Harvard Forest Symposium Abstract 2013

Title: Regional Conservation Partnerships in New England
Primary Author: William (Bill) Labich (Highstead, Inc.)
Additional Authors: Elisabeth Hamin (Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning, University of Massachusetts, Amherst); Sydne Record (Bryn Mawr College)
Abstract:
Regional Conservation Partnerships in New England

By William G. Labich, Elisabeth Hamin and Sydne Record

Abstract

Across New England, a new model of regional collaboration is increasingly being used by land conservation trusts, watershed associations, state agencies and others. Regional conservation partnerships (RCPs) serve multiple purposes, such as coordinating among the various active groups in the region and allowing them to leverage funding and staff capacity. However, their essential missions are the sameâ€”protect more land from development. We use interviews, geographic information systems (GIS), and statistical analysis on 20 case studies to document RCP growth and characteristics and to analyze which attributes most contribute to their ability to conserve land. Along with well-known factors of organizational development, we find that when the territory of the lead (or â€œhostâ€™) partner organization is well matched to the size of the partnership region, the RCP is better able to achieve measurable conservation gains.
Research Category: Conservation and Management

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