Workshop Descriptions
Saturday, April 5, 2008
1:15 - 2:45 PM

Session 2a
Coalitions and Collaboration: Dream or Nightmare?
Peter Lane, Institute for Conservation Leadership
For many organizations, working collaboratively with other groups brings both benefits and challenges. Starting cooperative efforts and addressing persistent tensions along the way will help support long-term effectiveness and sustainability. This workshop builds on the work the Institute for Conservation Leadership has done across the country with coalitions and other cooperative efforts, and uses the concepts, tools and exercises in ICL’s publication, Working Together: A Toolkit For Cooperative Efforts, Networks and Coalitions.

Session 2b
Helping Land Trusts Navigate the Path to Success
Rob Aldrich, Land Trust Alliance
Now for the first time, land trusts have at their fingertips an authoritative curriculum and a suite of integrated tools to help you work more efficiently, save land more effectively and ensure your work will last. This workshop will review how land trusts can navigate the path to success. It starts with a review of Land Trust Standards and Practices, then describes the process of using the Assessing Your Organization diagnostic tool, and ends with an introduction to the new online curriculum resource. This presentation lays out the approach the Land Trust Alliance has developed to help land trusts implement Land Trust Standards and Practices in the most efficient way. Younger or inexperienced land trusts will learn how and where to get started if they are interested in improving their practices, and older ror more experienced land trusts will learn about a process they can use to prepare for accreditation.

Session 2c
Enter the 21st Century:
Where Road & Land Conservation Meet
Dee Durhan, S.A.V.E
John Theilacker, Brandywine Conservancy
Using case studies, this session will highlight how several proposed sprawl-inducing transportation projects have been altered to be better aligned with an area’s land use and conservation goals. Using educational programs and advocacy efforts, S.A.V.E. has successfully partnered with PennDOT to bring about change in broad PennDOT policy, as well as turn around on-the-ground approaches being applied to Route 41 in Chester County and Route 23 in Lancaster County, both of which traverse prime non-irrigated farm land. Under Sec. Allen Biehler, PennDOT is promoting progressive thinking regarding the nexus of transportation and land use planning - truly a policy revolution. John Theilacker of the Brandywine Conservancy will review successful municipal planning, rural transportation, and land preservation strategies of Conservancy focus within the Rte. 41 corridor that complimented S.A.V.E.’s efforts.

Session 2d
Paying For It:
Case Studies in Land Acquisition
Jake Lea, Montgomery County Lands Trust
Ross Pilling, The Conservation Fund
Jack Stefferund, Natural Lands Trust
This presentation will discuss the genesis, development, and changes to conservation acquisition projects. A collection of case studies will be presented that illustrate how successful projects are implemented. The discussion will also examine how to deal with changes in the project after funding has been granted providing three different perspectives (municipal, regional land trust, & local lands trust).

Session 2e CEUs
DCNR: Innovative Outreach & Strategic Initiatives
Brenda Barrett, DCNR
Cindy Dunn, DCNR
Estelle Ruppert, DCNR
Join DCNR staff as they guide you through the agency’s latest initiatives: iConservePA will get you thinking about what conservation should mean to you. Gain a greater understanding of Pennsylvania’s precious natural resources while learning new ideas and ways to get involved and make a difference in Pennsylvania and in your backyard; PA Land Choices is an innovative land use curriculum sponsored through state parks. Learn how to utilize a host of trained staff throughout Pennsylvania to help you implement the program. Finally, the Outdoor Recreation Plan is the Commonwealth’s key to identifying emerging recreation issues and capital investment priorities and how citizens are participating in outdoor recreation throughout the state, identify trends by such demographic categories as gender, age, race, and income, and outlines strategies for improving the state’s recreational offerings..

Session 2f CLE CREDITS
Dispute Resolution Options for Land Trusts Working with Families & Individual Landowners
Gwen Lacy, Kennett Twp Land Trust
George Elser, Esq.
David Shields, Brandywine Conservancy
First, hear about options for working with families trying to decide what to do with their properties.  Then learn options for handling easement violations.  Emphasis will be on: Setting goals and guidelines; learning about various techniques for resolving disputes, with an emphasis on mediation, and; ethical and other obligations for land trusts and other participants in the process.

Session 2g
Maximizing Impact: Regional Conservation Strategies
Roy Kraynyk, Allegheny Land Trust
Marian Sumner, Heritage Conservancy
Bill Brokaw, Heritage Conservancy
This session will provide two proactive approaches for regional land conservation from two very different parts of Pennsylvania, the southwest and the southeast. The Allegheny Land Trust (ALT) has seen its share of aggressive development projects and recognized that a comprehensive approach was needed. ALT’s GREENPRINT methodology identifies areas that function as critical natural infrastructure. Heritage Conservancy has designed and implemented a comprehensive approach to help communities successfully conserve the natural/ cultural resources that define their unique sense of place. This process not only helps to identify a Lasting Landscape region, but also establishes the infrastructure to enable local communities to conserve and care for their important and valuable resources in perpetuity.

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