Columbia Land Conservancy Inc

CLC WORKS TO CONSERVE FARMLAND, FORESTS, WILDLIFE HABITAT, AND RURAL CHARACTER OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.

PUBLIC CONSERVATION AREA MANAGEMENT: CLC OWNS 12 PUBLIC CONSERVATION AREAS (PCA). TEN PCAS ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FOR HIKING AND OUTDOOR ENJOYMENT. THEY ARE MAINTAINED FOR WILDLIFE HABITAT, RECREATION, AND CLC'S EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, THE AREAS OFFER A DIVERSITY OF EXPERIENCES AND ECOSYSTEMS. TWO PCAS ARE NOT YET OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. CLC ALSO MANAGES ONE PUBLIC RESERVE FOR SCENIC HUDSON LAND TRUST, INC. CLC'S PCAS ARE VISITED BY APPROXIMATELY 30,000 PEOPLE EACH YEAR.

EASEMENT STEWARDSHIP AND MANAGEMENT: CLC IS RESPONSIBLE TO ENSURE THAT THE GOALS OF EVERY EASEMENT CLC HOLDS ARE RESTRICTED IN PERPETUITY. CLC MONITORS ITS EASEMENT PROPERTIES (29,684 ACRES AT THE END OF 2020) ANNUALLY (ALL ARE AERIALLY MONITORED AND/OR VISITED IN PERSON BY A STAFF PERSON IN ALTERNATING YEARS) TO ENSURE THE TERMS OF THE EASEMENT ARE BEING UPHELD AND APPROPRIATE ACTION IS TAKEN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE BEST PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND PRACTICES IF AND WHEN NECESSARY.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND EDUCATION: CLC WORKS TO COMMUNICATE ITS MISSION AND THE IMPORTANCE OF CONSERVATION THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY WITH AN ACTIVE AND DIVERSE PROGRAM OF PUBLIC INFORMATION AND ADVOCACY FOR CONSERVATION VALUES. AMONG OTHER THINGS, CLC PROVIDES NUMEROUS INFORMATIONAL PROGRAMS TO COMMUNITY GROUPS, ISSUES FREQUENT PRESS RELEASES ABOUT THEIR PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS, MAINTAINS A SUBSTANTIVE AND ACTIVE WEBSITE AND FACEBOOK PRESENCE. CLC ALSO OFFERS REGULAR OUTDOOR EDUCATION AND RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE PUBLIC TO PROMOTE AN APPRECIATION FOR THE NATURAL RESOURCES AND LANDSCAPES WITHIN COLUMBIA COUNTY. IN 2020, CLC PROVIDED AN ARRAY OF VIRTUAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING THROUGH 20 ZOOM EVENTS AS WELL AS A VARIETY OF DIGITAL ACTIVITIES AND RESOURCES VIA SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS AND OUT WEBSITE. THIS PROGRAM SERVED 1,500 PEOPLE IN 2020.

LAND PROTECTION ACTIVITIES: CLC EMPLOYS A THREE-PRONGED PROGRAMMATIC APPROACH TO ITS LAND PROTECTION MISSION. CONSERVATION EASEMENTS: CLC HELPS FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS PROTECT PRIVATELY OWNED LAND WITH HIGH CONSERVATION VALUE BY CREATING, ACCEPTING, AND STEWARDING CONSERVATION EASEMENTS, ENSURING THE OWNER'S CONSERVATION VISION WILL BE UPHELD FOREVER. CLC CURRENTLY HAS 265 LANDOWNER RELATIONSHIPS UNDER THIS PROGRAM. SUPPORT OF LAND USE PLANNING & COMMUNITY PROJECTS: WORKING WITH MUNICIPALITIES, COMMUNITIES AND CONSERVATION GROUPS, CLC ENCOURAGES LAND USE PLANNING PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES THAT SUPPORT PROTECTION OF THE COUNTY'S RICH CONSERVATION RESOURCES AND HELPS TO IMPLEMENT LOCAL CONSERVATION EFFORTS, INCLUDING FUNDRAISING, ACQUISITION, SITE PLANNING, AND THE LIKE FOR CREATION OF PUBLIC OPEN SPACES, TRAIL BUILDING, TRAINING OF LOCAL OFFICIALS AND VOLUNTEERS AND STEWARDSHIP OF LAND FOR HABITAT, RECREATION, AND EDUCATION. IN 2020, THIS PROGRAM HELD 1 PROGRAM AND SERVED 30 INDIVIDUALS. SUPPORT FOR AGRICULTURE: CLC BELIEVES THAT A STRONG AND VIBRANT FARM SECTOR IS, AMONG OTHER THINGS, AN IMPORTANT CONSERVATION ASSET TO THIS AREA, WHERE CENTURIES OF FARMING HAVE LEFT AN INCREDIBLE MARK ON THE COUNTY'S LANDS, CONSERVATION RESOURCES, AND SCENIC ATTRIBUTES. CLC WORKS TO FIND WAYS TO SUPPORT AN ACTIVE AND RESURGENT AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITY, INCLUDING THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES INCLUDING CONSERVATION MEASURES AND OTHER PROGRAMS TO HELP NEW FARMERS AND FARMERS WHO WANT TO EXPAND THEIR OPERATION ACCESS FARMLAND THAT MIGHT OTHERWISE BE UNACCESSIBLE TO THEM. THIS PROGRAM SERVED 525 PEOPLE IN 2020.