Red-tail Stewardship Coordinator Jake Gamble (left) and landowner Helen Steussy (right) tour Steussy-Williams Conservation Easement, a former alfalfa field that has been restored to prairie and forest. Image provided by Red-tail Land Conservancy
MUNCIE — Red-tail Land Conservancy has launched a plan that will guide its work to preserve land in East Central Indiana for the next 10 to 15 years.
The local land trust's Strategic Conservation Plan prioritizes ecological biodiversity, natural area connectivity, water quality, carbon trapping and public accessibility, according to an announced on Tuesday.
“There is not unlimited money or time to protect the land that is most vulnerable to urban development, habitat loss and effects of a changing climate,” Julie Borgmann, Red-tail’s executive director, said in a release. “Having a roadmap in place allows us to act swiftly in response to those rapidly increasing pressures.”
Red-tail’s Strategic Conservation Plan (SCP) was developed over two years based on scientific research and recommendations from area ecologists. Landowners and community members were interviewed for comment as well.
Identifying the location and extent of land that would be most effective for reaching Red-tail’s conservation goals used a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) computer program.
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