2015 Strategic Land Conservation Plan: To Executive Committee, 11/6/14
Mission:
To sustain the natural environment and enhance urban spaces through land conservation, community
engagement, and education.
Vision for the Program:
The Land Conservation Program is successful in creating a culture of conservation in our community that
is expressed as a commitment and action to value and protect the intrinsic qualities and benefits of
open space. We help landowners understand options available to minimize surface disruption; to
evaluate, enhance, and protect the full range of conservation values on their land; to seek opportunities
for economically stressed owners to remain on the land; and to optimize the return on landowner
investment, where possible, through guidance to reliable published resources and qualified financial and
legal consultants.
We focus our land conservation efforts in identified regions, adopting a watershed approach. Our work
is centered in the San Antonio and Nueces River Basins and the Southern Edwards Aquifer Region. We
are responsive to local natural resource concerns, such as ground water quality and quantity, and work
in concert with local agencies and other organizations to plan and implement programs to effectively
address these issues.
We maintain awareness of local, state, and national initiatives that affect land conservation and work
with our board advocacy committee to promote sound public policy. We provide information and
education to urban residents to explain the impacts of “rural” issues on their health and well-being and
encourage engagement in regional community sustainability commitment and mutual support.
As the local land trust, we are sought not only for advice, but also as the preferred holder of
conservation easements in our region, due to our positive, nurturing landowner relationships and our
responsiveness to concerns of landowners and their neighbors. As an owner of fee lands, we provide
outdoor experiences to our members and the public and implement good stewardship practices. We
have sufficient financial resources to carry out our stewardship obligations, to monitor and enforce
easement provisions, and to protect and enhance the natural characteristics of lands entrusted to us.
Role of the Land Committee
Review and present projects to the board for approval or rejection. Draft policies for presentation and
adoption by the board and write procedures and supporting materials (forms, etc.) to utilize in following
and documenting practices. Ensure land transaction procedures are followed and stewardship and
monitoring obligations are fulfilled.
Role of Staff
Carry out the Strategic Plan, reporting to the Executive Director and working with the Committee.
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Land Conservation Strategic Plan to Executive Committee, 11/6/14
Goals for the Program:
1. Develop a five-year rolling plan, defining service areas, regional goals, major activities, and
potential opportunities for growth and diversification
2. Develop the resources to carry out the mission
a. Secure sustainable funding streams to support the program through these efforts:
i. Develop a strategy for large individual and corporate donors
ii. Seek grants that support programmatic goals, as well as operational and staff
funding
iii. Obtain fees for professional services
1. Continue work for conservation easement and land purchase
negotiation fees through the maintenance and renewal of EAPP
Proposition I activity as a designated LTA.
2. As opportunities arise, provide professional services for other projects,
such as mitigation and habitat protection.
iv. Suppport Statewide efforts to pass a program to fund the Purchase of
Development Rights
b. Employ or contract for adequate staffing to carry out the Plan
c. Maintain a Land Committee which is active and resourceful
d. Continue existing and forge new partnerships with regional land trust organizations to
leverage data collection, outreach and education efforts, and technical/scientific
analyses.
3. Fulfill all stewardship obligations associated with CEs, fee lands, etc. (See p. 5)
4. Develop plans for fee properties, engaging other organizations and individuals in the creative
process, thereby garnering benefits of their expertise and expanding our base of engaged
supporters
a. Organize and conduct land-use charrettes with local and regional professionals and
other stakeholders
b. Expand management plans with additional details, schedules, required resources, etc.
c. Offer opportunities to members, other groups, students, etc. to visit and use properties
for active laboratories, recreation centers, community service, and education
d. Build and implement a schedule for achievement of miscellaneous goals on respective
properties
5. Develop a regional strategic conservation plan
a. Because no other Texas land trusts are focusing on the service areas we have defined, it
is important to identify and amass a comprehensive base of reliable information
resources upon which to base our planning and outreach activities: published reports,
ongoing research, and expertise from key stakeholders in the region, such as the San
Antonio River Authority, Texas Agricultural Land Trust, Edwards Aquifer Authority, etc.
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Land Conservation Strategic Plan to Executive Committee, 11/6/14
b. Research and prepare educational materials on the long-term ecological benefits of
protecting open space and preserving surface conservation values within fragile land
communities.
c. Develop fact sheets, case studies, and “stories” to demonstrate the economic benefits
of conserving rural, family, and other heritage lands. These will be assembled in
property portfolios for use in education, publicity, and fund-raising activities.
d. Identify ecologically outstanding and/or critical parcels and work to achieve their
protection, including building coalitions to ensure their security into the future.
e. F. Develop criteria/standards for ownership or stewardship of properties
i. Donated fee lands
ii. Mitigation lands
iii. Urban properties with particular development pressures
iv. Properties that present special opportunities but do not meet default criteria
f. Establish relationships within the community of landowners in target regions
6. Develop specific programmatic goals for each geographic area we serve: Southern Edwards
Aquifer Region, San Antonio River Basin, Nueces River Basin, and the cross section addressed as
the South Texas Project. In 2015, the Land Committee will continue its involvement with the
Southern Edwards Aquifer Region and the San Antonio River Basin. If opportunities become
available and there are resources, the Land Committee and staff will engage in activities related
to the other regions.
a.
