Collaborating for Greater Local and Landscape-Level Conservation Success: Regional Conservation Partnerships in New England

This presentation will focus on Highstead’s work to support and advance the 38 regional conservation partnerships (RCPs) currently working across more than 60% of the New England landscape.  RCPs represent an exciting and growing trend of informal and diverse networks of people, including local communities, nonprofits, and agencies working together to achieve long-term conservation across town and even state boundaries. Highstead has formed an RCP Network with a LinkedIn group and annual conference so that this new community of collaborative conservationists can develop a community of learning; and Highstead has been developing a suite of technical and funding services to help RCPs work more effectively with landowners; undertake science-informed and resilient conservation planning; and find new funding from the local to federal levels to double the pace of conservation on the ground. Mr. Labich will discuss Highstead’s work in this area to date, and why the RCP model is a central and replicable large landscape conservation strategy