Outcome: Equitable access to nature's benefits

A 2022 report from Highstead in Redding, CT, explores how New England’s forests are important climate solutions and explores five pathways to increase forests’ impact. New England’s forests are an underrated asset in the fight against climate change, already sequestering the equivalent of 14 percent of carbon emissions across the six states and capable of much more. Through five complementary strategies, forests could sequester 21 percent of carbon emissions while also enhancing critical co-benefits such as cleaner air and water, greater recreational opportunities, and jobs.

Following Highstead’s 2016 report showing public funding for conservation fell by nearly half since 2008, this panel will showcase the most recent trends in public and private funding for land protection. From broad regional information to specific federal and state programs, the panelists will share their insights on where the funding landscape is headed and what the key policy issues are. Presentation by Andrew Du Moulin

Land conservation provides many lasting benefits that help us mitigate and adapt to climate change, including forest and soil carbon sequestration, flood mitigation, watershed protection, and biodiversity conservation. Yet while climate change is on the minds of most Americans, land conservation is rarely at the fore. This panel will highlight two exciting examples of how conservation organizations are taking a lead on mitigating and adapting to climate change. Speaker: Charlie Hancock, Cold Hollow to Canada.