Southern Edwards Aquifer Region
i. Increase protection of the Edwards Aquifer through land conservation in the
Edwards Aquifer Recharge and Contributing Zones.
ii. Maintain status as a preferred partner in the implementation of the Edwards
Aquifer Protection Program (Prop 1), identifying and securing land or
conservation easements on targeted lands in the Edwards Region.
1. Provide responsive landowner communication.
2. Focus on priority properties and advocate for improperly ranked
properties.
3. Keep due diligence activities on track.
4. Participate actively in the Land Acquisition Team.
iii. Lead the coalition to extend the EAPP funding through placing another sales tax
referendum on the ballot in 2015.
iv. Continue cultivating partnerships with priority landowners for land or
conservation easements eligible for the EAPP.
1. Follow-up on prior owner contacts to determine continuing interest.
2. Respond to landowner inquiries and perform preliminary assessments.
3. Prospect for other high-value properties for the program and make
contacts.
4. Ask landowners for referrals of friends, family, neighbors.
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Land Conservation Strategic Plan to Executive Committee, 11/6/14
v. Prepare for possible extinguishment of COSA funds for acquisitions, even
vi. though need for Aquifer land protection continues
1. Develop strategies for landowner education on financial benefits
outside direct purchase of development rights.
2. Provide public education opportunities re: land conservation,
easements, and ways to enhance conservation values of rural lands and
urban enclaves.
3. Evaluate the particular impacts of extended drought on the regional
economy and the potential for economic relief through land
conservation.
b. San Antonio River Basin – implement the work begun in 2014
i. Identify significant urban properties in the San Antonio River Basin.
ii. Develop a strategy to protect these urban properties along the San Antonio
River through collaborations with other agencies, governments, landowners,
interest groups, etc., including a proposed timeline based upon anticipated
development threats.
iii. Develop a strategy to protect these urban properties along the Medina River
through collaborations with other agencies, governments, landowners, interest
groups, etc., including a proposed timeline based upon anticipated development
threats.
iv. Work with the SA River Authority to explore, define, and implement
opportunities for land conservation in riparian zones.
v. Evaluate the particular impacts of extended drought on the regional economy
and the potential for economic relief through land conservation.
c. Nueces River Basin
i. Work with Nueces River Authority to explore and identify particular land
conservation challenges within the basin.
ii. Examine the watershed protection patterns of the Edwards Aquifer Protection
Program acquisitions within the Nueces Basin and determine where
opportunities may exist to support particular watersheds through targeted
landowner contacts.
iii. Address unique regional issues and concerns with educational materials,
programs, and meetings with community and governmental leaders, scientific
researchers, and other information resources.
iv. Evaluate the particular impacts of extended drought on the regional economy
and the potential for economic relief through land conservation.
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Land Conservation Strategic Plan to Executive Committee, 11/6/14
d. South Texas Project
i. Increase protection of rural properties in the San Antonio and Nueces River
Basins through the South Texas Project, with initial focus on the Eagle Ford
Shale Play.
ii. Establish GSA as a steward for conservation of the land throughout and after oil
& gas production by educating landowners on best-practice agreements with
the energy sector and, in some instances, identifying and securing conservation
easements on select lands in the STP area.
1. Promote the value of GSA’s services to the major players (STEER,
elected and appointed officials, landowners, the energy sector, other
environmental and governmental groups).
2. Collaborate with Texas Agricultural Land Trust; A&M Agrilife Extension,
USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Institute for Renewable
Natural Resources, etc., and attorneys seeking to protect the properties
of landowners engaged in energy development.
3. Raise funding to staff this program through engagement with interested
individuals or organizations that want to protect the environment.
4. Set up an escrow account to cover GSA expenses to advise landowners,
monitor for best management practices and, in some instances, to
purchase conservation easements.
2015 Tasks, Taskforces, and Assignments:
Objective 1: Develop a five-year rolling plan
1. The Committee will apply the process developed in 2014 in urbanized Bexar County to the other
areas, as resources and opportunities present themselves.
