Heart of the Lakes Announces New Program: Envision MI Lands
Heart of the Lakes has launched a bold new program, Envision MI Lands, that will strengthen Michigan land conservancies’ strategic conservation planning efforts and position them to better leverage funding opportunities and advocate for smart conservation policy and practice for private lands conservation.
June 10, 2010
By Heart of the Lakes
Heart of the Lakes has launched a bold new program, Envision MI Lands, that will strengthen Michigan land conservancies’ strategic conservation planning efforts and position them to better leverage funding opportunities and advocate for smart conservation policy and practice for private lands conservation.
Nearly 80% of Michigan land is privately owned, containing natural resources that are critical to Michigan’s environmental and economic future. Land conservancies work with private landowners and local government to permanently protect the natural, scenic, and working lands that are cherished by communities and are critical to the environmental wellbeing of our state and Great Lakes.
Immediate opportunities exist for land conservancies to leverage funding from several sources to increase private lands protection. However, some roadblocks exist. Heart of the Lakes is working with a consortium of land conservancies and the national Land Trust Alliance to expand opportunities for funding permanent land protection that are currently limited through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, administered through U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Work also continues with partners at Michigan Department of Agriculture, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and other partners to increase and effectively utilize federal Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program dollars.
Goals of Envision MI Lands:
Strengthen capacity of Michigan land conservancies in strategic land conservation planning to leverage increased funding opportunities
Develop a proactive conservation policy agenda focused on protection of Michigan's coastal, natural, scenic, recreational, and working lands
Map federal, state, and nonprofit similarities and differences in land protection priorities to identify collaboration opportunities
Promote the value of Michigan's natural resource assets and encourage policies that showcase and support conservation of our land-based resources
Heart of the Lakes has recently been awarded a $75,000 grant from the Carls Foundation and a $25,000 two-to-one challenge grant from the Frey Foundation for Envision MI Lands. Initial leadership support was provided by Americana Foundation ($40,000) and Consumers Energy Foundation ($20,000) earlier this year.
“As Michigan’s economy and politics transition, the program will communicate the effective role that land conservancies are playing in protecting valuable working lands, improving Great Lakes health and conserving some of Michigan’s most treasured places” said Marty Fluharty, Executive Director of Americana Foundation.
As land conservancies develop and refine strategic conservation plans to identify and protect locally and regionally valued lands, Heart of the Lakes will continue communications with policymakers and federal agencies on the important role that conservancies play statewide in protecting and restoring land that directly impacts Great Lakes health, our economy and Michigan’s most treasured resources and places.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ENVISION MI LANDS: www.heartofthelakes.org/our_initiatives/envision_mi_lands
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE GLRI:
www.epa.gov/glnpo/glri/
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE FARM AND RANCH LANDS PROTECTION PROGRAM
www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/frpp
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