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Keynote - Mamie Parker, Expanding Partnerships and Connecting More People to the Land
August 10
Welcome and Keynote speaker: Mamie Parker, Expanding Partnerships and Connecting More People to the LandDr. Parker is a Principal with Ecologix Group, the first African-American chairwoman of the Department of Wildlife Resources (formerly Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries), a former US Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Director, Chief of Staff, Head of Fisheries and a Fish and Wildlife Biologist. Dr. Parker has vast experience in water resources planning, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Clean Water Act, Private Lands, wetland protection, and restoration. She has served on dozens of boards and commissions including Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Chesapeake Conservancy, Virginia Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, and the Potomac Conservancy.
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Little Towns with Big Plans
August 10
This session is a conversation about how communities are working to leverage their outdoor recreation opportunities for economic benefit. Speakers will approach this topic from a state, regional and local perspective and address how they each pivoted when COVID arrived on their doorstep and what they see as priorities looking into the murky future.Cassidy Rasnick, Virginia Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Trade and Director, Office of Outdoor Recreation
Katie Allen, Director, Conservation Leadership Network, The Conservation FundDownload Office of Outdoor Rec. Slide Presentation
vaunitedlandtrusts.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Little-Towns-with-Big-Plans-Office-of-Outdoor-Recreation.pdfDownload Outdoor Rec. Economies Slide Presentation
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In Action - Little Towns With Big Plans
August 10
What does it look like when regional and local stakeholders across a 19 county and 4 city region come together in support of the creative economy? It looks like 6 million dollars in development planning initiatives across the region. Join us to learn about key programs being used to leverage the region's outdoor assets and build capacity.Download Presentation: vaunitedlandtrusts.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Little-Towns-with-Big-Plans-In-Action.pptx.pdf
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Innovating & Reinventing Land Conservation
August 10
The Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF) has spent the last several years reinvigorating and revisiting the techniques the organization uses for land conservation. This session will review several topics including public access, the state-wide amendment initiative, long-term stewardship of mitigation banks, and the VOF easement template. In addition, several “lessons learned” will be discussed including co-holder assignments, taking a “perpetual” view of easement provisions and easement term definitions.Leslie Grayson, Deputy Director
Erika Richardson, Assistant Director of Stewardship for the Piedmont Region,
Virginia Outdoors FoundationDownload presentation:
vaunitedlandtrusts.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Innovating-Reinventing-Land-Conservation.pptx -
Leading by Example
August 10
Viola Baskerville’s earliest memory of Evergreen Cemetery, the historic black cemetery established in Richmond in 1891, is her grandfather’s funeral. She believes the effort to preserve Evergreen shows there is inclusiveness in the way VOF is thinking about land conservation. From two historic African American community centers in Pulaski, to a cemetery in Rockbridge County with the graves of many Monacan tribe families, this conversation will explore land conservation projects already under way and consider a path forward in building intentionality into our conservation efforts.Viola Baskerville, Virginia Outdoors Foundation, Board of Trustees
Brett Glymph, Virginia Outdoors Foundation, Executive DirectorDownload presentation:
vaunitedlandtrusts.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Leading-by-Example.pptx -
Keynote - Ralph Sampson, Family Legacy of Agriculture, Forestry, and Land Stewardship
August 11
Mr. Sampson is a Harrisonburg native and Rockingham County farmer where he helps maintain the family’s century farm. A three time College Player of the Year while playing for the University of Virginia and former professional basketball player, Mr. Sampson brings his basketball agility and entrepreneur talents to bring the family farm into the 21st century.
Virginia Land Conservation & Greenways Conference
July 21, August 10 & 11, September 10, 2020
Thank you to our incredible speakers! Presenters adapted content to the current challenges and opportunities in our communities. They talked about equity. They talked about how outdoor spaces are providing essential health and wellness services. They talked about food systems needed to grow our food and how it gets to our table. Thank you for joining us and being part of the conversation. We look forward to working with all of you to put these plans into action!