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Last May the U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary awarded more than $20 million to 22 projects in 11 coastal states to protect, restore or enhance more than 7,000 acres of coastal wetlands and adjacent upland habitats under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program. These grants will have wide-reaching benefits for local economies, people and wildlife—boosting coastal resilience, reducing flood risk, stabilizing shorelines and protecting natural ecosystems.

I argue tonight that the land trust community must move beyond making a generalized case for wildlife habitat conservation and natural climate solutions. We need to be fluent in just how much can be achieved in the United States and aware of how much land conservation is required in the country to squeeze the full potential out of the land sector. We then need to commit to those goals and strategize how we will reach them. And because time is of the essence, we need to make monumental progress over the coming decade.

Birds connect us to wild spaces and our natural world. They give nature a voice through birdsong and add to the beauty of landscapes as they soar in the sky. They help to pollinate plants, disperse seeds and are bioindicators of ecosystem health. Birds connect us to the land, bring people together and give them joy. But now, birds need our help.

Like rivers merging, land conservation and water protection run together in farming regions. Waterways can be degraded by a wide range of agricultural practices, from tilled fields left bare to manure stockpiles and streamside grazing. Yet the waters at risk are often the foundation of community well-being—supplying drinking water, providing recreational opportunities and supporting wildlife.

Secure your land trust’s future by learning about this generation.  

Land trusts that take the time to learn what their community members want and need form strong, lasting relationships.