MCHT’s Land Trust Program

Maine Coast Heritage Trust runs a program dedicated to strengthening all of Maine’s land trusts.

Access to Great Pond is assured by the Cape Elizabeth Land Trust.  (Photo:  Jack Kennealy)

To that end, MCHT provides a number of services to the land trust community, including sponsoring the annual Maine Land Conservation Conference, facilitating the Maine Land Trust Network (MLTN), and providing funding opportunities for fellow land trusts.

MCHT’s Land Trust Program offers local land trusts:

Training and networking opportunities

In addition to sponsoring the Maine Land Conservation Conference, MCHT organizes regional and topical meetings for the land trust community, training workshops, and public forums to address conservation issues throughout the state.

An information hub

MCHT staff produce bi-weekly newsletter, a member forum, and specialty publications to keep land trusts informed about public policy issues, grants and funding opportunities, and other information affecting Maine’s land trust community. MCHT staff manage the Maine Land Trust Network website, where you can find your local land trust, learn about job openings, and find sample policies and documents and land conservation publications. If a land trust has a question or needs advice, MCHT will help find the answer. Give us a call: 207-729-7366

Grants and programs to strengthen Maine land trusts

MCHT distributes grants and offers programs for building organizational capacity. These offerings vary year to year but have included resources for national accreditation preparation, consulting assistance, and stewardship funding.

A voice for land conservation in Augusta and D.C.

MCHT coordinates critical advocacy efforts here in Maine and in Washington, ensuring that past conservation gains are protected and future ones are realized. Along with several partners, MCHT helped launch the state’s Land for Maine’s Future Coalition and continues to raise public awareness of LMF’s successes and benefits to Maine communities.

MCHT benefits a great deal from close contact with Maine’s 80+ land trusts. Their innovative approaches to conserving land are a daily inspiration—and we try to spread stories of their good work far and wide.