The Network for Landscape Conservation (NLC) held a webinar called Landscape Conservation in Action. Outlined in this webinar were actions that could be taken to achieve the American the Beautiful plan and achieve the goal of conserving 30% of land by 2030, also called the 30x30 plan. One key factor in this goal is enticing private property owners to give up their property rights for conservation.
Breece Robertson was one of the speakers and is the National Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Director for The Trust for Public Land. She began her talk by verifying that private landowners will be key in meeting the 2030 and 2050 goals. The 2050 goal is protecting 50% of land by 2050. This is a Center for Biological Diversity goal, "to save species and the creation of new national monuments and parks, wildlife refuges and marine sanctuaries". Protection means either restricted or banned use, not conserved. Even though a definition of what is conservation has not been clarified in the 30x30 plan, according to Ms. Robertson the Outdoor Alliance Paths to 30x30 allegedly defines the difference between conservation and preservation. Ms. Robertson outlined the need for conservation easements. The Western Wildways, where GIS mapping is used to identify areas for conservation, shows the critical path of linkage for protection of areas between areas that are already protected. Western Wildways is an identified area for protection by the Wildlands Network. This mapping also includes urban areas for "green" school yards. Another way GIS mapping is being used is conservation groups purchasing oil & gas leases to forever ban any extraction of resources in Wyoming. According to Ms. Robertson, previous engagement with landowners has been "restrictive", and not all members of a community were reached. That is an understatement. Community land owners have been deliberately left out because of opposition to these agendas. To correct his, she talks about having "speak outs", that is being at different events to show maps and gather information from community members, but to learn more one would need to purchase her book. Ms. Robertson took full advantage in this webinar to promote sales of her new book. What she failed to mention was the deliberate tactic of finding out what community members thought to strategize a way in which to frame a message for promotion of the same agenda. She brought up the NatureServe Map of Biodiversity Importance (MOBI), that includes "data for a taxonomically and ecologically diverse set of species, including vascular plants, aquatic invertebrates, and pollinating insects—as well as vertebrates." That includes birds, mammals, fishes, lampreys, amphibians, and reptiles to us non-science people. The MOBI map also helps with "local planning". Not your local elected officials, planning and zoning, or other representation within your county. Again, these plans are for the purposes of connectivity that drives conservation strategies, and especially for wildlife corridors. While she claims the Center for Large Landscape Conservation is "working" to identify these corridors, the truth is they have already completed much of that work, but may be lacking on the smaller species like ants and spiders. The Nature Conservancy Resilient Land Mapping Tool was also mentioned. Its purpose is described as "Resilient lands and waters shown on this map may be conserved by a wide range of measures from good land stewardship, to other forms of private land conservation, to outright fee or easement acquisition by various levels of government." Yep, that's right, more acquisition of land by the government. There is even a mapping tool for the world. Another method for conservation is "other effective area-based conservation measures’ (OECMs). These are a conservation designations for areas that are achieving the effective in-situ conservation of biodiversity outside of protected areas. OCEMs are straight out of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). But all of this is out of the IUCN. Even though the definition of conservation is not definite, Ms. Robertson brought up the point that lots of private land was for sale and ends up being sold for development which she and all of these groups are really trying to achieve, banning all development. So they use these maps and other methods like public records to identify landowners for conservation easements, then conduct outreach to them, and work with donors to pay the up front costs of conservation easements. This is the same scam that has always been run. Engaging property owners in mapping strategies is somehow suppose to entice private property owners into drinking the kool-aid. Apparently this was done in Idaho by engaging networks such as through ranches, farmers, and the Cattlemen's Association. So keep an eye out for this tactic. Bet you can't wait to run out and get her book.
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