Strategic Plan Adopted 2014

Transcription

1 Strategic Plan Adopted 2014 To conserve land and water resources to promote sustainable communities and a higher quality of life in the Saginaw Bay Watershed.

2 Credits Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy staff Zachary Branigan, Executive Director Trevor Edmonds, Conservation Lead Lauren Sequin, Community Engagement Lead Erin Denay, O.U.R. Project Coordinator Strategic Plan Ad Hoc committee Larry Frisch Mike Stevens Greg Eagle Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy Board of Directors Mike Stoner, President Daryl Poprave, Vice President Pat Trahan, Secretary Garrett Pohl, Treasurer Larry Frisch Wayne Hofmann Mike Grabowski Mary Kulis Joy McFadyen Dave Morley Carey Pauquette Mike Stevens Joe Toth Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy PO Box 222 Bay City, MI (989) sblc-mi.org 2014

3 Table of Contents Watershed Map 1 Executive Summary 2 Strategic Plan Hierarchy 3 Terms 4 Who We Serve : Our Community 5 Chapter 1 : Organizational Vision 6 Goals & Objectives 7 Chapter 2 : Strategic Conservation Plan 16 Initiatives & Programs 17 Conservation Project Decision Filter 23 Stewardship Project Decision Filter 24 Chapter 3 : Community Engagement Plan 26 Initiatives & Programs 27 Community Engagement Project Decision Filter 30 Appendix 31

4 Saginaw Bay Watershed map The Saginaw Bay Watershed encompasses all or part of 22 counties, covering nearly 15% of the land mass of Michigan. 1

5 Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy Strategic Plan Executive Summary The Conservancy seeks to act within the community in meaningful and lasting ways. We believe that the activities of the Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy to protect nature play a powerful role in the quality of life in the Saginaw Bay Watershed, our community. Within this Plan are commitments to urban conservation, supporting an economy of safe local food, the rehabilitation of habitat, the provision of active outdoor recreation access, and to the education of our community about the natural world. It is the vision of the Conservancy to be a relevant and trusted part of universal community efforts throughout the Watershed. This Strategic Plan is designed to communicate the capabilities,, values, goals, objectives, initiatives and programs of the Conservancy to the community, and to serve as a guiding document to govern the Conservancy and measure our success. This Strategic Plan is a document of three parts. The Organizational Vision defines the Conservancy s mission, values, goals and objectives as an enterprise. The Strategic Conservation Plan defines the methods and techniques employed for the selection of conservation projects at the heart of the Conservancy s mission. The Community Engagement Plan defines how the Conservancy will relate to the community. We invite you to explore what the Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy plans to achieve in the coming years, and be a part of our efforts to make a positive contribution to the Saginaw Bay Watershed. We believe that the Conservancy can be a great force for good in our community. Zachary Branigan Executive Director

6 Strategic Plan Hierarchy ORGANIZATIONAL VISION MISSION STRATEGIC CONSERVATION VALUES COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVES GOALS INITIATIVES PROGRAMS OBJECTIVES PROGRAMS PROJECTS PROJECTS Projects may serve more than one program, and programs may serve more than one initiative. The same can be said for goals and objectives, which may serve more than one value. Here is a sample hierarchy from mission to project for a coastal Phragmites treatment project: 1. Mission Statement 2. Value 2, Access to nature 3. Goal 4B: Provide the highest quality habitat on our conserved natural areas 4. Objectives 4B1: Eradicate invasives 5. Strategic Conservation Plan Initiative 3: Quality Natural Lands 6. Program 3A, Invasive species eradication 7. Project: remove shoreline Phragmites from an inland lake to allow for safe passage of herpetofauna from the beach to the water 3

7 Terms Mission: This single statement summarizes our primary purpose. Values: These five statements build on the mission statement and articulate universal, defining characteristics that represent to the community we serve what we are all about. Goals: More specific and direct than our values, the goals speak to particular ideas about how we might act to live up to our mission and values over the lifespan of this Strategic Plan. Objectives: Measurable and very specific, the objectives support the goals and provide more detail about how we plan our work and measure success. Initiatives: These thematic areas serve to group our programs in ways that directly correlate to the goals and objectives. They are designed to be revisited regularly, and they exist in both the Strategic Conservation Plan (Chapter 2) and the Community Engagement Plan (Chapter 3). They are an intermediary category that allows us to consider how some of our actions serve more than one purpose, and we can use the initiatives to more readily communicate our planned actions to the community. New initiatives may be added from time to time, and previous initiatives may be removed once accomplished or amended. Programs: Consisting of a group of projects, the programs are the defined, visible ways we work in the Community in the service of an SBLC initiative. They are designed to be revisited, similar to initiatives. Projects: Ranging from very small tasks to larger, more difficult tasks, projects are open-andshut elements of our work. Projects do not appear in the Strategic Plan, but rather in the annual Conservancy work plan and annual budget. They are designed to be completed and replaced with new projects. 4

8 Who We Serve: Our Community The community served by the Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy is a multi-layered one. The term community is used throughout this document in a number of interchangeable ways. First, the Conservancy considers its community to be the entire Saginaw Bay Watershed. The Watershed is made up of all or part of 22 Michigan counties, and is home to an estimated 1.4 million people. The Conservancy has elected to focus its land conservation, outreach, and environmental stewardship activities in the Lake Huron shoreline and several near-shoreline counties. This focus does not imply abandonment of the SBLC s ongoing work elsewhere in the Watershed, but rather concurrence with strategic visioning exercises and coordination with Conservancy partners. Iosco, Arenac, Bay, Ogemaw, Saginaw, Tuscola, and Huron Counties represent the highest priority areas were the Conservancy believes its work can make the biggest difference. These counties can be considered a community of the SBLC. Community, in its most accurate form for the Conservancy, will usually refer to the areas where the Conservancy is working within the greater Watershed and the priority area identified above. The community may refer to the local township, city, or village most closely related to an SBLC project site. A reference to how an SBLC nature preserve provides a benefit to the community will almost always be referring to this level of geography. Community is defined uniquely by each person. So while we may identify these three levels of community as Watershed, priority area, and local jurisdiction, in truth community can be whatever an individual person perceives their community to be. If they believe that the Conservancy is making a difference in their community, then it is doing so. The Conservancy hopes to touch the hearts and minds of the people within its community, and when people make the SBLC a part of their community, however that may define it, then it has become the institution we strive to become. 5

