Keep Working Lands Working - The Private Landowner Network Blog

Keep Working Lands Working - The Official PLN Blog

The PLN weekly blog by Amos Eno and guest bloggers: short, newsworthy, and inspirational. Featuring links to innovative programs, organizations, and some of our best articles. For those who'd like to keep working lands working.

Field Trip Fridays: Misty Acres Alpaca Farm

Last week, myself and colleagues Melissa O'Neal, and Kim LeBlanc visited Red LaLiberte of Misty Acres Alpaca Farm in Sydney, ME, one of our ambassadors for #sustainableag in Maine.

Posted By: Amos P. Eno on: 06/10/2016

Empowering Private Landowner Conservation

On Friday, April 15th I was honored to be a panelist on the fifth installment, entitled Empowering Private Landowner Conservation, of the Species Conservation and ESA Initiative webinars hosted by the Western Governors’ Association.

Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 04/21/2016

The Making of Maple Syrup: Part II

Last week Resources First Foundation's Director of Development & Outreach, Melissa A. O'Neal and I went back to Bacon Farm Maple Products so Kevin Bacon could show us their sap becomes maple syrup.

Posted By: Amos P. Eno on: 03/11/2016

Directing the Digital Estate

Directive Communication Systems is bringing the process of estate planning into the digital world.

Posted By: Amos P. Eno on: 02/22/2016

Protecting the West's Critical Habitat from Invasive Species

A few of my thoughts on the second webinar in the Western Governors' Association's Species Conservation and ESA Initiative webinar series.

Posted By: Amos P. Eno on: 02/09/2016

The Making of Maple Syrup: Part I

Sixth generation sugar maker Kevin Bacon showed us how to tap a maple tree on our visit to his farm last week, where we learned a lot about this sweet, sustainable natural resource.

Posted By: Amos P. Eno on: 06/02/2016

Huge Victory for 21st Century Conservation

Congress makes permanent enhanced tax incentives for conservation easement donations.

Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 01/08/2016

The Sage Grouse Initiative: A Federal Program that Works with Private Landowners

The Sage Grouse Initiative works with ranchers to preserve their working lands and the greater sage-grouse that inhabit them.

Posted By: Amos P. Eno on: 02/25/2016

The Direction of Land Conservation in the 21st Century

I spent the later half of last week in Boise, Idaho, where I gave a speech as part of the Joint State Conservation Summit hosted by the Idaho Soil & Water Conservation Commission. Below is an abridged version of that speech.

Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 07/27/2015

Restoring Idaho's Lemhi River

Last week, I spoke with Jeff DiLuccia, a fisheries biologist for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game in the Salmon region, of which the Lemhi Valley is a part, to learn more about a project to restore a two mile segment of the Lower Lemhi River for the benefit of Chinook salmon and steelhead.

Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 07/22/2015

WAFWA One Year Later: A Major Success

In March 2014, I wrote about the development of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies' (WAFWA) Range-wide plan for conserving the lesser prairie-chicken. This week I spoke with Ross Melinchuk, chairman of WAFWA's Lesser Prairie-Chicken Initiative Council, to discuss the range-wide plan, now slightly more than a year after its creation.

Posted By: Amos P. Eno on: 02/09/2016

Community Conservation at its Best

Before the money and the fame, people in the mountain west used to live for a love of the range. The residents of Idaho’s Lemhi Valley are here to say that some things haven’t changed.

Posted By: Amos P. Eno on: 02/09/2016

The Little Land Trust that Could

The Lemhi Regional Land Trust breaks out.

Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 06/18/2015

The Winds Never Set

Pika Energy leads a quest to make homes providers of their own power

Posted By: Amos P. Eno on: 02/09/2016

Serendipity at the Local Grocery

A taste of gin tells the story of sustainable agriculture in Vermont.

Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 04/24/2015

Malpai Brings Voluntary Conservation to the Borderlands

The Malpai Borderlands Group is celebrating its twentieth year of fostering voluntary conservation programs in the southwest.

