For land trusts that dream big when it comes to tackling climate change but lack the financial resources to implement large-scale resilience projects, the Federal Emergency Management Agency's new hazard mitigation assistance grant program offers a helping hand.

Among the silver linings of this challenging time are the many improvements and innovations in virtual engagements.

As land trusts continue to navigate the hardships posed by the coronavirus, the Land Trust Alliance is stepping up to help its members in a big way.

And with the stroke of a pen, it became official: The Land and Water Conservation Fund now has full and dedicated funding. That means that $900 million will be committed each year to protecting important land, water and recreation areas that benefit all Americans.

For the past few months, the Land Trust Alliance has collected online statements from land trusts around the country affirming their commitment to end the structural racism that puts Black lives in danger every day.

While the history books may best remember 2020 as the year of a global pandemic, it also could well be remembered for the realization of a 50-year-old dream across the conservation community: securing full and dedicated funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

The remote camera that Land Trust of Napa County volunteers Paula Peterson and Penny Proteau visit every few months in California suggests at least one conclusion: an abundance of curious bears.

"This right here is the closest you can get to magic," said Sherman Dean, who was part of a group of diverse people invited to be the first to walk in the newly discovered stand of redwoods that was long-rumored to be nestled in the hills above California's Sonoma Coast.

At the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy in Michigan, we believe that access to nature isn't a luxury; it belongs to all people. Our supporters feel that way as well.