9 Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy Strategic Plan - Chapter 1: Organizational Vision Chapter 1: Organizational Vision The Strategic Plan s first component is our Organizational Vision. This is the long-term strategic vision of the organization. It includes the mission statement, organizational values, goals, and objectives. This component provides the higher-level guidance for our overall direction, and empowers us to design initiatives and programs in the Strategic Conservation Plan (Chapter 2) and Community Engagement Plan (Chapter 3). Mission Statement To conserve land and water resources to promote sustainable communities and a higher quality of life in the Saginaw Bay Watershed. Organizational Values The following value statements are universal, defining characteristics that drive the development of this plan and represent to the community we serve what we are all about. The values articulate our mission in a more direct way and inform the Conservancy s goals. Sustainable communities: The Conservancy will engage in meaningful, relevant community initiatives by providing its charitable benefits to the community in ways that support broad community goals. Access to nature: The Conservancy will identify and pursue opportunities to provide free access to conserved natural areas and the Lake Huron shoreline. Protection of habitat: The Conservancy will conserve and steward natural lands for the purpose of providing habitat and open corridors for wildlife. Water quality: The Conservancy will engage in watershed protection activities that protect and restore natural waterways and water bodies. Cultural and historic preservation: The Conservancy will relate its work to the community within a broad context of cultural growth and an appreciation for collective heritage. Goals & Objectives The goals and objectives of the Conservancy provide a map to success. More direct than the values of the SBLC, the goals represent more specific efforts. Supported by measurable, quantifiable objectives, which dictate the SBLC s actions in the years to come, goals serve an important role in helping the Conservancy make decisions, plan work, and define conservation outcomes. 6

10 Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy Strategic Plan - Chapter 1: Organizational Vision 1. Organizational Goals (A,B,C) and Objectives (1,2,3): A. Ensure that the organization s resources meet or exceed anticipated needs. 1. Develop an annual work plan based on staffing needs and existing capacity, and size the annual workload based on the reasonable ability of the staff to complete the work. Add capacity as necessary and as possible. 2. Develop an annual fund development plan in conjunction with the annual budget to ensure that the organization is pursuing financial assets sufficient to provide capacity to complete the annual work plan. B. Grow the organization s assets. 1. Finish each successive year with positive growth on the Conservancy s balance sheet by meeting fund development targets, controlling spending, and adding successful new projects via grants and sponsorships. This may include financial resources or new land assets. 2. Build the Conservancy s endowment by promoting estate gifts, general contributions, and by transferring SBLC assets to the endowment as they are available. 3. Annually increase the Conservancy s scope and budget, and also the revenue targets for the organization. C. Pursue a balance of community engagement, permanent protection, land stewardship, organizational capacity. 1. Develop an annual work plan that consciously takes into account the staff capacity on hand and planned for the coming year and assigns responsibilities in a manner that reflects all three elements in as equal a balance as possible. 2. Change the name and description of the Marketing and Outreach Committee to the Community Engagement Committee with duties, responsibilities, and membership strength that match the scope of work and responsibility of the Land Stewardship Committee. D. Ensure all facets of Conservancy operations are conducted professionally and portray an image of success and approachability. 1. Apply for and achieve Land Trust Accreditation Commission Accreditation. 2. Develop formal employee and Board of Directors orientation protocols for consistent and judicious orientation. 3. Annually budget for and seek staff training opportunities to grow internal capabilities. 4. Annually review and improve our organizational branding and ensure that all aspects of operations (headquarters, uniforms, materials, etc.) reflect a consistent current, professional reflection of that brand. E. Value our employees. 1. Prefer full-time employment with full benefits over part-time employment to promote staff retention and full vesting with the organization. 2. Annually review employee performance, provide a venue for employee feedback, and consider wage and benefit adjustments 3. Provide competitive wages and benefits based on peer organization review. 7

11 Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy Strategic Plan - Chapter 1: Organizational Vision F. Develop a Board of Directors with the passion and capacity to exemplify the Conservancy s values. 1. Maintain regular Board Development Committee meetings to review and consider the recruitment of candidates that fill identified needs of the Board. 2. Annually survey the Board of Directors and conduct self-review evaluations, and establish criteria for Board performance. 3. Annually solicit Board pledges for financial and volunteer contributions and commitments to the Conservancy. G. Be relevant on a statewide basis in the conservation community within a culture of cooperation rather than competition. 1. Maintain and grow general relationships and partnerships with statewide partners and initiatives that serve our values. I. Develop a volunteer base that expands the Conservancy s capacity and reach. 1. Improve the Conservancy s volunteer interface with more current volunteer outreach and web recruitment methods. 2. Develop volunteer rewards that fit with the Conservancy s values but also provide value and recognition to the volunteer. J. Provide a visible, approachable gathering place for conservation and environmental education and outreach in the community. 1. Expand the Conservancy s headquarters capacity with a new location with additional square footage. 2. Rehabilitate and improve the Discovery Preserve at Euclid Park in 2014 to create an urban natural area with an SBLC presence. 2. Maintain an active role in the state and national land trust community. H. Monitor environmental and conservation issues that relate to the mission of the Conservancy. 1. Attend Land Trust Alliance regional and national conferences and stay current with legislation that relates to the land trust community. 2. Participate in regional and statewide groups and publications that disseminate environmental and conservation information, legislative insight, and technological advancements in conservation. Conservancy staff and friends looking for Kirtland s Warblers and other avian species in a Kirtland s Warbler management area during a fundraising birdathon event. 8