Posted By: Amos P. Eno on: 02/25/2016

New Poll Finds Support among Hunters for Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation

The results of a recently released poll from the National Wildlife Federation and Southwick Associates showed that there is strong support for greater sage-grouse conservation among hunters in the eleven western states the bird inhabits.

Posted By: Amos P. Eno on: 02/25/2016

Lemhi Salmon Recovery: Private Landowners take the Lead

Life on the Range profiles Idaho ranchers and their efforts to restore the Lemhi Valley watershed for Chinook salmon.

Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 06/03/2015

Notes from the International Sage-Grouse Forum

Last week, I attended the International Sage-Grouse Forum in Salt Lake City, Utah. As an inveterate note taker, here are the salient points I heard and noted.

Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 06/23/2015

Gunnison Sage-Grouse: An Endangered Species?

In just two weeks, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service will decide whether or not to list the Gunnison sage-grouse as a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act.

Posted By: Amos P. Eno on: 02/25/2016

'Fire Borrowing' Policy Up in Flames

Forest Service programs devastated by a flawed budgeting policy

Posted By: Amos P. Eno on: 03/09/2016

Louisiana Conservation Connection Officially Unveiled

Yesterday, I was in Louisiana to give a presentation on our latest state conservation website.

Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 09/05/2014

Mr. Eno Goes to Washington: August Edition

Earlier this month, I traveled south for my third trip of the summer to our nation's capitol. Here's a recap of those three busy days.

Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 10/29/2014

A Rancher's Perspective on Sage Grouse Conservation

Two weeks ago, I wrote about my discussion with Terry Messmer on the work he is is doing to conserve sage grouse and sagebrush-steppe habitat with private landowners in Utah. This week, I had the opportunity to speak with one of those ranchers, Jay Tanner of Grouse Creek.

Posted By: Amos P. Eno on: 02/25/2016

Talking Sage-Grouse with Terry Messmer

With the development of the sage-grouse page of our Conservation Habitat Management Portal ongoing, I found this an opportune time to speak with Terry Messmer, PhD, director of Utah State University Extension’s Community-Based Conservation Program (CBCP).

Posted By: Amos P. Eno on: 02/25/2016

The Importance of Providing Landowners with the Full Spectrum of Information and Resources on Conservation Agriculture

Last week we were excited to announce on social media that our own Breana Behrens Monday was going to speak at the 6th World Congress on Conservation Agriculture. Unfortunately, flight cancellations put an end to her trip before it ever really started. Here is the speech she would have given.

Posted By: Breana Behrens on: 06/26/2014

Mr. Eno Goes to Washington

As RFF President, I often travel to Washington, D.C. to talk about current items such as sage grouse and Lesser Prairie Chicken conservation. Here's a recap of the four busy days I spent there last week.

Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 01/13/2016

O'Toole Family Wins 2014 Leopold Conservation Award in Wyoming

The family, of Ladder Ranch on the Wyoming-Colorado border, wins one of the most prestigious awards in private lands conservation.

Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 02/29/2016

Industry Commits to Conservation Leadership

Saving the lesser prairie chicken 1 (million) acres at a time.

Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 03/13/2014

Get to Know the RFF Advisory Board: Adam J. White

The third installment in our weekly series to introduce you, our readers, to the Resources First Foundation's Advisory Board Members.

Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 02/18/2014

Get to Know the RFF Advisory Board: Thomas Daniels

This is the second segment in our new weekly series to introduce you, our readers, to Resources First Foundation's Advisory Board Members.

Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 01/27/2014

Introducing RFF Advisory Board Member Keith Ross

The Resources First Foundation Advisory Board is just what it sounds like: It is a group of people who support what RFF is doing, and whom I can call on for advice or help. In this new segment, I will be introducing to you every week a member of Resources First Foundation's Advisory Board.

Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 01/22/2014

A Trip Through The African Wilderness

My recent travels through southern Africa reminded me of how profoundly my past experiences on this continent shaped my outlook on conservation.

Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 01/17/2014

A West Coast Perspective on Forestry

Founder and editor of Evergreen magazine, Jim Peteresen discusses regional and political differences in forest management.

