Overview of Lincoln Conservation Organization

Below is a wonderful summary of Lincoln’s Conservation Organizations. Researched and written by Robin Wilkerson for the Green Corner of the PTO’s Minilink and adapted here for the LLCT website. 
Lincoln Conservation Organizations
Lincoln has a long and venerable history of embracing open spaces and conservation practices. A number of town organizations contribute to the furtherance of these endeavors. The acronyms can be confusing: LLCT, RLF, LCC – but all have important roles to play. So who does what? In the course of researching and writing this article I think I finally have come to figure it out. And it has only taken me forty years.  For those who don’t want to wait that long, a quick history:

Understanding early on that development could not be stopped, Lincoln residents sought to find that middle ground between outright freezing of the land and uncontrolled development. Today three groups carry on this tradition.

– The Lincoln Land Conservation Trust (LLCT)  lincolnconservation.org – was established in 1957. A membership supported non-profit, the LLCT was  formed in 1957 to preserve the rural character of Lincoln through land management, trail maintenance, and education and outreach. Today, they own more than 500 acres of conservation land and hold conservation restrictions on another 600 acres. In collaboration with the Town of Lincoln, LLCT helps manage more than 80 miles of public trails, holds workshops and classes, and provides maps and apps! OuterSpatial – great if you get lost on the trails, which, trust me, can happen.

–  The Rural Land Foundation (RLF) was established in 1965 to focus on land acquisition and real estate development – not in the traditional sense of buying and selling, but in strategic land conservation, management, and development. The RLF owns and manages the Lincoln Mall. They share an office (upstairs above The Tack Room), a website, and many activities with the LLCT.

– The Lincoln Conservation Commission (LLC) (aka Concom) established in 1958, is a seven-member volunteer board appointed by the Town Select Board with the primary objective of protecting the town’s wetlands. The Commission works closely with a fourth entity, the Lincoln Conservation Department (a town department with 4 full time staff) to ensure the long-term protection of the Town’s natural resources and to establish environmental policy in conjunction with the Selects. The LLC performs a number of tasks – often in collaboration with the other groups mentioned above.

Got that?  There will be a quiz on Monday..

Robin Wilkerson has walked all 80 miles of the Lincoln trail system – but not on the same day.