California Council of Land Trusts

Your perspective is needed to inform the development of new conservation financing tools and how to make them accessible. In partnership with The Conservation Finance Network and the Land Trust Alliance, LegacyWorks Group is conducting a survey of the conservation community to understand the use of bridge loans and the need for education about them within the community. The survey should take no more than 15 minutes to complete. Complete the survey by the end of March to be entered into a drawing for a $500 education award provided by LegacyWorks Group to be used for professional development training or to go towards attending the Conservation Finance Network’s Conservation Finance Boot Camp or the Land Trust Alliance’s 2025 Rally. Take the survey: https://bit.ly/3Dh62Jd

Thank you to one of our Steward Sponsors John Muir Land Trust for their generous support of this year's California Land & Water Conservation Conference. 🧡 John Muir Land Trust 🧡 John Muir Land Trust (JMLT) protects and cares for open space, ranches, farms, parkland and shoreline in Contra Costa and Alameda Counties. Since their founding 30 years ago, JMLT has become one of the leading forces for conservation in northern California. With more than 3,500 acres protected, many beautiful places in the East Bay are permanently preserved for recreation and wildlife habitat. JMLT believes that the vitality of our natural open spaces is essential to the health of our earth, air, water, native plants and animals — and all of us. 🌲 The 2025 Annual California Land & Water Conference is happening March 31 – April 2 at Tenaya Lodge near Yosemite National Park. The conference features topics related to land acquisition and conservation easements, land stewardship, agricultural easements and working lands, funding opportunities, community conservation, and advocacy.

Help shape California’s Climate Bond Funding! Prop. 4 will invest $10 billion over the next five years to strengthen wildfire resilience, secure safe drinking water, restore natural areas, and implement nature-based solutions. To ensure this funding reaches the people and places that need it most, California Natural Resources Agency wants your input! Take the California Climate Bond: Grant Programs Feedback survey to help make the grant process as simple and inclusive as possible. Your expertise and experience are invaluable in shaping how these funds are distributed. The survey will be open through April 18: https://bit.ly/4h1SaQR

The Coastal Conservancy is hosting a Climate Bond webinar on March 17 at noon. https://lnkd.in/gQBNb_-Q Join in if you are working on coastal resilience projects and want to apply for state grants. 🌊🌊🌊

Thank you to one of our Steward Sponsors Green Goat Maps for their generous support of this year's California Land & Water Conservation Conference. 🧡 Green Goat Maps 🧡 Green Goat Maps specializes in creating high-quality, user-friendly maps that help land trusts engage people with the outdoor environment. Their Online Maps for Land Trusts platform provides accessible interactive, mobile-friendly maps tailored to each land trust’s needs, making it easier for visitors, donors, and stakeholders to explore and support protected lands. They offer custom paper and digital maps, trail signage, and GIS services to ensure accurate, accessible, and visually engaging representations of conservation properties. Whether you need a detailed stewardship map, a trailhead kiosk, or an interactive online experience, they bring expertise in conservation mapping to help land trusts tell their story. 🌲 The 2025 Annual California Land & Water Conference is happening March 31 – April 2 at Tenaya Lodge near Yosemite National Park. The conference features topics related to land acquisition and conservation easements, land stewardship, agricultural easements and working lands, funding opportunities, community conservation, and advocacy.

CCLT is pleased to be the co-sponsor of AB 900 (Papan) Environmental protection: 30x30 goals: land conservation: science-based management and stewardship, along with our partners at the Nature Conservancy. Stay tuned for ways to engage and learn more about this bill as it moves through the legislative process. Read AB 900 (Papan) - 30x30 Land Stewardship: https://bit.ly/41n2hdo

You’re invited to participate in Nonprofit Compensation Associates, Inc.’ 2025 Compensation & Benefits Survey to help your organization find out how the local nonprofit community is responding to current economic conditions. The Northern California survey covers 48 counties, from Del Norte County in the far northwest to Inyo County in the far southeast. The Southern California survey covers these 10 counties: Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura. Complete your location's survey: https://lnkd.in/ghXwnx8Z

Judge Loren AliKhan from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled in favor of a group of nonprofit organizations in finding that they are likely to succeed in their challenge to the pause on all federal grants, loans, and other federal assistance programs. The judge found that the nonprofits proved that the "funding freeze would be economically catastrophic — and in some circumstances, fatal — to their members," and agreed to grant their request for a preliminary injunction while the case plays out. Read more: https://cbsn.ws/4brM9Md

We are thrilled to award a Project Advancement Grant to Sanctuary Forest to support their Ta’che—Nóó-nih Yaash (Mattole River—Bear Cub) Tribal Protected Area Initiative. "Sanctuary Forest is excited to work with the InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council, a consortium of ten federally recognized Tribal Nations, on the Ta’che—Nóó-nih Yaash Tribal Protected Area Initiative. The project’s name, when translated from Sinkyone language to English, means “Mattole River—Bear Cub”. The name was chosen by the Sinkyone Council to recognize and honor the personhood of two prominent waterways and the bear relatives who are present at this place. This funding will directly support efforts led by Sanctuary Forest and Sinkyone Council to acquire and permanently protect over 250 acres within the Upper Mattole River watershed. This land and its waterways, located in the heart of Sinkyone Tribal traditional territory, contain important native flora and fauna, as well as values of great bio-cultural significance to the Sinkyone Council and its member Tribes. The project will ensure the long-term vitality of Nóó-nih Yaash (Bear Cub, or S. Fork Big Finley Creek), which flows freely into the mainstem of Ta’che (the Mattole River). Returning this land to Indigenous ownership and stewardship will help revitalize cultural connections and enhance ecological resilience for the watershed." —April Newlander, Executive Director Generous support for this grant program is provided by the Wildlife Conservation Board Read the full press release and see all 23 grantee organizations at https://bit.ly/4ffSvP5. -- 📷 1) Nóó-nih Yaash (Bear Cub, aka S. Fork Big Finley Creek) 📷 2) Along Ta'che (Mattole River), at the project site with Sanctuary Forest, Sinkyone Council, and colleagues—September 2024 📷 3. Nóó-nih Yaash (Bear Cub, aka S. Fork Big Finley Creek)

Thank you to one of our Champion Sponsors The Nature Conservancy—a global environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive—for their generous support of this year's California Land & Water Conservation Conference. 🌲 The 2025 Annual California Land & Water Conference is happening March 31 – April 2 at Tenaya Lodge near Yosemite National Park. The conference features topics related to land acquisition and conservation easements, land stewardship, agricultural easements and working lands, funding opportunities, community conservation, and advocacy. Join the waitlist at calandtrusts.org.