Posted By: Amos P. Eno on: 02/09/2016

Insect Invasion Bring Destruction to Southern Pine Forests

The southern pine beetle, cousin of the more popular western pine beetle, is responsible for the death of millions of pine trees from Texas to New Jersey.

Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 12/13/2013

Private Lands for Endangered Species Recovery

On Saturday, I joined our Conservation Tax Center Director Breana Behrens at the inaugural Tara Talks conference in Eagle Lake, Mississippi. Here is a condensed version of the presentation I gave there.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 12/04/2013

Conservation Easements and Economic Incentives

This is an abridged version of the presentation I gave at the inaugural Tara Talks at Tara Wilderness in Eagle Lake, Mississippi on Saturday.
Posted By: Breana Behrens on: 11/01/2013

Federal Shutdown Leaves Landowners Stranded

Due to the strong conservation ethic of private landowners in America, conservation efforts continue across the country despite the federal government shutdown. But some, particularly South Dakota ranchers, are feeling the effects of the government freeze.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 10/17/2013

New Jersey Struggles with Forest Management Policy

Last month Governor Chris Christie vetoed the Healthy Forests Act and now people in the state are struggling to find consensus how to manage New Jersey's state forests.

Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 02/09/2016

Preserving Tax Deductions for Conservation Easements in Perpetuity

Conservation easements perpetually preserve land, the Conservation Easement Incentive Act of 2013 aims to do the same for the federal tax incentives that encourage their creation.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 08/15/2013

The Virginia Outdoors Foundation: A leader in open space land easements

Founded in 1966, the Virginia Outdoors Foundation has conserved around 3,500 open space easements on over 675,000, much of that occurring under the tenure of Executive Director Bob Lee.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 07/19/2013

Taking High Plains Conservation to Scale with Private Landowners: by not listing the Lesser Prairie Chicken

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's decision not to list the Lesser Prairie Chicken a threatened species was the right move.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 07/18/2013

Conservation in Virginia's Piedmont

The Piedmont Environmental Council works to preserve the land of the Piedmont region and strengthen the communities that live on it.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 07/02/2013

House Fails to Pass Farm Bill

Those of us hoping for a much needed update to the farm bill were once again disappointed by out legislators' failure to produce any legislation.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 07/11/2013

Innovative Farming in an Urban Metroplex

When most people think of farming, they conjure up pictures of expansive fields in rural areas, often surrounded by more fields, with a few houses, barns and grain silos scattered amongst them along two lane roads. That is not the case in Orange County, California, where the Kawamura family has been farming since 1958.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 06/03/2013

Wildfires: It's that Time of the Season, Part II

Preventative medicine for our forests.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 06/05/2013

Wildfires: It's that Time of the Season, Part I

The Western U.S. is experiencing it's first wildfires of the year and politicians have their fire extinguishers ready. Unfortunately, current policies to combat wildfires are ineffective.

Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 04/16/2014

Getting Upstream States to Help Fix Downstream Problems

A condensed version of my speech at the America’s Energy Coast Leadership Forum on May 2nd in Baton Rouge, LA.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 05/10/2013

Reforesting the Mississippi Alluvial Valley with GreenTrees

Founded in 2003 by C2I, LLC, GreenTrees is a privately managed forest restoration and carbon sequestration company for private landowners, and one of the largest and most successful reforestation projects in the country. GreenTrees focuses their efforts in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV), where there was once 50 million acres of bottomland hardwoods, of which only 4 million remain today.

Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 12/10/2015

We Need a Forest Policy Fix; it is Long Overdue – Part III

How to effectively market stewardship practices to private forest owners.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 04/30/2013

We Need a Forest Policy Fix; it is Long Overdue – Part II

Ex-urban explosion fractures Forests.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 04/29/2013

We Need a Forest Policy Fix; it is Long Overdue - Part I

Resources First Foundation works hard to partner with the United States Forest Service to save America's working forests.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 05/07/2013

Cat Fight at Audubon Corral

The National Audubon Society suspended, but has since reinstated, Ted Williams as writer of the independent Incite column for Audubon magazine in response to the controversial article he wrote on feral-cats as a Guest writer for the Orlando Sentinel.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 04/23/2013

Harper Armstrong Named Louisiana Farmer of the Year

Armstrong, a Morehouse Parish farmer for over forty years, was chosen from a group of three finalists as Louisiana Farmer of the year in 2013.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 03/29/2013

Empowering Private Landowners to Utilize Conservation

Resources First Foundation President & Founder, Amos Eno, speaks to the Louisiana Landowners Association on March 15, 2013.

Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 05/10/2016

The Harris Farm and Revision Energy Collaborate to Build a Model of Sustainable Dairy Farming

The Harris' have used sustainable agricultural practices for generations, and thanks to Revision Energy's solar hot water system, they practice sustainable energy use as well.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 03/06/2013

A Legacy of Sustainable Farming in Southern New Jersey

The Haines family has been preserving its environment and producing cranberries in the Pinelands of southern New Jersey for more than 100 years.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 02/25/2013

Ag Labor and Immigration - A Case in Point

As the 113th Congress gets underway, it appears that both political parties are serious about tackling comprehensie immigration reform in 2013, for the first time in many years. A crucial piece of that package must address farm labor issues, a topic that has risen to the top of the policy agenda for AGree and many other groups. Wyoming rancher Pat O'Toole, an AGree Advisory Committee member, has strong view on this subject.

Posted By: Pat O'Toole on: 02/09/2016

Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust Surpasses 400,000 Acres Conserved

As of December 31, 2012 CCALT and its partners have conserved over 400,000 acres of private working lands in Colorado. Furthermore, in October the organization was honored as the state's outstanding nonprofit with the Julie and Spencer Penrose Award by the El Pomar Foundation.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 03/25/2013

Condzella Hops Unites L.I. Farmers and Local Breweries

Condzella Hops need your help in reviving hop farms on Long Island! Support local farms and breweries.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 02/12/2013

Estate Planning for the Private Landowner After the Fiscal Cliff

Private landowners should be aware of how the fiscal cliff deal will impact their estate planning in order to ensure they can keep their working lands working!
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 03/14/2013

The Enhanced Tax Incentive for Conservation Easements is Renewed!

President Obama has signed into law the “American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012,” or the much talked about fiscal-cliff deal. The Act includes a provision that extends the special rule for contributions of capital gain real property made for conservation purposes.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 01/04/2013

Farm Bill Extension Overlooks the Family Farmer and Conservation

The Farm Bill Extension, passed by Congress in fiscal cliff legislation, keeps the country from falling off the dairy cliff, but may not be helpful to family farmers and conservation efforts.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 01/04/2013

Amos Eno Speech: A Tuning Fork for Conservation

Resources First Foundation President Amos Eno told a Simsbury Land Trust audience that conservation policy is overdue for realignment

Posted By: Simsbury Land Trust on: 02/09/2016

The Answer to the Landowner Age Cliff – Conservation Action!

Making sure our forests, farms and ranches survive their aging owners demands innovative, entrepreneurial action, not empty promises.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 12/04/2013

The Age Cliff Facing Private Landowners

One more threat to working lands – the average age of farmers, ranchers and forest owners continues to climb, with only words not action to stem the tide.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 02/06/2013

Wildfires Spread because Congress & Enviros ‘Can’t See the Forest for the Trees’

Veteran silviculturist urges Congress to assist the U.S. Forest Service in taking a proactive approach in fighting wildfires with common-sense, cost-saving preventive medicine.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 09/27/2012

Will Forest Service Copy Rancher’s Zero-Cost Forest Management Plan?

California rancher & forest owner Peter Stent is working hard to help USDA’s Forest Service fight fire (and ultra-enviros) with common-sense forest management.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 09/28/2012

Conservation Could Save Sage Grouse & Ranchers from Endangered Species Listing

Fire suppression helped trigger a juniper invasion across the West. Now wildfires and USDA’s Sage Grouse Initiative offer win-win-win solutions.

Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 11/14/2014

Conservation Easements Gaining Ground in Montana

How thousands of small-acreage conservation easements add up to landscape-scale environmental benefits
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 09/24/2012

For a Maine Family Business – The Jobs Come Next

Pingree forests move from pulpwood to pellets & parquet
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 08/30/2012

For a Maine Family Business – ‘The Forest Comes First’

The Pingree family uses a conservation easement to guarantee sustainability
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 08/30/2012

How Estate Taxes and Conservation Easements are Linked

The implications of pending federal budget and tax decisions in Congress
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 08/24/2012

Deductions on Conservation Easements

History and Insights from a Leading Authority
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 08/23/2012

Drakes Bay Oyster Company Struggles on against Park Service

Guest blog from David Mitchell, of "Sparsely, Sage and Timely" in west Marin, California
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 08/07/2012

Have Your Land and Drill it Too

The Texas Agricultural Land Trust works with landowners to help plan for long-term conservation along with development of oil and mineral rights
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 08/23/2012

Generating Revenue from Biodiversity

A farmer grapples with how to make conservation pay for itself
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 08/02/2012

A Conservation Work Summary from The Farm at Sunnyside

Counting Salamanders and Photographing Mammals
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 07/13/2012

Landscape Stewardship - Conserving Forests of the Northeast

Stewardship envisioned by “standing on an individual property looking out, instead of standing on the boundary looking in.”
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 06/19/2012

Working Forests Need a Makeover

Forests Managed for Timber, Wildlife, and other Values Need Marketing that Goes Beyond Smokey Bear and Grizzly Bears
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 06/06/2012

Private Lands Field Day in Arkansas

Innovative ag operations using WHIP and EQIP for wildlife and water quality
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 05/25/2012

The New and Improved CREP for the Illinois River in Arkansas

How the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program in northwest Arkansas can beat the price of a cow/calf operation . . .
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 05/03/2012

Renewable Energy: Preparing Us for the Era of Conservation

Bob Belick of Sustainable Strategies defines conservation far more broadly than you might think
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 06/15/2012

REAP - the Perfect Program for Rural Renewables

The Renewable Energy for America Program would work better if it were easier to use and more widely available.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 04/29/2012

Beyond the Grid: Distributed Generation using Renewables

Helping Rural Residents to Make Alternative Energy Sources a Reality
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 04/05/2012

Easements Help People Reconnect Parcels to the Family Farm

The Tecumseh Land Trust in Ohio relies on PLN to help educate landowners about conservation easements
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 03/27/2012

Tecumseh Land Trust’s Proud “Tradition” of Saving Farmland

Effective Use of the NRCS Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 03/27/2012

New Training Opportunities Signal Potential New Job Opportunities at NRCS

Free training opportunities around the country for new CRP initiatives
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 03/13/2012

CRP Readiness Initiative

Free nationwide trainings to support outsourcing of Conservation Reserve Program tech support
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 03/08/2012

More Working Forest Easements

Northeastern companies are setting the pace for practicing responsible long-term forestry, guaranteed for generations to come
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 03/02/2012

Roseburg - a Conservation Easement with Timber Rights

Excerpts from a recent speech to the Allegheny Society of American Foresters
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 03/02/2012

Social Media for More Online Outreach

FB, "friend," Tw, and "tweets" join RFF, PLN, and CCC
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 03/27/2012

Florida Land Steward - Another Web-based Model for Landowner Outreach

A new partnership in Florida has embraced the PLN model for landowner outreach.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 02/07/2012

Public Relations for Working Forests

Bob Williams, a forester with a mission, filmed "A Working Forest, Its Future with Fire, People & Wildlife" to begin a conversation . . .
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 02/02/2012

Avoiding Extinction by Adapting, Rancher Style

David Bamberger advocates living on the land as the way to retain knowledge of natural forces and ecology.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 01/24/2012

Selah, the Texas Ranch that Brought Water from Stone

How David Bamberger's land ethic was born and transformed a "beat up" piece of Texas ground.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 01/24/2012

Turning the Texas Drought into Plenty

How One Texas Rancher Helped to Feed People While Saving his Ranch from the Drought.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 01/11/2012

Western Forest Wildfire Lessons from NASA's Earth Observatory

Fire and the Future of Yellowstone 1989 to 2011
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 01/05/2012

Wood for Haiti Embodies the Spirit of Christmas

Great Idea, Great Need, Great Story, Great Time to Give
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 01/05/2012

Beetle-killed Forest: Why Harvesting May be the Best Option

How Wood for Haiti proposes to improve western forests while aiding Haiti.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 12/26/2011

What if We Could Rebuild Haiti?