12 Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy Strategic Plan - Chapter 1: Organizational Vision 2. Land Protection Goals (A,B,C) and Objectives (1,2,3) A. Use innovative and novel methods to expand the tools at the disposal of the conservation community for permanent protection. 1. Collect demographic geospatial data to complement natural features data to draw more meaningful conclusions about how nature and people interact, helping identify the most relevant projects for people as well as nature. 2. Execute the management plan for the Discovery Preserve and promote the positive work of that partnership with the local county jurisdiction to introduce an example of land protection work outside of fee-simple ownership or conservation easements. B. Embrace a role as a facilitator of natural lands protection in cases where our actions may support others whose goals match our own. 1. Clearly articulate our ability to assist other organizations with the permanent protection options at their disposal (temporary ownership, grant partnership, stewardship consultation, etc.) 2. Offer our services on a fee-for-service basis to manage protected lands for groups or agencies without capacity to do so independently. C. Be prepared to take advantage of funding opportunities and grow the organization s portfolio of protected lands by pursuing land protection project opportunities that are in keeping with our land protection criteria. project opportunities, and develop an annual target list of potential projects that have been partially or fully reviewed for consideration. D. Position the work of the Conservancy in situations that further the concept of sustainable communities. 1. Seek speaking engagements in 2015 and beyond with community development groups in Saginaw and Bay City to address those working towards stronger communities and provide insight as to how we see our work being a critical component of economic development efforts. 2. Provide a new website component that addresses the topic of how our work makes a difference for community development efforts. E. Develop positive relationships with the governing jurisdictions of the communities in which we have a permanent asset. 1. Share copies and links to our adopted Strategic Plan to the communities in which we have holdings. 2. Offer our participation to jurisdictions within our target service area as a component of their long term land use regulation and planning process by sending outreach materials to a new group of jurisdictions within a different selected subwatershed twice a year. 1. Annually solicit new potential protection projects and continually identify likely candidate lands for conservation projects to develop a broad inventory of project candidates. 2. Employ the decision-making component of this Strategic Plan to refine the backlog of 9

13 Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy Strategic Plan - Chapter 1: Organizational Vision F. Protect wildlife corridors. 1. Actively review, on an annual basis, the parcels adjacent to our nature preserves, especially those in northern Bay and Arenac Counties, to identify possible connection opportunities for our holdings there. 2. Expand our urban conservation work by reaching out to the population centers throughout our service area with an eye to annually or biannually completing analysis projects to have a more complete and current understanding of the conservation needs of all the urban areas in our Watershed. 2. Develop a current, basic connections study that provides insight to the possible connections between not only SBLC nature preserves, but between other properties under protection. Share this study with those agencies and use it as a platform for cooperation and potential pursuit of conservation projects. G. Define and continuously assess high-priority geographic focus areas for permanent protection projects. 1. Focus on Iosco, Arenac, Bay, Ogemaw, Saginaw, Tuscola, and Huron Counties and prioritize permanent protection projects there. 2. Annually review our high-priority geographic focus areas and assess them against our capacity, funding opportunities, and backlog of potential projects. H. Grow the Conservancy s conservation work in urban areas. Larry & Peggy Elliott at the Elliott-Patchett Nature Preserve, a 34 acre property donated to the Conservancy by the Elliotts in Shiawassee County north of Vernon along the Shiawassee River. 1. Develop a process to analyze demographic trends and natural features in urban areas and use this analysis as a vehicle for community engagement to better identify permanent protection projects that have the strongest relevance and the most positive potential impact. 10

14 Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy Strategic Plan - Chapter 1: Organizational Vision 3. Land Stewardship Goals (A,B,C) and Objectives (1,2,3) A. Provide the highest quality user experience possible for natural areas under our stewardship. 1. Enhance our conservation easement owner interface with improved materials describing our services and membership categories. 2. Hold a seminar for easement owners to better plan for stewardship needs while recruiting additional membership funds. 3. Develop wayfinding programs that are of similar quality and effectiveness to those installed at Sand Point Nature Preserve for Discovery, Wah Sash Kah Moqua, Pinconning, Saganing, and Standish Nature Preserves. 4. Conduct annual monitoring specifically for invasive species at all our nature preserves and ensure our work plans include tasks that meet the requirements of our management plans for those properties. 5. Annually review the status of our nature preserves for their status within the following three categories and update management plans as necessary: i. Fully-activated nature preserve: These properties (Sand Point, Discovery, Wah Sash Kah Moqua, Saganing, Pinconning, and Standish) are intended to have a full range of amenities including well-established trails, informational signage, wayfinding installations, benches, installed or planned observation structures, parking, and regular programming. ii. Partially-activated nature preserve: These properties (Elliott-Patchett, Pressprich, Fegan) are intended to provide partial amenities which may include seasonal trails and limited signage, but do not receive full trail maintenance attention, do not typically include wayfinding, may not have a developed parking area, and are typically used more lightly than fully-activated nature preserves. iii. Land-banked nature preserve: These properties (Au Gres Delta) are reserved for light use and wildlife habitat. While open to the public, they are unlikely to have any trails or signage, parking, or other enhancements besides boundary markers or a single identification sign. B. Provide the highest quality habitat on our conserved natural areas. 1. Make the eradication of invasives on our nature preserves and easements a top priority in annual work planning. 2. Augment the removal of invasives by restoring native species. 3. Maximize the presence of basking logs, nesting boxes, etc. and allow wind falls and dead falls to exist for habitat at all our nature preserves. C. Assert ourselves as a regional coordinator and leader in the area of cooperative partnerships and grassroots conservation to address threats to conserved natural lands. 1. Pro actively pair project opportunities with nurturing partnerships for turnkey actions. 2. Develop government agency partners and annually renew contact and by including those partner contacts in our mail and e-news distribution lists. 3. Develop a friends group for each SBLC nature preserve and a trained, motivated corps of stewardship volunteers. 11

