D17. Opportunities and Funding for Wildlife Conservation

Saturday, October 18 | 1:30 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Room 302C

Session Faculty: Mary Pfaffko

Nicole Adimey Marquette Crockett

Mitch Doherty

Rally 2019: The National Land Conservation Conference Raleigh, NC

ith two-thirds of land in the Lower 48 under private ownership, many species of conservation

concern, including federally protected species, depend on these woodlands, grasslands, wetlands,

marshlands, rangelands, and croplands. Land trusts can serve an important role in protecting and

recovering wildlife on private lands nationwide.

What is a land trust?

A land trust is a nonprofit organization that acquires or stewards land or segregable rights (e.g., easements) in

land or water for specified purposes, including environmental conservation. Land trusts work cooperatively with

landowners to complete property transactions, purchase property interests, accept donations of those interests,

and ensure that acquired land, rights, and easements are properly managed.

How can land trusts benefit wildlife?

Land trusts can conserve wildlife through habitat protection and restoration, active management for key species,

and strategic and coordinated investment across landscapes or to conserve rare, unique, or exceptional habitats.

Land trusts can also help attract and secure resources for wildlife conservation from other partners.

Funding for land trusts to conserve wildlife

Federal and other programs are available to land trusts to offset the costs associated with conserving species

through habitat acquisition, conservation easements, conservation partnerships, and application of conservation

practices.

Habitat acquisition. A land trust can conserve land through purchase or donation, in which the landowner sells or

grants all rights, title, and interest in the property to the land trust. The land trust maintains perpetual

stewardship and management responsibility for the land.

• Community Forests Program (CFP)

https://www.fs.fed.us/managing-land/private-land/community-forest/program

The U.S. Forest Service CFP provides financial assistance to local and tribal governments and qualified

nonprofit entities to acquire and conserve forests for habitat protection and other purposes.

• Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund (CESCF)

https://www.fws.gov/endangered/grants/how-to-apply.html

The USFWS CESCF provides funding to states and U.S. territories (as authorized under Section 6 of the

Endangered Species Act [ESA]) for conservation of habitat and federally listed species on non-federal

lands. The Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) and Recovery Land Acquisition (RLA) grants under CESCF are

funded through the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) with state, local, and private contributions.

Both programs fund the acquisition of habitat from willing sellers. HCP grants support habitat protection

while allowing development to proceed in other areas. RLA grants fund habitat acquisition in support of

approved species recovery plans.

W

Land Trusts and Wildlife Conservation Funding opportunities for land trusts to conserve wildlife habitat

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION ON LAND TRUSTS

For more information, please contact Mary Pfaffko at mpfaffko@defenders.org or Lori Faeth at lfaeth@lta.org.

• Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)

https://www.doi.gov/lwcf

LWCF funds conservation of privately owned inholdings within federal public lands managed by the National

Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, USFWS, and Forest Service. These agencies and their partners,

such as land trusts, work together to identify opportunities for the acquisition of property or conservation

easements.

• National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grants Program (NCWCG)

https://www.fws.gov/coastal/CoastalGrants/

The USFWS NCWCG program funds acquisition and restoration of coastal wetland ecosystems and associated

uplands in coastal and Great Lakes states and U.S. territories.

• Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA) grant program

https://www.fws.gov/birds/grants/neotropical-migratory-bird-conservation-act/how-to-apply.php

The USFWS NMBCA grant program funds projects in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada that benefit neotropical

birds, such as management and protection of habitat.

• North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant program

https://www.fws.gov/birds/grants/north-american-wetland-conservation-act/how-to-apply-for-a-nawca-grant.php

The USFWS NAWCA grant program funds projects to acquire, restore, or enhance habitat for the benefit of

migratory birds associated with wetlands.

Conservation easements. A conservation easement is a private, voluntary legal agreement between a landowner

and a land trust, government agency, or other entity that limits uses of land in order to protect, manage, and/or

restore its conservation values. Landowners retain property rights on the land, including the right to own and use

the land, sell it, and transfer it to their heirs. Easement holders are responsible for ensuring the terms of the

easement are upheld. Conservation easements can allow for continued land use such as agriculture while also

providing for wildlife needs.

• Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP)

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs/easements/acep/

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) ACEP provides matching funds that land trusts can use to

purchase conservation easements on agricultural lands, grasslands, and wetlands.

• Forest Legacy Program (FLP)

https://www.fs.fed.us/managing-land/private-land/forest-legacy/program

The Forest Service FLP is funded by LWCF to permanently protect private working forests that are threatened

by development through acquisition or conservation easements from willing landowners. FLP projects

typically restrict development, require sustainable forestry practices, and protect public values like habitat.

• Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP)

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/programs/easements/forests/

The Forest Service HFRP funds the protection and restoration of private forest lands to benefit at-risk species,

improve biodiversity, or enhance carbon sequestration through habitat restoration and permanent or 30-year

conservation easements.

