a non-profit land trustwww.tlc-nc.org

STRATEGIC PLAN2014-2020

www.triangleland.org

We see the Triangle region as an increasingly healthy and vibrant place to live where wild and working lands are protected and everyone has access to open space, clean water, and local food.

TLC strives to create a healthier and more vibrant Triangle region by safeguarding clean water, protecting natural habitats, supporting local farms and food, and connecting people with nature through land protection and stewardship, catalyzing community action, and collaboration.

Over its 30-year history, TLC has conserved over 16,000 acres of land through acquisition of property and conservation easements, and own and manages six nature preserves, five of which are open to the public daily from dawn to dusk. TLC continues to identify, protect and steward land throughout the Triangle that meet one or more of our four public benefits: safeguarding clean water, protecting natural habitats, supporting farms and food, and connecting people with nature. Our work to protect green space, both directly and indirectly, in a rapidly developing metropolitan region is more urgent than ever. This strategic plan, which was informed by stakeholder input from our partners and members, renews clarity relative to our organizational vision and mission and develops a clear plan to optimize the organization’s role, effectiveness, and relevance.

We have developed this plan considering four key concepts as important context:

•Buildingfromstrength – continuing our strong record of land protection and stewardship;•Relevance – better connecting with a population that is increasingly urban and suburban;•Changedpoliticalcontext – thinking creatively about funding, financing and revenue generating opportunities given the decline or elimination of state funding and policy incentives;•Breathinglifeintothefourbenefits – clearly articulating the outcomes we are seeking to achieve for each of our benefits.

STRATEGIC PLAN 2014-2020Background

Vision

Mission

Read and download the strategic plan on our website at www.triangleland.org/who-we-are/page/strategicplan

SafeguardingcleanwaterPopulation growth in our community increases demand for clean water, while associated pollution has compromised supply. TLC’s work toward the clean water benefit reflects our core strengths in protecting streamside buffer zones and highlights continued partnerships in the Upper Neuse Basin. It also highlights opportunities for more focused work in the Upper Cape Fear Basin to protect the Jordan Lake drinking water supply and collaborate to create new watershed financing mechanisms. Newer strategic areas include collaborating to restore funding for land protection and serving as a regional convener on water issues.

ProtectingnaturalhabitatsNatural areas and well-managed forests support healthy ecosystems and balance our built environment by providing habitat for native plants and animals. TLC’s core strengths in this area continue to be identifying, prioritizing and securing protection of areas that still have high ecological or natural value. A key strategy to reach additional outcomes is to develop and complete comprehensive management plans for our preserves, which allow us to clearly define our ecological restoration goals. Finally, we see opportunities to develop pilot projects in urban areas, like pollinator gardens, which also overlap with our work under Connecting with Nature.

Supportingfarmsandfood:Well-managed farms and associated woodlands enhance our communities by producing food and other crops and sustaining local economies. TLC’s farms and food benefits builds on our core work to identify and protect traditional farming communities (like our work in Chatham County’s Silk Hope community) and to increase opportunities for local food production by playing a more active role in local food initiatives, including food policy councils. We will examine ways to increase access to TLC lands by farmers by replicating our success at Irvin Farm, and looking to support community gardens.

ConnectingpeoplewithnatureConnecting people with nature is essential as we look to balance our increasingly indoor, urban lives with the benefits and fun of being outside. Access to open space has been linked to healthier people. This core area of this benefit focuses on “activating” TLC preserves by planning, funding, and opening two more preserves (Brumley and Walnut Hill) and engaging people on our land through volunteer work and outings. As we extend our work, we see a clear role for TLC to reestablish itself as a leading advocate for open space throughout the region, starting with a series of regional analyses to help make the case for conservation. Finally, new opportunities to connect people with nature in urban areas are already presenting themselves and must be further explored and evaluated.

