Protect Land

W&W Partners in the Land Conservation Working Group seek to increase the pace of conservation by aggregating land protection projects and reducing transaction costs, while expanding access to resources.

Conservation Aggregation

We work with local, regional, and national conservation organizations to aggregate small conservation projects into large ones. By working together, we are able to cut costs and proceed more efficiently.

• Western Mass Pilot Aggregation Project
• Expanding the aggregation project to new areas throughout New England

Building the Capacity of Local and Regional Land Trusts to Do More

Many local, all-volunteer land trusts are in touch with landowners but lack the capacity to assist many with their conservation goals in a timely fashion.  We are supporting them by:

• Streamlining paperwork: We are working with a private business that developed a “Turbo Tax”-type approach to preparing conservation easement documents. More accurate and less expensive, this approach will reduce the staff time and legal costs associated with processing conservation transactions. 
• Developing due diligence funding strategies: Landowners often need appraisals of the development and conservation values of their land before they can determine what conservation option is best for them. We have identified processes, standards, and practices that enable private foundations and individuals to use revolving loan funds to pay for these appraisals.
• Identifying new funding opportunities:  We look to private philanthropy and new public programs as sources of bridge funding for short- and long-term forest conservation goals. Aggregation can also provide funding opportunities that local land trusts might otherwise not access.

Keith Ross, LandVest Senior Advisor, is the Group's Chair. Please contact us to get involved with the Land Conservation Working Group.