The serendipitous story of how Wood for Haiti was created
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 03/23/2012

Wood for Haiti

How beetle-killed wood from Western forests may be the key to rebuilding Haiti.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 03/23/2012

A National Voice for Private Landowners

A Vision for How Landowners Can Take Greater Responsibility to Make a Difference
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 12/06/2011

Landowners and Government: The Secret to a Successful Relationship

The Blackfoot Challenge in Montana brings together everyone under the "80-20 rule."
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 11/30/2011

Thankful for “every cog and wheel” . . .

Can you recognize which Americans throughout our nation’s history have been thankful for these many forms of America’s bounty?
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 11/23/2011

Partners for Conservation

Looking for a few good private landowners to make important things happen across the country.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 11/17/2011

Locally Grown: Creating Rural Jobs with America's Public Lands

Testimony before Congress by Jim Stone of Rolling Stone Ranch in Montana
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 11/10/2011

Stepwise to a Grand Vision in Idaho

The many ways that ranchers in Idaho are contributing to the conservation of a great American landscape.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 03/23/2012

Thin Economics and High Quality Fat

How grass fed meat can support health while sustaining western ecosystems
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 03/23/2012

Pronghorn: Spirit of the Grasslands

Using pronghorn antelope as a charismatic species to engage communities in maintaining and reconnecting rangelands
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 03/23/2012

Co-existence with Wolves Through Research

How using nonlethal methods of wolf control has decreased sheep predation by more than 90%
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 03/23/2012

Ranching Side-by-Side with Wolves

An Ecological Philosophy of Ranching
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 03/23/2012

The Heroes are the Herders

The duty of all staff at Lava Lakes Ranch is to leave the landscape in better condition than they found it.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 03/23/2012

Getting Grazing Right

Using High Tech Tools to Manage the Flock and Follow the Grazing Prescription
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 03/23/2012

Cowboys, Heroes and Family Roots

How a Childhood Working with Cattle Led an Investment Banker Back to a Working Ranch
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 03/23/2012

Lamb, Lava Lake, and a Landscape

Making Working Wildlands Work for Conservation
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 03/23/2012

The Landowner's Cash Contingency

Planning for your financial future - whether you intend to keep your property or not.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 09/30/2011

Land Rich, Cash Poor

Insights on how to value land wealth over the long term
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 09/28/2011

Family Wealth Management for Landowners

Landowners have special needs for real property financial advice
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 04/23/2013

A Bottom-Up Approach with Bottom-Line Benefits

How are we doing?
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 09/16/2011

Save the Land By Saving the Rancher

What this Writer on Range thinks . . .
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 09/09/2011

Living with Weapons Near the Bed in Arizona

Drug trafficking and illegal border crossings from the perspective of a rancher
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 09/02/2011

Turnabout is Fair Play for a Rancher Who’s Fed Up

Lawsuits . . . they're not just for activists anymore
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 08/31/2011

Ranching for an Endangered Species

Endangered Leopard Frogs Finding a Home in the “Stock Pond”
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 08/25/2011

When an Endangered Species Isn’t

Tales of Sonora Chub, Lesser Long-nosed Bats, and the Cactus Ferruginous Pygmy Owl

Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 02/09/2016

Wildlife and Cattle Management on a Working Ranch

The proper type of grazing is also one of the best means of managing for wildlife
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 08/25/2011

Rest Rotation Grazing

50,000 Acres of Ecological Success on the Chilton Ranch in Arizona
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 08/25/2011

The Amazing Chilton Ranch in Southern Arizona

Ground Zero of Touchstone Issues in the American West
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 08/25/2011