15 Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy Strategic Plan - Chapter 1: Organizational Vision D. Employ sophisticated means and capacities to anticipate future stewardship needs and better understand the wildlife habitat under our protection. 1. Annually document and chart needs for conserved land baseline updates and monitor land ownership transfers. 2. Provide annual staff training opportunities at Land Trust Alliance, Heart of the Lakes, or other third party entities to enhance specific internal capabilities and understanding of needs as they may relate to climate change, Great Lake levels, or other regional ecological conditions. E. Support sustainable, best-practice agriculture. 1. Develop relationships with the small farm, best proactive agricultural community. 2. Support community-driven efforts to establish a local food economy. 3. Support small farmers who exemplify safe, sustainable agriculture. F. Develop and continually assess specific resources on hand for stewardship responsibilities. 1. Improve field equipment to include a complete work trailer with sufficient staff gear and improved safety equipment and volunteer gear to achieve the prescribed actions of all SBLC management plans. all conservation easements and fee-owned properties to check on filter strips and buffers along riparian corridors and ensure that the functionality and appropriate maintenance is accounted for, underway, or planned. 2. Apply for funding opportunities to ensure that continued maintenance and improvements to riparian buffers on fee-owned properties and conservation easements are secure. 3. Coordinate with watershed partners on projects and grant proposals that promote the importance of riparian buffers on public and private lands. H. Ensure that natural lands under our stewardship are regional examples of high quality wildlife habitat management with a strong emphasis on native flora and fauna. 1. Conduct required annual monitoring of all conservation easements and fee-owned properties to assess the quality of wildlife habitat. 2. Plan management actions to promote strong populations of native species with an emphasis on state species of concern where applicable. 3. Apply for funding opportunities to ensure the continued maintenance and improvement of wildlife habitat on conservation easement and fee-owned properties. 2. Add a seasonal stewardship professional to expand our field work program for the 2015 season and beyond. G. Support regional water quality improvement efforts by ensuring that natural lands under our stewardship are regional examples of functional, positive relationships between land and water. 1. Conduct required annual monitoring of A controlled burn crew burning phragmites at the Au Gres Delta Nature Preserve south of Au Gres. 12

16 Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy Strategic Plan - Chapter 1: Organizational Vision Area youth participate in a spring American Winterberry planting event at the Discovery Preserve at Euclid Park in Bay City. 13

17 Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy Strategic Plan - Chapter 1: Organizational Vision 4. Community Engagement Goals (A,B,C) and Objectives (1,2,3): A. Reward positive contributions and efforts toward initiatives and projects that exemplify the Conservancy s values. 1. Hold the Osprey Awards annually. 2. Recognize volunteer efforts in our publications. 3. Promote the work of other organizations of similar mission to expand community recognition of conservation work. B. Continuously work to elevate the SBLC s public profile in the communities we serve. 1. Establish an urban educational programming series at Discovery Preserve at Euclid Park and other urban sites. 2. Create new social and informational events that take advantage of the Discovery Preserve, a larger SBLC headquarters, and the Saginaw Bay Birding Trail. 3. Actively, and regularly, issue press releases and press contact to invite media coverage of our activities. C. Listen our way to success by cultivating opportunities to better understand what the communities we serve want from the conservation community, especially audiences outside the conservation community. 1. Deliberately program question and answer comments periods into all our regular outreach activities. 2. Establish a meaningful and productive relationship with the people of Saginaw and Bay City, our most urban, immediate service areas. 3. Attend no less than one non-traditional group event or meeting quarterly to develop new relationships and show the Conservancy is committed to making a difference in more broad community goals. D. Develop a better understanding of the potential beneficiaries of our charitable work. 1. Develop techniques to collect data on nature preserve use, outreach effectiveness, and member retention. 2. Survey our members and sponsors biannually to collect data on their preferences as they relate to our work. E. Promote active outdoor lifestyles. 1. Engage the recreational user groups (mountain bikers, trail users, birdwatchers, etc.) of the community and beyond to better understand how our work can appeal to and be relevant within those groups. 2. Feature positive stories about outdoor recreation opportunities at our nature preserves and throughout the Saginaw Bay Watershed on a monthly basis via social media, newsletters, and website. 3. Plan and execute a community expo to bring together active outdoor recreation vendors, conservation partners, and enthusiasts in a positive, highly-visible forum to incubate cooperation between these groups and directly promote our work and standing with a potential core audience. F. Provide nature-based education. 1. Develop a classroom curriculum and protocols for field trips and classroom visits to create a regular program out outreach to school-age children. 2. Develop a nature-based summer camp program to generate revenue and exposure for the Conservancy while enhancing childhood knowledge about nature. 14

18 Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy Strategic Plan - Chapter 2: Strategic Conservation Plan In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks. -John Muir Wayfinding signage at the Sand Point Nature Preserve in Huron County. The wayfinding program helps Preserve visitors explore the five-mile trail network that winds it way through the Preserve s variety of habitats. 15

