• ILCN-ELCN 2020 Webinar Series
• New Zealand adds 4,700 Privately Protected Areas to the World Database on Protected Areas
• The IUCN publishes Guidelines for Conserving Connectivity through Ecological Networks and Corridors
• Conserving Biodiversity on South Africa's Privately Owned Grasslands
• Tax Incentives for Privately Protecting Land in Spain
• Eurosite Seeks a Director
• Events

Private land conservation and other voluntary land conservation efforts are growing and expanding around the world. However, the full extent of their contribution to global protected area and biodiversity conservation targets remains largely unrecognized, in part because there is no comprehensive worldwide record of privately protected areas (PPAs). The United Nations Environment Programme’s World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) is working to address this problem by improving the representation of PPAs in the World Database on Protected Areas through working with protected area managers to provide data directly. The WDPA has a user manual available with guidelines for land managers interested in providing this data, which can be viewed here.

A notable success in this initiative was achieved this month. Over the last year, the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust in New Zealand undertook significant efforts to have 4,700 conservation covenants held between the Trust and private landowners recorded as PPAs in the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA). This important success story highlights how individuals and organizations can work with UNEP-WCMC to make sure that their PPA is represented in the WDPA. Read more about this landmark accomplishment in this blog post published by the WDPA and look out for further details in the ILCN News section on our website’s homepage.

Read More

Jeffrey Sundberg, James S. Kemper Foundation Professor of Liberal Arts and Business at Lake Forest College, has published a Working Paper with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy which focuses on the experiences of farmers and landowners who have enrolled in the Biodiversity Stewardship Initiative and Protected Areas act: programs designed to help conserve the crucial biodiversity values in South Africa. Working with the Endangered Wildlife Trust and several other conservation organizations, Sundberg surveyed farmers enrolled in this program to understand their motivations for joining the program, their experiences in the program, and their hopes and expectations moving forward. Although motivations for enrolling in the program varied from conservation concerns, to needing legal assistance to defend against mining claims, Sundberg found that the variation in described motivation did not affect the continued engagement of the landowner in their conservation and stewardship agreements. Sundberg notes that landowners all "talked about things they wanted to improve on their land, regardless of their initial motivation to join the program.” Landowners also shared their hopes for the future of the program, including desires for ongoing assistance with their stewardship and conservation actions. 

The results of this report shed light on the initial and ongoing motivations of landowners and offers recommendations for the continued improvement of the program. Further research could be conducted to evaluate how landowner motivations affect on the ground conservation actions. The recommendations and interviews contained in this report are a valuable resource both for the continued development of this program, as well as for other areas of the world which may be considering similar Biodiversity Incentive programs. 

The working paper can be viewed on the Lincoln Institute Website here. 

As a result of their work on the pilot action Tax Incentives for Stewardship Agreements, Fundación Biodiversidad has produced a report on the possibilities for tax incentives in Spain, as a useful tool to promote the development of nature conservation initiatives on private land. Currently in Spain there are no tax incentives specifically designed for this purpose.

This report collects and updates proposals for tax incentives in this area. The analysis is focused on incentives at the state level, and is especially focused on promoting the concept of land stewardship, although other forms of private conservation are also considered.

Read More

Events
Virtual Policy Forum: The Future of Landscape Conservation
Friday, July 31, 1pm Eastern Time (USA)

Join the Network for Landscape Conservation for a virtual policy forum on Friday, July 31, where leading policy experts will discuss the state of collaborative landscape conservation in the United States. Conservation has long been a bipartisan issue in the United States, and there is increasing agreement that conservation at the larger landscape scale is essential to address not only pressing ecological issues such as water, fire, and climate, but also to simultaneously address community health and vitality, cultural heritage, local farms and forests, and equitable access to clean air, water, and healthy outdoor recreation. An extraordinary group of leading thinkers in the field will be joining us to discuss strategies for advancing landscape conservation funding and policy at this critical time.

Register Here

Conservationists Without Borders: Lessons from (Inter)National Partners
Monday, August 10, 9-10:30am Pacific Time (USA)

Large Landscape Conservation for Climate Adaptation in Mediterranean Ecosystems
Thursday, August 20, 10-11:30am Pacific Time (USA)

Our changing climate is increasing the frequency and magnitude of extreme events including drought, flood, biological invasion, and catastrophic fire, particularly in Mediterranean-type landscapes. Can large landscape conservation help protect local communities from these growing threats? This presentation with Lisa Micheli, Pepperwood’s President and CEO, will highlight examples of how climate resilience in these arid regions around the world – including in our own backyard – is being advanced via coordinated large-landscape conservation.

This event is free of charge, but is accepting donations which support their continued ability to offer education programs to the community.

Register Here

Land Trust Alliance Rally 2020
October 6-8, 2020

Rally is the exciting annual gathering of nearly 2,000 inspired and passionate land conservation practitioners from the US, Canada, South America and beyond, who are dedicated to conserving cherished places in local communities.

The Land Trust Alliance is proud to be hosting its 33rd year of Rally: The National Land Conservation Conference, which will be held virtually October 6-8.

Serving as the premier training and networking conference, Rally ’20 offers dozens of educational sessions focused on land conservation topics, networking events, exhibits, plenary session presentations, and an awards presentation celebrating conservation leadership.

Register Here

Wildlands and Woodlands Regional Conservation Partnership Network Gathering
October 13 - November 19, 2020

This year’s theme, Resilient Regions and Communities, addresses the climate crisis and is designed to scale up our most impactful strategies and tactics to help the communities in our part of the world work toward a healthy, equitable, and resilient future.

Join your colleagues, fellow conservation practitioners, and new friends in a suite of workshops in the weeks preceding and culminating with the RCP Network Gathering on November 19, 2020. Come together to learn, share, and be inspired!

This year’s RCP Network Gathering Program will begin with weekly sets of online workshops starting October 19 and ending November 13 and be followed by the virtual Gathering on November 19. Each week’s workshops will follow a thematic track, designed to build awareness of challenges and solutions and lead to consensus on scalable actions that could be advanced in the next two to three years.

Register Here