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION ON LAND TRUSTS

For more information, please contact Mary Pfaffko at mpfaffko@defenders.org or Lori Faeth at lfaeth@lta.org.

• Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI)

https://www.repi.mil/Portals/44/Documents/Primers/Primer_LandTrusts.pdf

The U.S. Department of Defense REPI provides funds to enter into agreements with partners such as land

trusts to acquire property or property interests such as conservation easements from willing sellers that

preserve critical buffers and habitat areas near military installations.

Conservation partnerships. Federal and state programs are available to leverage resources through partnerships

for wildlife conservation.

• Coastal Program (CP)

https://www.fws.gov/coastal/about.html

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) CP provides financial assistance for habitat protection and

restoration projects on public and privately-owned land and technical assistance for habitat conservation

design.

• Land Trust Bird Conservation Collaboratives

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/landtrust/category/grant-directory/

These collaboratives, hosted by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and involving local bird conservation

organizations, encourage partnerships among land trusts and others to focus conservation efforts on high

priority bird species. Working in these collaboratives, land trusts can more effectively secure resources to

contribute to bird conservation.

• Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program (PFWP)

https://www.fws.gov/partners/

The USFWS PFWP provides financial and technical assistance to private landowners interested in improving

habitat for migratory birds, and endangered, threatened, and at-risk species on their working lands.

• Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/national/programs/financial/rcpp/

The NRCS RCPP brings together partners such as land trusts, state and local agencies, tribal governments,

conservation organizations, conservation districts, academic institutions, and private landowners to

collaborate on locally led conservation strategies. These include activities that improve water, soil, wildlife

habitat, or other natural resources.

• State and Tribal Wildlife Grants (STWG) Program

https://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/GrantPrograms/SWG/SWG.htm

The USFWS STWG program funds states, U.S. territories, and tribes that work with partners like land trusts to

implement projects identified in State Wildlife Action Plans. Land trusts can partner with state fish and wildlife

agencies to develop and implement these grants.

• Working Lands for Wildlife (WLFW)

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/national/programs/?cid=stelprdb1046975

WLFW supports farmers, ranchers, and landowners to conserve “project” and “target” wildlife species on

private lands. NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to participants who voluntarily make

improvements to their working lands, while USFWS provides participants with regulatory predictability

regarding the ESA.

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION ON LAND TRUSTS

For more information, please contact Mary Pfaffko at mpfaffko@defenders.org or Lori Faeth at lfaeth@lta.org.

Conservation practices. Land trusts can help landowners apply for resources from Farm Bill working lands

programs administered through NRCS to support “conservation practices” that benefit wildlife.

• Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG)

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs/financial/cig/

The NRCS CIG program funds innovative conservation approaches and technologies, such as the development

of conservation and mitigation markets. For example, CIG has been used to help producers and landowners

participate in carbon markets and make their lands more resilient to climate change.

• Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/national/programs/financial/csp/

The NRCS CSP provides financial assistance to landowners to maintain and improve existing conservation

activities across their entire agricultural operation, as well as undertake new conservation activities, such as

developing wildlife habitat or planting cover crops to support conservation objectives.

• Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs/financial/eqip/

The NRCS EQIP provides financial assistance to landowners to implement conservation actions on their land.

Payments support 1-10 year contracts to implement conservation practices that can benefit wildlife, such as

prescribed burning and stream habitat improvement.

 

 

any species of conservation concern, including federally protected species, depend on private land. With two‐thirds of land in the Lower 48 under private ownership, conservation of these 

woodlands, grasslands, wetlands, marshlands, rangelands, and croplands is essential to the persistence of native plant and animal species. Following are examples of land trusts conserving and recovering wildlife on private land.  

New England Cottontail. The Avalonia Land Conservancy (www.avalonialandconservancy.org) in 

Connecticut works to conserve habitat for the New England cottontail. Avalonia created early 

successional, brushy cottontail habitat with guidance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

(USFWS) and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and with 

funding and support from federal and private sources and volunteer labor. Educating preserve visitors about why 

older forests are converted to younger stands to create habitat is crucial to the success of the project. USFWS 

cited private and other investment in land acquisition and habitat restoration in its decision not to list the New 

England cottontail under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). 

Migration Routes for Pronghorn Antelope and Wildlife‐Friendly Fencing. The Jackson Hole 

Land Trust (https://jhlandtrust.org/) in Wyoming conserves privately owned land that connects 

federal parks, forests, wildlife refuges, and other public land. The Land Trust uses conservation 

easements to address barriers to migration for species such as pronghorn antelope, and 

wildlife‐friendly fencing that helps prevent collisions from sage grouse. It also partners with the Green River Valley 

Land Trust to set up a conservation easement and a wildlife‐friendly fencing program to address the loss of 

historic family ranches, wildlife habitat, and corridors due to pressures in natural gas fields from well pads, access 

roads, fences, and sprawling housing developments.  

