APPALACHIAN FORESTS UPDATE

From the protection of a strikingly scenic ridgeline in Vermont, and a remote gorge along the Cumberland Trail in Tennessee, to a rare pine-oak barrens in Pennsylvania, OSI’s Appalachian Landscapes Protection Fund has already contributed to the protection of some irreplaceable properties. Read about the Fund’s first-year successes. 

COMBATING SEA LEVEL RISE

Along the Maine coastline, rising global temperatures and sea levels threaten local salt marshes and eelgrass beds, while weakening these ecosystems’ natural abilities to buffer communities from intense coastal storms. With support from OSI, local land trusts are adapting strategies around land protection to combat these new realities.

RELIEF FROM RIVER FLOODING

In a landscape experiencing more frequent and severe floods, a master plan created by OSI and area partners is promoting land protection to protect communities. The project was praised by officials, including Ben Duncan, South Carolina’s Chief Resilience Officer, who affirmed: “Undeveloped mature floodplains act as natural sponges of floodwaters, absorbing and slowing the movement of water.”

PUTTING CLIMATE SCIENCE TO WORK

For more than a decade, OSI has been training land trusts and other groups to protect land in a rapidly changing climate. Now, in partnership with the Land Trust Alliance, OSI is expanding these training efforts; this month, the two organizations hosted 30 participants from 16 organizations — including nonprofits, academia, and public sector attendees — on a “Forest Carbon Information Exchange” workshop.

PLANNING A CLIMATE RESPONSE

Communities across the nation are rallying behind land protection as a tool to address climate change. Learn about how three land trusts from Vermont, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina are utilizing a joint initiative by OSI and the Land Trust Alliance to conserve climate-critical lands and improve management of forests and working lands.

GREEN AWARD FOR OSI PROJECT

The Lake Minnewaska Visitor Center has been recognized with the Green Good Design Global Sustainability Award for the building’s many advanced features. A project of OSI, the new green building reduces energy consumption, supports clean water, protects wildlife, and was designed specifically to blend into the surrounding landscape.