19 Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy Strategic Plan - Chapter 2: Strategic Conservation Plan Chapter 2: Strategic Conservation Plan Given the breadth of the Saginaw Bay Watershed, the Conservancy s Strategic Conservation Plan is designed to be less prescriptive than a more conventional plan, but strategic in laying out three primary initiatives that reflect the overall goals and objectives of the Conservancy. Further, it will incorporate policies and guidance on the planning and selection of stewardship and permanent protection projects. The tools provided in the Strategic Conservation Plan will inform and guide our work, set a basis for decision-making and the allocation of resources, and leverage existing research and planning materials already available to the Conservancy. Two Parts: Proactive Conservation Initiatives and Project Decision Filters The basic formal structure of the Strategic Conservation Plan is twofold. First, the Plan will detail specific conservation initiatives informed by the goals and objectives of the Organization Vision. The second component will aggregate all the SBLC s resources into two project filters designed to guide the selection of specific conservation projects, both stewardship-focused and for land protection. These filters will allow us to be selective in that they will establish criteria by which potential projects, both those sought proactively and those realized reactively, can be designed, measured, and considered. Additional Resources The Strategic Conservation Plan has several backing documents that inform its action. First, the Organizational Vision adopted in the previous chapter. The Vision provides the strategic direction for the SBLC as a whole, and within several key areas that set the stage for this Chapter. The land protection and stewardship goals, in particular, provide insight for the various techniques and criteria that will be established in the Strategic Conservation Plan. The second backing document to which this Strategic Conservation Plan will refer is the 2011 University of Michigan - Flint Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy Strategic Conservation Planning resource document. This document serves a critical role to the Strategic Conservation Plan in that it provides a technical analysis of SBLC survey results and geospatial data to assign conservation priority status to lands throughout the Conservancy s focus area around the Saginaw Bay Shoreline. This document includes detailed natural features inventory data, scoring and prioritization criteria and will be a major component in the final selection of conservation projects. 16

20 Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy Strategic Plan - Chapter 2: Strategic Conservation Plan Conservation Initiatives and Programs: The Mission Moving Forward The Conservancy has three primary strategic conservation initiatives: 1. Permanent Land Protection 2. Conservation Connections 3. Quality Natural Lands Our initiatives are those thematic areas that serve to group our programs in ways that directly correlate to the goals and objectives. The initiatives and their programs are designed to be revisited regularly, and they exist in both the Strategic Conservation Plan (Chapter 2) and the Community Engagement Plan (Chapter 3). They are an intermediary category that allows us to consider how some of our actions serve more than one purpose, and we can use the initiatives to more readily communicate our planned actions to the community. New initiatives may be added from time to time, and previous initiatives may be removed once accomplished or amended. Initiatives are parallel with the goals of the Strategic Plan s organizational vision. They serve a wide variety of goals and are translated annually into our work plan. Each initiative includes programs dedicated to carrying out our mission in the community. Programs are made up of many small projects, which are not individually described within the Strategic Plan, but rather within the annual work plan of the Conservancy. Initiative 1: Permanent Land Protection At the core of our organization is our defining characteristic as a land trust, protecting land forever. Permanent protection of land can be both an end in and of itself, or a means to an end for accomplishing the goals of the Conservancy. Permanent land protection can take many forms, and requires careful consideration for long term responsibilities, conservation value, and relevance. Our land protection initiative includes three programs that can be summarized as: find land protection projects, complete land protection projects, maintain protected land. These three parts of our land protection initiative have equal weight. Initiative 1 Programs: A. Land Protection Prospecting - Find land protection projects: An equitable and effective program for recruiting and considering potential projects will result in a high-quality set of candidate projects, pro actively sought, with our mission and values in mind. Further, it will allow for a more careful process of evaluating project opportunities that are presented to us and which require our response. B. Land Acquisition - Complete selected land protection projects: The second program of this initiative is the most complex; completing land protection projects and adding land to our portfolio. This program could include conservation easement acquisitions by donation or purchase, fee-simple land donations or purchases, or more novel methods, such as longterm partnerships or empowering other organizations to protect land forever. C. Land Maintenance - Conservation easements and nature preserves monitoring and programming: The final component of this initiative calls for programming and monitoring. Effective and responsible treatment of our land will ensure that they offer the best possible benefit to the community, provide high-quality user experiences, and make the most meaningful possible contribution to the quality of life for the people, flora, and fauna of the Saginaw Bay Watershed. Landowner Jim McLean leads a group of local nature enthusiasts on a wildflower walk throughout his property in northern Bay County. Through the donation of a conservation easement to the Conservancy, Jim and Shirley McLean have ensured that the wide variety of habitats and all of the associated flora and fauna are protected in perpetuity. 17

21 Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy Strategic Plan - Chapter 2: Strategic Conservation Plan Initiative 2: Conservation Connections The theme of connections is pervasive in our work. Whether we are talking about connecting two natural areas, two trails, connecting wildlife with habitat, or people with their land, connections are a wide-ranging and meaningful theme. This initiative provides opportunities to do our work publicly, and make strong commitments to the community we serve. Initiative 2 Programs: A. Huron Nature Trail Network: is our vision for an interconnected, unpaved, nature trail network of a designed durability and establishment that would ensure strong, permanent, public access to our land, to other protected land, and to the Saginaw Bay, our cherished resource. This network of trails is intended to connect the people of the Saginaw Bay Watershed with the natural world, and would have a variety of benefits: 1. The trails would provide an attractive asset to promote healthy outdoor lifestyles, providing a community preventative health benefit while highlighting the partnership with health care community. It would complement the considerable investment made for the growing paved recreational trail network. 2. The trails would provide safe, attractive natural pathways to the Saginaw Bay, opening up new access sites that already exist in a more universally usable way. 3. The Trail Network would be a vehicle to equip and empower the Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy to become a knowledgeable and capable authority and resource for regional nature trail planning and construction, a resource to other groups. 4. The trails would be a resource to promote the region as a place where the restorative and healthful benefits of nature and trails can be found conveniently throughout the region. B. Saginaw Bay Birding Trail: The Saginaw Bay Birding Trail (SBBT) is a joint program between the Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy and Michigan Audubon. Covering a total of 142 miles, the Trail runs from Port Crescent State Park on the eastern end to Tawas Point State Park on the western end, and largely follows the shoreline of the entire Saginaw Bay. The distinct change in seasons, diverse habitats, sprawling miles of shoreline, plus extensive natural areas with public access make the Trail a birder s paradise. This program allows the Conservancy to play a pivotal role in encouraging regional cooperation on shoreline and near-shoreline conservation issues while providing an exciting amenity for people. With growing permanence and visibility, the SBBT will connect more people with Lake Huron and our near-shoreline protected habitat and encourage widespread appreciation for nature. C. Urban Conservation: This program is based on the Conservancy s desire to do conservation work in a way that supports greater community goals, especially in the most heavily populated areas of the Watershed. In particular, Saginaw and Bay City, situated between the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge and the Saginaw Bay, provide many opportunities for the intersection of people and nature. Further, by developing a more visible profile in urban communities, the Conservancy will broaden its foundation of community support and provide its charitable actions in a way that is more relevant to more people than ever before. This program will result in highlyvisible and beneficial projects like the creation of Discovery Preserve at Euclid Park. The establishment of urban conservation projects may rely on non-traditional methods, like leasing or partnerships, rather than exclusively on fee ownership or easements. 18

