Land Trusts Working Together to Strengthen Coastal Resilience in Maine

Salt marshes purify water, protect coastal infrastructure from storm surges, are nurseries for juvenile fish and shellfish, sequester carbon at faster rates than forests and provide important habitat for rare plants and coastal birds.

Rising sea levels, coastal development, invasive species, climate change and nutrient-filled runoff are among the many threats to Maine’s salt marshes. It is projected that by the end of the century, global sea levels will rise between three and six feet, potentially destroying as much as two-thirds of Maine’s coastal marsh lands.

The accredited Maine Coast Heritage Trust, with a mission to conserve and steward Maine’s coastal lands and islands for their renowned scenic beauty, ecological value, outdoor recreational opportunities and contribution to community well-being, has developed a plan to protect and care for the state’s priority marshes, but they will not be able to do it alone.

Maine Coast Heritage Trust has a long track record of providing statewide conservation leadership to land trusts, communities and other partners. As the backbone and facilitator of the Maine Land Trust Network, Maine Coast Heritage Trust works to strengthen connections and the capacity of the 80+ land trusts working across the state. With a goal of increasing collaboration and capacity to address climate change, Maine Coast Heritage Trust developed and delivered a Coastal Resilience Master Class for land trusts working in Maine’s coastal region. This education and outreach effort, delivered between November 2019 and May 2020, was supported through the Open Space Institute’s Resilient Landscapes Initiative Catalyst Program, which is made possible with funding from Jane’s Trust Foundation. The Coastal Resilience Master Class has enabled the development of a state-wide conservation network that brings researchers, land trusts and other land managers together to learn from each other and collaborate on climate actions.

Based on feedback from participants, Maine Coast Heritage Trust designed the course to address the coastal resilience issues land trusts in Maine were wrestling with.  This resulted in the creation of four discrete training sessions that included:

• Session 1: December 2019

  Using Sea Level Rise Data in Conservation Design and Managing Funding Sources

  Format: Day-long, in-person training session.

  This session dug into the science of sea level rise with presentations from experts in the field. This included an in-depth look at Maine-specific data and decision-making tools and a case study from land trusts integrating the science into conservation planning and restoration efforts. The day’s learning also included presentations and discussions with experts on conservation funding opportunities in Maine to advance this work.

  • Class Notes

  • KELT Case Study Powerpoint

  • MNAP – Maine’s Tidal Marshes: Present and Future

  • MNRCP – Coastal Resilience Funding

  • Sea Level Rise Data for Conservation Planning

• Session 2; January 2020

  Working with Municipalities on Coastal Resilience Projects

  Format: Half-day hybrid session with presentations offered via webinar, followed by in-person small group-discussions in two satellite locations.

  To make meaningful progress on coastal resilience, significant funding, community buy in and multiple partners are often needed. This session explored the opportunities and benefits of land trust collaboration with municipalities and showcased projects achieved through successful partnerships.

  • Class Notes

  • Building Resilience to Climate Change in Maine’s Coastal and Island Communities

  • Building Municipal Resilience Through Planning and Partnerships

  • Sheepscot River Initiative Presentation

  • Snows Brook Culvert Project Presentation

• Session 3: March 2020

  Understanding the Potential for “Blue Carbon”

  Format: Half-day hybrid session with presentations offered via webinar, followed by in-person small group-discussions in two satellite locations.

  This session took a deep dive into the science and application of research on “blue carbon,” the carbon taken up by salt marshes and eelgrass beds in Maine’s coastal ecosystems. The session explored the potential to mitigate climate change through blue carbon projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions by restoring and conserving tidal salt marshes or eelgrass beds and demonstrated the climate mitigation benefits achieved through several projects where these actions have been taken. Attendees also received an update on the State’s efforts to meet carbon neutrality goals and learned about the importance of blue carbon in meeting the ambitious targets.

  • Blue Carbon Sequestration: Potential and Opportunities in Maine by Dr. Beverly Johnson

  • Maine’s Climate Council and Coastal Issues Update by Kristen Puryear

• Session 4: May 2020

  Climate Change Communication to Connect and Inspire

  Format: Due to COVID-19, this session was moved from an in-person training to a webinar format delivered in two sequential sessions. Based on broad interest in this topic, enrollment was opened to the broader land trust community, allowing 52 participants to share communications best practices and lessons learned.

  The final session highlighted strategies for effective climate communication, including recommendations from How to Talk About Climate Change, a guide for land trusts published by the Alliance and OSI in 2018:

  • Lead with neutral messages about conserving resources people already care about;

  • Find trusted spokespeople to deliver your messages;

  • Focus on local climate change impacts and responses rather than on causes;

  • Avoid technical jargon, instead using language that can be understood by anyone; and

  • Select photos that bring your message to life.

  Resources:

  • Science Knowledge: Blessing or Curse?

  • Judy Anderson’s Presentation

  • Catherine Schmitt’s Presentation

  • Tyler Kidder’s Presentation

  • Climate_Change_Communications_Checklist

The master class curriculum, including notes, presentations and supporting materials, is available through the Maine Land Trust Network. For more resources, educational content and discussion, visit the Maine Land Trust Network website and consider joining the Member Forum.

“The format of bringing together land trust staff from across the state for in-depth training and discussion around emerging topics is one that bears repeating,” stated Jeremy Gabrielson, senior conservation planner for Maine Coast Heritage Trust. “The master class provided a valuable opportunity for land trusts working on coastal resilience in Maine to build connections with each other and with other professionals working in the field.” Maine Coast Heritage Trust intends to support ongoing dialogue around state-wide and regional conservation planning for coastal resilience by maintaining and sharing resources developed through this effort and by hosting future training sessions for the Maine land trust community.