Saltmarsh Sparrow. The New Haven Land Trust’s (www.newhavenlandtrust.org) Quinnipiac 

Meadows Nature Preserve in Connecticut is habitat for the saltmarsh sparrow, an imperiled species 

that USFWS may list under the ESA. Sea level rise has rendered fewer and fewer saltmarshes 

available to birdlife that are located high enough above rising waters to avoid complete inundation 

during certain times of the year. Quinnipiac Meadows is one of a few suitable areas remaining for sparrow 

breeding because its tidal marsh can support nests during the highest tides. The Land Trust promotes its preserve 

as a fascinating opportunity for the public to view saltmarsh sparrow and other wildlife from bird blinds 

overlooking the marsh.  

Threatened Salmon Species. The Nisqually Land Trust (www.nisquallylandtrust.org) in Washington 

acquires and manages critical lands to permanently benefit the water, wildlife, and people in the 

Nisqually River Watershed. As the Land Trust’s work benefits federally listed species such as Chinook 

salmon and steelhead, their funding has included federal and state sources. The Land Trust 

emphasizes conservation solutions to restore habitat to its full ecological value, which is important for 

salmon recovery. The Land Trust has also expanded its reach to marine habitat by joining a coalition of 

14 land trusts and conservation organizations to form the Shoreline Conservation Collaborative, a project of the 

Washington Association of Land Trusts that seeks to conserve Puget Sound shorelines. 

M

Land Trusts and Wildlife Conservation Examples of land trusts conserving and  recovering wildlife 

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION ON LAND TRUSTS

For more information, please contact Mary Pfaffko at mpfaffko@defenders.org or Lori Faeth at lfaeth@lta.org. 

 

 

Golden‐winged Warbler. The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy 

(www.appalachian.org) in North Carolina worked with partners to protect a network of more than 

25,000 acres in the Roan Highlands for conservation of the golden‐winged warbler and other 

species along the border between North Carolina and Tennessee. The golden‐winged warbler has 

one of the smallest populations of any songbird not listed under the ESA, with only 400,000 

breeding adults nationwide. The Conservancy has tapped a variety of funds to support its work, including 

allocations made under the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act and stewardship grants from 

conservation organizations, including the National Forest Foundation and the Audubon Society.  

Shortgrass Prairie for Wildlife and Carbon Sequestration. (https://southernplains.org) 

The Southern Plains Land Trust in Colorado is dedicated to protecting rare and fragile 

shortgrass prairie, conserving grassland species and building habitat resilience to climate 

change, while earning additional revenue for their conservation investments. When 

grasslands are tilled and converted to agriculture, they release large amounts of carbon 

dioxide into the atmosphere. Landowners can earn offset credits that can be sold in a carbon market by 

conserving grasslands rather than converting them to cropland. Using a Conservation Innovation Grant from the 

Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Land Trust generated carbon credits that it sold to Natural Capital 

Partners on behalf of their client, Microsoft, which was seeking to offset their carbon emissions. Prairie dogs, 

burrowing owls, Texas horned lizards and bison all benefit from this innovative program. 

Indiana Bat. The Sycamore Land Trust (https://sycamorelandtrust.org) conserves wildlife by 

acquiring habitat and undertaking restoration projects on seasonal wetlands and forestlands in 

southern Indiana to conserve the federally protected Indiana bat, the state‐protected Kirtland’s 

snake and other species. Projects include removing invasive plants, planting native species, and 

improving water quality by protecting and restoring riparian buffers. Sensitive and imperiled 

species benefit from large protected areas that provide food and cover, and buffer against threats 

posed by development and disease. Multiple sources support the Land Trust, including member donations, state 

and federal agency grants, private foundation grants, and a robust corporate giving program. 

Grizzly Bear. The Vital Ground Foundation (www.vitalground.org) in Montana conserves 

land for grizzly bears and other wildlife in the northern Rocky Mountains. The Foundation 

uses conservation easements to provide grizzlies with the room they need to roam and 

connect corridors between large blocks of habitat on public land. The Foundation also 

purchases land that supports wildlife. As the grizzly bear is a federally threatened species, the Foundation Trust 

receives support from state and federal agencies, local initiatives, private foundations and individual donors. The 

Foundation also implements practices that reduce conflicts between bears and people through fencing, livestock 

carcass removal, retirement of grazing leases, and educational efforts to create safe “bear aware” communities.   

Imperiled Species and Coastal Wetlands. The Weeks Bay Foundation (www.weeksbay.org) supports 

the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve by preserving bogs, wetlands and estuaries 

along Alabama’s coastline. The Weeks Bay Reserve is home to approximately 19 threatened or 

endangered species, as well as many other species that support commercial and recreational fishing 

industries. The Foundation raises private funds to purchase or secure conservation easements on 

ecologically valuable properties, some of which has become part of the Research Reserve.