22 Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy Strategic Plan - Chapter 2: Strategic Conservation Plan Initiative 3: Quality Natural Lands It is critical that land protected or otherwise subject to our stewardship activities represents the best possible version of natural lands in our Watershed. This initiative includes programs that center on the restoration of nature, regardless of whether or not the land is within our portfolio. We can make a significant difference in the communities we serve by providing our capacity in certain cases to carry out work that others can not, using our own nature preserves and conservation easements as examples of model practices in the Saginaw Bay Watershed. program, but this program also requires the development of safe and adequate nesting opportunities, the protection of contiguous lands, the coordination of land management techniques, and the removal of barriers to wildlife migration and movement on a very local basis and on an ecosystem scale. Initiative 3 Programs: A. Invasive species eradication: The Conservancy has dedicated considerable resources in the recent past to the eradication of invasive species. While widespread eradication is outside the current scope and capacity of our organization, we can make sure our own portfolio of land, at a minimum, is as close to free of invasive species as resources allow. Example projects within this initiative include our existing recent autumn olive removal campaign, the dedication of resources to Phragmites in our coastal preserve, and the assistance we have offered and provided to partner organizations to address early invasive encroachments into their natural areas. Displaying male Ruffed Grouse in Iosco County. Photo by Zachary Branigan. B. Native species restoration and protection: With the eradication of invasive species comes opportunity to restore native species, and ultimately overall wildlife habitat. Lake plain prairie, especially, is a focus of our restoration work. This program requires a familiarization with native flora and fauna and seeking opportunities to introduce those species and encourage others to do so as well. C. Wildlife protection: This program is about conservation work on the ground and a widespread outreach component designed around encouraging Watershed residents to appreciate and respect the wildlife habitat of our community. The eradication of invasives and restoration of native species play a significant role in this 19

23 Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy Strategic Plan - Chapter 2: Strategic Conservation Plan It is important that we maintain a connection with the land. If we lose that connection, we ultimately risk losing the land itself. The Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy offers people in our region the opportunity to maintain and, just as importantly, to establish, crucial connections to the world around us. -Michael Stoner, SBLC Board of Directors American Winterberries at the Sand Point Nature Preserve in Huron County. Winterberries are an excellent source of food for overwintering avian species. 20

24 Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy Strategic Plan - Chapter 2: Strategic Conservation Plan Project Decision Filters The Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy works throughout the entire Saginaw Bay Watershed, a 22-county area with over 1.4 million residents. Given our size and capacity, a prescriptive strategic conservation plan is not feasible, We have dedicated considerable effort and resources to developing a base on intelligence about the natural features of our service area, in particular those in our core focus area, most of which is highlighted by the 2011 University of Michigan - Flint Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy Strategic Conservation Planning resource document. There are a much broader set of criteria that we must consider, however, when seeking conservation projects and considering them. For this purpose, we have developed a project selection filter that, in short, asks three simple questions: What is the project? So what, should we do anything? If yes, then now what? While far more detailed in scope and process, this is the process we intend to follow when planning not only our permanent land protection projects, but also our other strategic conservation projects. The following section will provide two such filters, one for land protection projects and one for other mission-related, especially stewardship, projects. The Three Whats WHAT: This initial part of the process is intended to generate a discussion to frame a project. First, the Conservancy must know precisely of what a project consists. This What component defines the scope and technical issues surrounding a potential project, defines the challenges facing the project, and helps determine the threats and opportunities associated with the project. The exercise also helps to focus, for instance, protection efforts, and helps us get beyond the generality of wanting to save the property for an indeterminate purpose. The what phase may reveal a project opportunity to conserve 20 acres of undeveloped land in an urban area, but it has contamination issues, poor public access, and a legacy of illegal dumping and vandalism. However, it may also be determined that the site has space for improvements, is adjacent a nearby community institution, and is within walking distance of thousands of homes. Further, it has an open lagoon and deer and wildlife have been observed there. Now we know what the project looks like. The question can also be asked of possible stewardship projects and grant opportunities for conservation programming. SO WHAT: At this phase, the Conservancy must step back, having the information necessary to frame the project and understand the challenges to the project and the threats to the property or purpose and need of a stewardship project, and ask the question: So what? In short, do the threats to the property or the opportunities that have been identified fit within the mission and values of the organization? How do they potentially fit? It is during this phase that the Conservancy must ask what would SBLC involvement accomplish, and then frame why the Conservancy could get involved, set against the backdrop of the mission and values of the organization. 21

