report puts our work, and the work of so many other organizations and people here on the Blue Hill peninsula, into a hopeful and inspiring context, and we are thrilled to be able bring this to our communities.”
– Hans M. Carlson, Executive Director of Blue Hill Heritage Trust
This report follows on a previous Wildlands and Woodlands conservation vision for the region, which in 2010 called for the permanent protection of existing farmland and 30 million acres of forest, with most of the forestland managed for wood products and other benefits (27 million acres) and 10 percent set aside as wildland reserves (3 million acres). The new report broadens its view of regional conservation, fully embracing farmland and the built environment and recognizing the region’s diverse conservation needs and challenges. The report presents conservation trends over the past several decades, including acreage protected and lost, changes in public funding in each state, and the power of emerging networks of conservation partnerships and new policy and finance opportunities. The authors show that the original Wildlands and Woodlands vision is still achievable and call for tripling the current pace of conservation, reversing public funding losses, and putting more land to work for sustainable forestry and farming. The new report, including video and supporting material can be viewed or downloaded free at http://wildlandsandwoodlands.org/vision/ww-vision-reports after September 19.