Last week, YLT staff attended the Land Trust Alliance Rally: The National Land Conservation Conference in Portland, Oregon. John Currey, Executive Director, and Liz Heckles, Land Stewardship Director, had a great trip to Portland where over the three-day conference they learned about land conservation best practices and strategy.
The Land Trust Alliance is the voice of the land trust community. They are the national leader in conservation policy, standards, education and training, the Alliance ensures land trusts have the resources, information and support they need to operate legally, ethically, and effectively – so they can save more land now and for future generations. Yolo Land Trust is a member of the Land Trust Alliance, which allows us several benefits, including the opportunity to participate in their annual conference.
The Land Trust Alliance proudly reported that this year’s conference was the best attended conference in history, had a full schedule of educational seminars, and featured an award presentation for conservation leadership.
“The Rally 2023 saw more than 2,222 people descend on Portland, Ore., to attend Rally: The National Land Conservation Conference from Sept. 6-9, making this the most attended in-person Rally in the event’s 36-year history. The week started with nine different field trips offering guests the opportunity to explore conservation projects in the region, from wineries and waterfalls to farms and urban parks. As the only national gathering of the land trust community, Rally serves to inspire and celebrate the work of land trusts across the country. An opening night welcome dinner featured a keynote address from Alliance president and CEO Andrew Bowman, as well as moving remarks from David Lewis, a member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and an Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Indigenous Studies at Oregon State University. Awards are given at the event for Land Trust Excellence and Conservation Leadership. Serving as the premier training and networking conference, Rally offered learning sessions focused on land conservation topics, networking events, field trips, exhibits, plenary sessions, and an awards presentation celebrating conservation leadership.”
Liz Heckles, attended a field trip to the Columbia River Gorge that included stops at the Lloyd Center for a presentation on land use and community involvement, a hike to Multnomah Falls, and a visit to Kiyokawa Family Orchards for a discussion on community food systems and holistic land protection. And in true Oregon fashion the field trip ended with a delightful stop at a winery for wine tasting! Below Liz shares what she gained from attending the conference and the similarities she sees in landowner priorities for land conservation.
“One of the best parts of attending Rally 2023 was getting to meet local growers and landowners on their farms that have been placed under conservation easement. As part of a group of sixty conservation professionals, I visited with a fourth-generation pear farmer in Hood River whose family began growing pears, apples and cherries in 1911. Placing their orchards in conservation easement gave them financial stability for the present, and the future security that the land would continue to be used for agriculture purposes. While the crops grown and landscapes cultivated in the foothills of Hood River, Oregon are different from the diverse crops covering the valley floor of Yolo County, the daunting issues facing growers, their dedication to farming, and their interest in farmland conservation are very similar. It was great to see that the same interest many local landowners have in preserving Yolo County’s agricultural heritage and rural way of life is also a priority in this part of the country, and that farmers are being supported all across the country by Land Trusts and other conservation institutions. Like Yolo Land Trust, conservation institutions across the country are working in partnership with farmers and landowners to protect working lands. Providing access to conservation resources can support growers facing financial impacts, diminishing access to water and other resources, while at the same time allows farmers the flexibility to adapt to changing environmental conditions, new markets, and technological opportunities. It was meaningful to meet with my stewardship colleagues from around the country and discuss the ways we can continue to work effectively in our local communities to keep valuable farmland in farming.”
After attending Rally 2023, John and Liz are feeling energized for all things land conservation! They are excited to apply the knowledge they gained on topics such as funding opportunities, collaboration, land stewardship, and new conservation tools to the future work of Yolo Land Trust.
