HLFM Land Trust Working on New Land Management Plan
by Jessica NeJame, Land Trust Stewardship Coordinator
With increasing pressure from ecological threats such as invasive plants, rising tides, and development near and far, it is more important than ever that the HLFM Land Trust maximizes the conservation potential of protected lands on Fishers Island. To ensure that we are using best practices for our 69 fee properties, 10 easements, and 2 licensed parcels, the HLFM is partnering with GEI Consultants to produce management plans that will guide our stewardship activities for years to come.
GEI Consultants is a top-ranked engineering and environmental firm with a strong focus on social responsibility. They are assisting the Land Trust Committee in developing 52 reports that will provide insights for the Land Trust holdings. These reports incorporate invaluable data that we have gathered from years of rigorous scientific studies, including the New York Natural Heritage Program Report (Schlesinger et al., 2023), the Yale Management Plan (Todorovic-Jones & Becker, 2016), and the Water Supply and Watershed Study (Tucker & Horning, 1993), with ecological observations made by members of the Land Trust Committee. GEI will provide management recommendations that advance the Land Trust’s management goals.
The HLFM Land Trust goals remain the same—preserving land in perpetuity and providing public access via trails to promote the enjoyment of nature in the community. These management plans will provide new and necessary insights, such as how to restore old fields with native grasses, prevent the expansion of invasive species populations, and improve habitat connectivity. GEI is also developing a protocol for a conservation monitoring program that will provide a means for tracking these changes as restoration projects are implemented.
Additionally, this collaboration with GEI is helpful in moving our monitoring process towards conformity with the standards of the conservation organization Land Trust Alliance, which are generally considered to be the highest national standards for excellence and conservation permanence. In working towards this goal, 9 of the GEI reports will detail the current conditions of the properties subject to conservation easements granted to the Museum, ensuring that conservation values consistent with the terms of the easements are protected on these properties into the future. GEI will also provide additional recommendations about Land Trust Alliance policies that may be a good fit for our organization.
This collaboration with GEI is supported with funding from the New York State Conservation Partnership Program (NYSCPP) and New York’s Environmental Protection Fund. The NYSCPP is administered by the Land Trust Alliance, in coordination with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Article originally published in The Henry L. Ferguson Museum Newsletter 2025.