25 For example, in the urban 20-acre site land protection scenario, the opportunity and challenges to conservation have been identified, but the SBLC must now determine what it can do, and determine if it should consider some risks associated with the project. We know what the project looks like, so we then identify the scenarios that could happen both with and without SBLC involvement. In short, without the SBLC the site could be developed and the open space would be lost. With SBLC involvement the space could be restored and conserved for public access. NOW WHAT: If the what and so what phases reveal a project that we understand, and the project could help the Conservancy further its mission and express its values, the next question is now what? In other words, what actions should be considered? What sort of investment will be required? What tools at our disposal should we employ? What kind of permits or regulations will apply? How will we fund the project? What partners will we need? This is where the project is formally designed and ultimately considered for execution. 22

26 Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy Strategic Plan - Chapter 2: Strategic Conservation Plan Land Protection Decision Filter Land Protection Prospects What is the project opportunity? Decision 1 Do we have everything we need to identify the opportunity and its purpose? Why should the SBLC be involved? Basic data Detailed data Critical data Data collection done What? Cursory Review In-office Homework Investigation So What? Intangibles How big? Proximity to other land? Access? Location? Visibility? Which sub-watershed is it in? Ownership? Water frontage? UM study ranking? Wetlands? Land use? Wildlife? Historical attributes? Habitat types? Donor intent? Contamination? Corrective action opportunity? Potential partners? Mission / values / goals / objectives? Are there any other parties better suited for the opportunity? Is there community support? Do we have stewardship capacity? Decision 2 Does this project have a future as an SBLC project? Land Stewardship Committee Input Now What? What are we going to do about it? Project Design What form of project - conservation easement, fee-owned, other? Funding plan? Project timeline? Partners? Decision 3 Should this project be sent to the BOD for consideration? Committee input / full draft project Board of Directors for action 23

27 Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy Strategic Plan - Chapter 2: Strategic Conservation Plan Stewardship Project Decision Filter Stewardship Project Prospects What? What is the project opportunity? Basic data Would the project benefit a fee land or conservation easement property? Does the Conservancy have the stewardship capacity to manage and complete the project? Does the project tie into any existing stewardship projects? Decision 1 Do we have everything we need to identify the opportunity and its purpose? Why should the SBLC be involved? So What? Intangibles How does the project help the Conservancy achieve a stewardship goal? Decision 2 Does this project have a future as an SBLC project? What are we going to do about it? Decision 3 Should this project be sent to the Executive Director for consideration? Land Stewardship Committee Input Committee input / full draft project Now What? Project Design Executive Director for action How will the project be funded? What is the project timeline? Will we engage partners, volunteers, and/or contractors? Is special funding available for this project? What resources or permits are needed to carry out the project? 24

28 Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy Strategic Plan - Chapter 3: Community Engagement Plan Elementary school students from the Au Gres - Sims School district participating in an invasive species pull and spring clean-up at the Pressprich Nature Preserve north of Au Gres. 25

29 Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy Strategic Plan - Chapter 3: Community Engagement Plan Chapter 3: Community Engagement Plan The Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy honors its grassroots heritage. Originally developed by a group of dedicated community activists interested in developing tools for saving land, the Conservancy believes in a culture of listening our way to success. Measuring community interest in our work, observing the needs of the broader communities we serve, and engaging people in a wide variety of settings will drive the work of the organization. This Community Engagement Plan is designed to lay a foundation to make the Conservancy a meaningful, established resource in the Saginaw Bay Watershed by prescribing methods to work with the people who benefit from our work. Two Parts: Innovative Community Engagement Initiatives and a Project Decision Filter Like the Strategic Conservation Plan in Chapter 2, the Community Engagement Plan combines a detailed list of three main initiatives followed by a mechanism to evaluate proposed or ongoing, community engagement programs. Chapter 3 includes a single filter, which will provide a method for weighing possible programs against one another, gauge the program s likelihood of advancing a Conservancy goal, and provide a means to better understand how the program would be carried out by the staff and Board of Directors. Additional Resources The Community Engagement Plan is based on the Organizational Vision established in Chapter 1. The Vision provides the strategic direction for the SBLC as a whole, and within several key areas that set the stage for this Chapter. The community engagement goals, in particular, provide insight for the various techniques and criteria that will be established in the Community Engagement Plan. Another resource the Community Engagement Plan will draw upon is the visioning document of 2012 developed by the Conservancy s Board of Directors. This critical exercise provided a unique and open opportunity for the Board to investigate its future and make a series of important statements about how the Conservancy should be perceived in the community. 26

