1. Growing Smarter: Guide Development, Conserve Land and Build Strong Communities
10:00 am – 5:00 pm Lunch and Coffee Break provided

Presenters:
• Randall Arendt, MRTPI, Sr. Conservation Advisor, Natural Lands Trust
• Rob Bowman, President, Charter Homes
• Ann Hutchinson, AICP, Community Planning Dir., Natural Lands Trust
• Heidi Schellenger, Executive Director, Lancaster Farmland Trust
• John Theilacker, AICP, Associate Dir., Brandywine Conservancy Environmental Management Center

Spend less money, save more land. Smart growth techniques are doing just that in Pennsylvania - saving thousands of acres for far less than it would cost to buy them. This three-part seminar shows how growing communities are achieving their land conservation goals using the same market forces and local ordinances that permit development to take place.

• Part 1: Conservation by Design-The Devil's in the Details. Conservation design experts from Natural Lands Trust (Media, PA) will outline successful methods for designing municipal ordinances that protect open space as part of the development process. The presentation will include:
  • Pennsylvania's Growing Greener: Conservation by Design methodology
  • Details on how five Chester County communities saved more than 1,000 acres by applying Grower Greener methods to their land development ordinances.
  • Design secrets that improve the the character of new subdivisions.
    
• Part 2: A Homebuilder's Perspective. A Lancaster County homebuilder describes his experience building and selling Millcreek - an award winning Smart Growth development in West Lampeter Township, specifically:
  • How he identified natural resources on the site and designed the development around them.
  • Challenges of getting municipal approvals before the adoption of smart growth land development ordinances.
  • How the market has responded to his innovative development.
  • How the smart growth movement can augument land trust goals.
    
• Part 3: Transfer of Development Rights (TDRs). The Brandywine Conservancy and Lancaster Farmlands Trust describe how communities are beginning to successfully use TDR programs to more cost-effectively protect open space and manage new growth. That successAmong the topics covered are:
  • TDR basics based in part on the Brandywine Conservancy's recent publication "Transfer of Develolpment Rights, A Flexible Option for Redirecting Growth in Pennsylvania."
  • Sucessful Pennsylvania TDR programs
  • Warwick Township, Lancaster County's new TDR program, and specifics on how the first successful TDR transaction recently completed.

2. Finacial Management for Non-Financial Professionals
10 am – 5 pm Lunch and Coffee Break provided.

Presenter:
• Eric Fraint, CPA, President Your Part-Time Controller, LLC

This workshop will teach you what you need to know about financial reporting, accounting processes, and financial control systems relevant to nonprofit agencies. This practical session is taught in easy-to-understand terms, and is perfect for non-financial professionals who need to become more comfortable working with financial statements. As a result of this workshop, participants will:
• Understand the elements involved in establishing a strong system of financial management control
• Know more about developing a sound budget for nonprofit organizations
• Know how to read, interpret and create financial statements
• Be better able to analyze financial statements to make business decisions
• Know more about accounting issues specific to nonprofit organizations

3. Landowner Contact and Relationship Building for Implementing Strategic Conservation Plans
10:15 am – 5 pm Lunch and coffee break will be provided.

Presenter:
• Charles E. Roe, President, Landsavers, Inc.

This seminar, sponsored by the Land Trust Alliance, aims to increase your skills in contacting and cultivating landowners to accomplish land protection projects. As a result of this workshop, attendees will be more strategic and successful in their protection efforts. They will:
• understand how to identify landowners in their focus project areas
• prioritize potential land protection targets;
• understand advantages and disadvantages of approaching and negotiating with landowners using different methods;
• gain confidence in initiating landowner contact and building positive, successful relationships;
• better sustain positive relations with landowners for long-term stewardship and maintenance of conservation easement properties.

4. Ecological Considerations in Planning Public Trails and Recreation - A Design Studio
2 – 5 pm Coffee break will be provided

Presenter
• Andrew Pitz, Director of Conservation Planning, Natural Lands Trust

Participants will design sample projects that show how to address trail and public access issues on protected lands. No design or trail experience is required, but a willingness to work in a group setting and to prepare a simple line drawing as part of a group design exercise is necessary. The class includes:
• A brief review of standard programmatic issues, design criteria, and construction details, by the presenter.
• Division smaller project teams, each of which will receive a proposed project site and differing sets of criteria and program goals.
• Exploration by team memberss of the tensions inherent in introducing people into the sample sensitive ecological environments. (Drawing materials and maps of the site will be provided)
• The presenter will provide assistance to each team in turn during the course of the design studio.
• At the end of the workshop, each team will report on their design and on lessons learned.

This hands-on design workshop is intended for staff and volunteers who need to deal with trail and public access issues on protected lands, especially those with ecologically sensitive areas. The workshop is applicable to those contemplating constructing trails and increasing public use as well as those looking to change existing trails and patterns of public access.