Key Outcome Areas

Edited 10/9/2014

Conservation

• Protect priority lands in the Upper Neuse (analysis)

• Protect priority land in the Lake Jordan Basin (analysis)

• Protect, connect and buffer the region’s top natural areas (analysis)

• Initiate Johnston County Farmland protection project (pilot)

• Protect top remaining farmland (analysis)

• Identify communities without access to open space and partner to create access in select locations (analysis)

• Protect Deep River corridor and build support to create parkland and canoe access

Stewardship and Access

• Steward all of TLC’s lands using the best scientific and planning advice and input to achieve healthy ecosystems that support our four public benefits• Increase educational resources on stewardship and ecological restoration to easement holders and TLC members• Complete comprehensive management plans for TLC’s preserves

• Evaluate opportunities to increase access to TLC land for farmers and farming groups (incubator)

• Open two new preserves (Brumley and Walnut Hill• Increase access across all preserves by:

• Completing 20 miles of new trails• Hosting 200 outings• Engaging 1,000 volunteers through workdays• Establishing six new partnerships on preserves• Installing consistent and visible signs and kiosks

at all preserves

Livable Cities• Engage volunteers in urban forestry program

(pilot)• Develop an urban wildlife habitat plan for

Durham (pilot)• Work with partners to establish a Durham Food Policy

Council (incubator) • Identify communities without access to open space

and partner to create access in select locations (analysis)

Catalyzing Change

• Making the case for conservation through regional analyses and visualizations:• Create a visual model illustrating growth patterns in the Triangle region • Analyze the regional foodshed (incubator)• Analyze the multiple economic benefits of greenspace (incubator)

• Advocate for increased state and federal funding and policy incentives for land and water protection

• Convene groups to develop watershed-wide funding sources for land and water protection for Jordan Lake (incubator)

Organizational Strength

• Become a nationally accredited land trust.• Diversify and increase revenue stream• Commit staff time and funding only to those things that are directly aligned with our priorities and achieving our vision• Increase profile and relevance throughout the region

STRATEGIC PLAN 2014-2020

Incubator projects: Projects with clear and significant conservation potential that are pending additional assessment of feasibility and impact.Pilot projects: Projects that are being demonstrated in one location with an eye to replication in other places throughout the region.Analysis: Although initial work in areas noted for analysis is already happening, further analysis is underway to determine the six year outcomes and metrics for this category.

Conservation

• Protect priority lands in the Upper Neuse (analysis)

• Protect priority land in the Lake Jordan Basin (analysis)

• Protect, connect and buffer the region’s top natural areas (analysis)

• Initiate Johnston County Farmland protection project (pilot)

• Protect top remaining farmland (analysis)

• Identify communities without access to open space and partner to create access in select locations (analysis)

• Protect Deep River corridor and build support to create parkland and canoe access

Stewardship and Access

• Steward all of TLC’s lands using the best scientific and planning advice and input to achieve healthy ecosystems that support our four public benefits• Increase educational resources on stewardship and ecological restoration to easement holders and TLC members• Complete comprehensive management plans for TLC’s preserves

• Evaluate opportunities to increase access to TLC land for farmers and farming groups (incubator)

• Open two new preserves (Brumley and Walnut Hill• Increase access across all preserves by:

• Completing 20 miles of new trails• Hosting 200 outings• Engaging 1,000 volunteers through workdays• Establishing six new partnerships on preserves• Installing consistent and visible signs and kiosks

at all preserves

Livable Cities• Engage volunteers in urban forestry program

(pilot)• Develop an urban wildlife habitat plan for

Durham (pilot)• Work with partners to establish a Durham Food Policy

Council (incubator) • Identify communities without access to open space

and partner to create access in select locations (analysis)

Catalyzing Change

• Making the case for conservation through regional analyses and visualizations:• Create a visual model illustrating growth patterns in the Triangle region • Analyze the regional foodshed (incubator)• Analyze the multiple economic benefits of greenspace (incubator)

• Advocate for increased state and federal funding and policy incentives for land and water protection

• Convene groups to develop watershed-wide funding sources for land and water protection for Jordan Lake (incubator)

Organizational Strength

• Become a nationally accredited land trust.• Diversify and increase revenue stream• Commit staff time and funding only to those things that are directly aligned with our priorities and achieving our vision• Increase profile and relevance throughout the region

Incubator projects: Projects with clear and significant conservation potential that are pending additional assessment of feasibility and impact.Pilot projects: Projects that are being demonstrated in one location with an eye to replication in other places throughout the region.Analysis: Although initial work in areas noted for analysis is already happening, further analysis is underway to determine the six year outcomes and metrics for this category.

This chart represents an overview of our current 2014-2020 strategic plan, showing both areas where we have already outlined specific outcomes as well as areas where we are piloting new programs and continuing to analyze issues to provide clearer outcomes in the coming year.

Edited 10/9/2014