Land Trust Standards and Practices 2004
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Appendix 12C: Land Management
This example can be used as a starting point to create a policy or other document for your own land trust, but should be altered as necessary to reflect your organization’s unique circumstances using guidance found in the Land Trust Standards and Practices Guidebook text and corresponding Standards and Practices Curriculum. Please Note: If you are using this material for accreditation purposes, see also the Land Trust Accreditation Commission Guidance Document on Indicator Practice 12C. Land Management. To search for policies from accredited land trusts, insert <
> along with the search term (e.g., conflict interest policy accredited).
Annotated Outline of Standard Format Management Plan for Resource and Habitat Conservation Areas
Prepared for:
Prepared by: Center for Natural Lands Management 425 E. Alvarado Street, Suite H Fallbrook, CA 92029-2960 760.731.7790 phone 760.731.7791 fax www.cnlm.org
This material is designed to provide accurate, authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is provided with the understanding that the Land Trust Alliance is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional counsel. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of competent professionals should be sought.
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Executive Summary I. Introduction This section will include an overview of the need for an annotated standard format management plan for the , including the goal for producing such a plan. The proposed goal is to provide a comprehensive, cost-effective plan that states the information, management and funding requirements necessary to ensure an ecologically sustainable conservation area. It will provide background information about population and development trends in the County and surrounding areas. In addition it will provide a brief overview of general tenets of conservation biology for natural areas management. In addition, it will cover the topics that should be addressed in the plan for a specific Reserve or site, such as the reason for dedication and goals for management.
II. Background A. History of Reserve B. Surrounding Area Characteristics This section would include a discussion of surrounding land uses, management districts, easements, dedications, general plan zoning and mapping needs. III. Related Programs in Local/Similar Habitats A. Mitigation Programs/Habitat Conservation Plans B. Conservation Programs and Regional Reserves IV. Reserve Site Characteristics This section will include a discussion of each topic listed below. Each of the following would be addressed expressly within the Reserve, as well as for surrounding areas. This section also provides a discussion of the type and scale of detailed maps needed for proper management of a site. A. Physical Characteristics, with emphasis on hydrology B. Biological Characteristics C. Ecosystem Processes D. Physical Improvements, Previous Enhancement and Management History E. Current Issues F. Constraints to Management V. Future Potential Growth of Reserve/Conservation Management Areas This section addresses the Reserve’s potential growth or improvements as future developments and/or conservation programs are completed. It also discusses potential future threats or management problems.
VI. Management Goals and Objectives
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This section states the purpose for establishing a Reserve, goals to be achieved and general strategies for achieving those goals. A. Ecological Objectives This section breaks down the overarching Reserve goal(s) into measurable objectives to be determined by the purpose, characteristics and needs of the site. This section emphasizes that ecological objectives are primary with respect to programmatic objectives, and if necessary, will also prioritize among competing ecological objectives. Both short and long-term strategies for achieving the objectives are identified. B. Programmatic Objectives This section addresses other objectives to be achieved as appropriate, for example interpretive programs, research programs, recreational programs, or cooperative farming. Secondary uses that are particularly appropriate to natural areas in and include public access/passive recreation. around VII. Management Strategies Each of the following management strategies will be shown in a table that clarifies which objectives the strategy is designed to achieve. Schedules detailing when activities should occur seasonally and/or over a 5-10 year period will also be developed for each strategy as needed. A. Coordination and Partnerships Can include working with agencies, educational institutions, volunteers. B. Permit and Legal Requirements Can include mitigation permit or water rights requirements. C. Inventory, Monitoring, and Adaptive Management Inventory and monitoring are used to track the condition of targeted habitats and populations relative to the ecological goals that have been set for them. Adaptive management is a process whereby evaluation of monitoring results are compared to the goals or defined “measures of success” so that management practices can be changed or modified as needed. D. Restoration, Enhancement and Reintroduction Can include planting of native species, improving water management or hydrology, providing nesting habitat, reintroduction of rare or extirpated species. E. Invasive Pests/Exotic Plant Species Control Can include inventory, monitoring, and active control or removal of pests or exotics. F. Guidelines for Sensitive Species/Sensitive Habitats This section will include detailed information, including maps and diagrams as appropriate, on the following species and habitats. A general discussion of management, monitoring and restoration/enhancement issues and recommendations will be provided for each species/habitat. To the extent possible, habitat management concerns that could affect the size, type or configuration of new resource conservation/management areas will be highlighted here.
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G. Public Use Can include recreation, interpretation, education, volunteer programs, enforcement. H. Maintenance Program Can include facilities, road, trail, sign, fence and gate maintenance. I. Cultural Resources Management Can include protection, interpretation and management of public access. J. Real Estate Issues Can include property taxes, Williamson act, mineral rights, easements and maintenance, conservation, water or assessment districts. K. Land Acquisition Can include future needs, funding for and supply of land that could be added to the Reserve. L. Implementation of Short-Term Strategies This section is to focus attention on the highest priority management issues to be addressed in the early years of Reserve establishment/management. VIII. Funding Mechanisms IX. Reporting Requirements A. Annual Reports Should summarize key information, e.g. monitoring results. Also should define key indicators to be reported under general plan resource monitoring requirements. B. Plans and Budgets C. Invoicing Procedures X. Workload and Budgets A. First Year Work Plan (depending upon the site and nature of the workload, this could potentially be a two- to three-year work plan). B. Supervision and Staffing C. Staff and Benefits Budget D. Budgets
XI. List of Preparers XII. Endnotes XIII. References XIV. Appendices
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