“We applaud both these organizations on these significant accomplishments,” said Jonathan Jarosz, Executive Director of Heart of the Lakes Center for Land Conservation Policy, a statewide organization that strengthens the collective efforts of organizations dedicated to the conservation of Michigan’s environmentally and economically significant lands. “Accreditation means that these groups meet national standards of excellence and uphold the public trust with the organizational strength and ability needed to ensure the permanence of the important lands they work to protect.”
Heart of the Lakes Center would like to congratulate the Michigan Nature Association and Chikaming Open Lands—both the nonprofit land conservancies achieved first time national accreditation and accreditation renewal, respectively.
“We applaud both these organizations on these significant accomplishments,” said Jonathan Jarosz, Executive Director of Heart of the Lakes Center for Land Conservation Policy, a statewide organization that strengthens the collective efforts of organizations dedicated to the conservation of Michigan’s environmentally and economically significant lands. “Accreditation means that these groups meet national standards of excellence and uphold the public trust with the organizational strength and ability needed to ensure the permanence of the important lands they work to protect.” Welcome President Obama to Michigan for Bill Signing Heart of the Lakes Center for Land Conservation Policy praised both Houses of Congress today for approving a Farm Bill conference report that will provide more than $1 billion for a new consolidated conservation program to save working farm in Michigan and throughout the United States over the next ten years. President Barack Obama is expected to sign it into law this Friday, February 7 when he visits the campus of Michigan State University.
“This funding is a great investment for future generations of farmers in Michigan, our local residents and all Americans. It will enable the purchase of perpetual conservation easements from landowners who are willing to restrict their land development and help secure food and fiber, clean water, wildlife habitat, and our rural heritage,” said Jonathan Jarosz, Executive Director of Heart of the Lakes. Heart of the Lakes is the state association of Michigan’s land conservancies, nonprofit conservation organizations that work to permanently protect natural, scenic and working farms and forest lands across the state. “We especially recognize and thank Senator Debbie Stabenow, Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, for her leadership on this critical legislation, as well as the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy and the many hours they devoted to working with Committee staff on the legislation.” The $1 billion in funding will go the new Agricultural Lands Easement (ALE) program, which consolidates the former Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP) and Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) into a single program. FRPP and GRP have conserved more than one million acres of economically and environmentally important agricultural lands throughout the United States, but applications for FRPP and GRP have far exceeded the available funding. Each year, an estimated two million acres of America's farms, ranches, forests, wildlife habitat, and other open spaces are fragmented into smaller parcels or lost to development, according to the President's 2013 Annual Economic Report to Congress. Unofficial totals suggest that since 1996, Michigan has protected nearly 17,000 farmland acres because of the FRPP program. Federal dollars have totaled approximately $30 million, leveraging nearly $50 million in local match dollars and donated land value from farm owners. The Land Trust Alliance, a national association of land conservancies, worked with Senate and House leaders to secure a provision in the Farm Bill that allows the Agriculture Secretary to waive a local cash-match requirement of 25 percent. Michigan conservancies such as Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy (Traverse City), Leelanau Conservancy (Leland), and Legacy Land Conservancy (Ann Arbor) helped build awareness of the need for the legislation and the importance of the waiver provision with Michigan’s congressional delegation. “Many areas across the country don’t have any reliable sources of matching funds, and rural counties may not have the tax base to create one,” said Brian Bourdages, Farmland Program Manager for the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy. “Allowing the Agriculture Secretary to waive the cash match requirement in special circumstances will provide the Secretary flexibility to target easements in important places where they are needed, but would not happen without the waiver.” Heart of the Lakes Center for Land Conservation Policy, a statewide support organization serving Michigan's nonprofit land conservancies since 2004, has announced the selection of Jonathan Jarosz as its new executive director. Jarosz will fill the vacancy created by Rachel Kuntzsch's departure in September of 2012. Julie Stoneman, who has been serving as Interim Director will continue to play a key role in the Heart of the Lakes Advancing Conservancy Excellence (ACE) program. Jarosz's appointment was made after a national search and selection process. He begins his new position April 1.
No stranger to Michigan's land conservancies, Jonathan Jarosz has worked as a conservation planner and consultant to non-profits throughout Michigan for the past fifteen years. Jonathan earned his graduate degree in Resource Development from Michigan State University; and holds graduate certificates in Watershed Management and Geographic Information Systems. Prior to joining Heart of the Lakes, Jarosz was employed as the Director for University Outreach at the University of Michigan-Flint. Jarosz has also served as the Midwest Field Representative for the Land Trust Alliance and as a conservation planner on behalf of The Little Forks Conservancy in Midland, MI. Jarosz has had the opportunity to work in collaboration with staff from national non-profits, state, and federal agencies on a variety of community and non-profit based conservation initiatives. His focus has primarily been organizational capacity building in the areas of technology, strategic planning, and public engagement. Through all of his employment experiences his work has been focused on the development of collaborative solutions to community issues, with the dual purpose of public empowerment and capacity building for environmental and place-based organizations. "We are very pleased and excited to announce this appointment," reported Tom Bailey, Heart of the Lakes Board Chair and Executive Director of the Little Traverse Conservancy. "Jonathan will bring leadership and creativity to Heart of the Lake's programs and a deep sense of commitment to our state's land conservancies. He has served nonprofits at a variety of program and leadership level, and has a breadth of perspective and experience as related to our state's natural resources." "I look forward to continuing to serve and partner with Michigan's land conservancies in this new capacity," remarked Jarosz. "I am dedicated to this work because it provides critical services tied to the health and economy of the state. Heart of the Lakes plays a key role in supporting and developing conservancies' contribution to our state's quality of life." Jarosz also commented "The sustainability of Michigan's land conservancies is built on a culture of conservation that is fueled by people's desire to preserve the open spaces and natural resources that characterize their communities around the state. The future success of Michigan's land conservancies will ultimately be judged by how effectively they unite their individual actions around a common goal - protecting Michigan's land." Bailey added: "Now more than ever, Michigan needs thoughtful leadership, innovative ideas, and sound management of our environmentally and economically significant natural resources. Michigan needs effective land conservancies to ensure the permanent protection of critical land assets. Heart of the Lakes is positioned to meet those needs, ensuring a prosperous future for Michigan." |
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