2. The process shall include:
a. The staff and Committee will identify the technical resources in this community .
b. The Committee chair will invite technical experts and major stakeholder representatives
to meet with the Committee in order to gather information about the most important
areas to target for conservation.
c. Staff will prepare a report the following month, to be reviewed by the Committee
d. The Committee will evaluate and adjust the process.
e. The staff and Committee will develop a plan based on the report for property protection
and/or mitigation.
f. The Committee will select the next region to study and repeat the process.
g. The staff and Committee will continue to update the information and actions for all
areas as resources allow and opportunities present themselves.
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Land Conservation Strategic Plan to Executive Committee, 11/6/14
Objective 2: Secure sustainable funding
1. Focus on these means of funding:
a. Develop and carry out an active individual donor gift campaign. The Committee and
staff will prepare proposals for specific land conservation projects and make calls on
donors particularly interested in land conservation to raise funds for projects.
b. Staff will identify and prepare proposals for foundations and/or granting agencies for
land projects. Committee members may contribute.
c. Maintain and/or increase the capacity for fee-related income
i. Through the City’s Edwards Aquifer Protection Program.
ii. Through involvement with mitigation properties. Staff and the Land Committee
shall approach the development community, educating them about our
services, and develop business relationships.
d. Carry out campaigns to raise funds from the public for special projects.
e. Identify and implement fund-raising plans that raise GSA’s public profile.
2. Increase stewardship and defense funds to comply with or exceed LTA standards.
a. Increase Stewardship Fund over time as GSA adds to its non-COSA Edwards Aquifer
Program easements.
b. Increase Legal Defense Fund to $50,000 by 2017, as required by LTA’s Accreditation
Process.
3. Provide information to the Finance Committee as it develops more detailed investment policies,
to be adopted by the board and implemented by the Finance Committee.
Objective 3. Fulfill all stewardship obligations associated with CE’s. fee lands, etc.
1. Staff monitor CE and fee properties annually, according to Standards 11 and 12 and address any
concerns noted through monitoring.
a. CE properties
i. Hornbeak
ii. Gary
iii. McGown
iv. other
b. Fee properties
i. Bulverde Oaks
ii. Lockett
iii. other
2. Staff follow Records Policy, including placing original documents in bank safe box.
3. Staff assure that taxes and/or exemptions are paid and/or in place annually on each fee
property.
4. Staff continue to update certain operations, such as Land Conservation web site window, LC Gift
Works letters, developing easement photo comparison, and recruiting and training a team of
volunteers to help with projects and monitor properties
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Land Conservation Strategic Plan to Executive Committee, 11/6/14
Objective 4. Develop plans for fee properties
1. Bulverde Oaks property
a. Staff and the Committee will
i. Carry out a Stream Restoration Project, with the assistance of public agencies.
ii. Maintain management functions.
iii. Continue to develop a strategic plan for public use and stewardship, which will
involve the input of stakeholders.
2. Lockett property
a. Maintain an outreach program
i. Identify neighbors and interested stakeholders.
ii. Develop a presentation and offer to neighbors and stakeholders.
iii. Develop Event Tabling presentation.
b. In the first quarter of 2015, develop strategic plan through hosting a charrette of
interested stakeholders, with the help and guidance of LHI president.
c. Maintain management functions, following plans suggested by Rufus Stevens, former
Urban Biologist for San Antonio Region, and others experts, which include cedar
removal, road erosion control, and shed construction.
d. Explore bee keeping option
e. Explore bee keeping option
f. Explore making the property available to local universities for research purposes.
Objective 5. Develop a regional strategic conservation plan
1. Beginning with urbanized Bexar County in the Antonio River Basin area, develop a Five-Year
Rolling Plan, which will identify key conservation areas for GSA activity.
2. Committee and staff continue to revise and offer recommendations to the board on GSA
Standards pertaining to land. Examples include an elaboration on a policy regarding
stewardship contributions from landowner or others (St. 8 A), written policies regarding
advocacy (St. 8), elaboration of policies regarding selling or transferring of land (St. 9), and a
formal program to train and oversee monitors of GSA properties (St. 11 C).
Objective 6. Develop specific programmatic goals for
a. Southern Edwards Aquifer Region
1. Carry out its contract with the City of San Antonio Aquifer Protection Program
2. Participate in the coalition to extend the COSA EAPP funds.
3. Actively pursue land options to conserve properties or acquire properties, developing the
necessary documentation.
b. San Antonio River Basin
1. Complete the elements of the Five-Year Rolling Plan for the remainder of the San Antonio
River Basin.
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Land Conservation Strategic Plan to Executive Committee, 11/6/14
2. If the opportunity presents itself, and resources are available, implement portions of the Plan.
c. Nueces River Basin
1. Develop a Five-Year Rolling Plan for the Nueces River Basin when feasible.
2. If the opportunity presents itself, and resources are available, implement portions of the Plan.
d. South Texas Project
1. Develop a Five-Year Rolling Plan for the South Texas Project when feasible
2. If the opportunity presents itself, and resources are available, implement portions of the Plan.
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