30 Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy Strategic Plan - Chapter 3: Community Engagement Plan Community Engagement Initiatives: Listening Our Way To Success The Conservancy has three community engagement initiatives: 1. The Culture of Conservation 2. Placemaking for People; The Conservancy in the City 3. Sustainable Communities and a Relevant Conservancy Our initiatives are those thematic areas serve to group our programs in ways that directly correlate to the goals and objectives. The initiatives and their programs are designed to be revisited regularly, and they exist in both the Strategic Conservation Plan (Chapter 2) and the Community Engagement Plan (Chapter 3). They are an intermediary category that allows us to consider how some of our actions serve more than one purpose, and we can use the initiatives to more readily communicate our planned actions to the community. New initiatives may be added from time to time, and previous initiatives may be removed once accomplished or amended. Initiatives are parallel with the goals of the Strategic Plan s organizational vision. They serve a wide variety of goals and are translated annually into our work plan. Each initiative includes program dedicated to carrying out our mission in the community. Programs are made up of many small projects, which are not individually described within the Strategic Plan, but rather within the annual work plan of the Conservancy. Initiative 1: The Culture of Conservation In order to foster sustainable communities and advance land protection efforts, the Conservancy will take steps to contribute to a culture of conservation. A culture of conservation involves a more broad appreciation in the community of the natural world surrounding us. Given the industrial heritage and legacy of neglect in many areas throughout the Watershed, the outdoors has been something many people seek in other areas of Michigan. It is our responsibility to highlight and promote our own natural areas and encourage a love of our unique freshwater coastal wetland habitat, rare protected grasslands, Lake Huron shoreline, and other special places. Initiative 1 Programs: A. Annual Events Calendar: Annually, the Conservancy sets aside a formal annual events calendar. Changing regularly, the events calendar does have several key project-level events (such as the Osprey Awards) that provide a venue full of selfselecting audience members who attend our events because they care about our work. The annual events calendar allows us to spread our message while also often accomplishing the objectives under a wide variety of goals. Events allow for the expansion of knowledge about conservation and the Conservancy, they provide fundraising opportunities, and they foster a sense of belonging and understanding about the work of the Conservancy. B. Advocacy for Conservation: In partnership and in support of the Land Trust Alliance, Heart of the Lakes, and other members of the land trust community, the Conservancy will speak on behalf of conservation and on behalf of land trusts. Many Conservancy programs do already have an aspect of advocacy, and the work of the SBLC sends a strong statement about how the land trust community can be a part of the solution to complex problems. Without federal, state, or local support, however, from legislators, community leaders, or simply by the neighbor next door, conservation for the community is not possible. 27

31 Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy Strategic Plan - Chapter 3: Community Engagement Plan Initiative 2: Placemaking for People; The Conservancy in the City In the interest of public health, appreciation of nature, social and economic development opportunities, and pride of community, the Conservancy will create opportunities for experiencing the natural world closer to where people live. Through physical projects and programs in urban environments, the Conservancy will promote the fun and benefit of outdoor lifestyles to help provide venues for people to seek outdoor exercise, psychological benefit from open space and nature, and social interaction in a natural setting. It is our hope that by providing these opportunities, the Conservancy can enhance the community s reputation as a high-quality place to live, work, and play while adding to the quality-of-life for existing residents. This initiative is best represented in practice by the Conservancy s ambitious Bay City O.U.R. Project (Outdoor Urban Recreation Project) which is designed to address the outdoor active recreational access, programming, and education needs of the community in a way that leverages existing resources and plays off of a broad cooperative effort between municipal, private, and nonprofit partners. The O.U.R. Project is a first step in taking the Conservancy s work to its urban audience where they live and work, and may serve as a template for similar efforts in Saginaw or Flint in the future. Initiative 2 Programs: A. Ambassador Landscapes: Ambassador landscapes are those natural areas protected or leased specifically for the purpose of serving as a soft beach for the Conservancy. Ambassador landscapes are those properties that may not warrant as high a potential value for strict conservation objectives, but are rather effective at providing highly-visible venues for outdoor interaction and conservation awareness to many people. Using a wide variety of methods, the Conservancy can effectively offer programming and stewardship support for properties that can serve a strong advocacy role for SBLC. Ambassador landscape may offer recreational amenities or other facilities centered on making the user more comfortable and rewarding users with a positive overall experience with the Conservancy. B. Active Outdoor Programming: The Conservancy will organize, facilitate, or lead a wide variety of active outdoor activities to encourage use of SBLC facilities and to foster a sense that excellent resources for active outdoor lifestyles are available to the community. This program is largely designed to empower the SBLC to capitalize on its investment in land protection and take special care to develop activities that will encourage users to identify with the land and take an interest in being part of its longterm conservation. C. Nature-Based Education Programs: Leveraging existing land resources like Discovery Preserve and the SBLC Headquarters, this program includes the development of a field trip and classroom visit-based curriculum to connect with people and develop an appreciation and respect for nature. While programs will be offered for all, childhood nature-based education has a special place within this initiative. This program includes the development of alternative summer activities designed to connect children and families with nature, and may also include in-school curriculum. This program would provide new opportunities to grow the SBLC s profile, develop tomorrow s volunteers, members, and supporters, and create ambassadors for nature. 28

32 Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy Strategic Plan - Chapter 3: Community Engagement Plan Initiative 3: Sustainable Communities and a Relevant Conservancy The Conservancy recognizes that the protection and promotion of nature is not an end in and of itself, but rather one spoke in the wheel of sustainable communities. To that end, we will seek opportunities to position our work in ways that support broad community goals. By pro actively looking for a seat at the table in a wide variety of settings, the Conservancy can advocate for the cause of conservation as a part of the overall effort to restore our communities. Initiative 3 Programs: A. Success Through Listening: The Conservancy will participate in a broad spectrum on community efforts, events, and functions in the interest of better understanding the needs of the communities we serve. Active listening, asking questions, and quantifying responses are legitimate, stand-alone outcomes that will be pursued by the Conservancy in our operations. This kind of approach will help SBLC projects focus on the most relevant and impactful work that will support the overall sustainability of communities we serve. B. Organizational Engagement: The Conservancy will remain a trusted partner of regional, watershed, and statewide affiliations. Such participation will help the visibility of the Conservancy within leadership circles and position the organization to find effective partnerships, unique new roles, and project opportunities. C. Institutional Engagement: Like partnerships with like-minded organizations, partnerships with local units of government, state departments, federal agencies, and major institutions can also benefit the Conservancy, the partner, and the community. Historic partnerships like Bay County, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and others will be continued and valued. New institutional partnerships will also be sought to continue to solidify the Conservancy s standing in the community. Volunteers from Bay City assist with planting American Winterberries at the Discovery Preserve at Euclid Park in Bay City. Through thoughtful community engagement, the Conservancy can provide an excellent variety of ways for area residents to get outside and learn about, improve, protect, and enjoy the land and nature in their own backyards and beyond! 29