Married Into It - a New Book of Poetry from the American West

DFFHFCC9UED2 Two poems that illustrate the relationship between ranchers and their land and animals, from Patricia Frolander, a lauded and award-winning American poet.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 08/06/2011

How to Set Goals for Your Recreational Property

You won’t be growing longleaf pine in Massachusetts, but within ecological reason, the best way to be a steward of your property is to clarify your desires
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 07/28/2011

How to Hire a Land Management Consultant

Tips from Rans Thomas, of Thomas Resources Wildlife and Land Enhancement, on how to get the most bang for your buck.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 07/26/2011

A Great Way to Purchase or Sell Recreational Property

In today’s market, there are many properties and almost as many “experts,” creating a “buyer beware” situation
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 07/23/2011

Land Enhancement for Wildlife with Hunting Product Discounts

Rans Thomas has a new consulting business, Thomas Resources Wildlife and Land Enhancement, which can provide products and equipment at below retail prices.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 07/20/2011

Better Land, Big Bucks, Quail and More: the Rans Thomas Promise

Recreational property management with the landowner in mind is what the recently launched Thomas Resources Wildlife and Land Enhancement is all about.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 08/29/2012

Norfolk Southern Corporation, an Engine for Private Reforestation

Railway company will restore 10,000 acres of lower Mississippi Valley forest, benefiting landowners, ecosystems, and their bottom line
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 06/28/2011

The Gulf of Maine Coastal Program

Building Community and Quality of Life through Habitat Protection and Restoration
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 06/05/2011

Farm Equipment, Old and New

One Example of How Farmers Must Adjust, Recalibrate, and Innovate Their Operations to Stay in Business
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 06/01/2011

Chicken Farm Turns Poultry Litter to Power

M. Marsh Farms in South Carolina will be among the first in the country to pursue energy independence by recycling animal waste into renewable energy

Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 06/05/2015

Partners for Fish and Wildlife in Oregon

How partnerships help landowners and declining wildlife species at the same time.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 05/19/2011

Fisheries and Habitat Conservation at the Top

The Views of Bryan Arroyo, Former Farmer and Shepherd, Career Biologist and Lifelong Conservationist
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 05/10/2011

In Pennsylvania, Partnership is Creating a Win Win Win Win

How to make economic downturn and urban environmental problems turn into dynamic locally based action for change.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 05/03/2011

State Conservation Centers Developed by Resources First Foundation

One-Stop Shop Sites for Landowners in Individual States: the Value Added
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 04/29/2011

Private Land and Public Power: Some Questions You Might Ask

An exploration of the importance of private lands and the implications of declining public funds and low public understanding.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 07/29/2011

Rivers of Life, Ribbons of Green

Whether in the West or the East, riparian habitat is where it’s at for wildlife, water conservation, flood control, and beauty.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 10/09/2012

Private Lands, the New Conservation Frontier

Private landowners on America’s working land - farm, ranch, or forest - are changing. They have new needs and we need a new approach to help them.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 04/05/2011

Online Outreach to Private Landowners and Resource Managers

Internet training is here and promises only to grow. The Texas Agrilife Extension Service sets an excellent example.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 03/31/2011

Restoring an Ecosystem, the Case for Longleaf Pine

The Rangewide Conservation Plan for Longleaf Pine, created by a public-private partnership, aims to restore long leaf pine on a landscape scale.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 03/24/2011

The Benefits of Longleaf Pine Restoration to Landowners

Direct from the National Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year: the advantages and aesthetics of long leaf pine
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 03/15/2011

Longleaf, Hope for Landowners Who Grow Pine in the South

Restoration of longleaf pine ecosystems is the “secret ingredient” for success in managing wildlife, wildfire, habitat, and plants in the Deep South
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 03/15/2011

Of Native Grasses, Wildflowers, and Heart-breaking Beauty

The Art and Science of Meadow Restoration on an Organic Farm
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 03/02/2011

Growing Organic Food and Biodiversity at Sunnyside Farm

Nick Lapham’s Long-term Approach to Agriculture, Restoration and Life in Rappahannock County, Virginia
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 03/02/2011

Conservation Easements: the Good, the Bad and the Paperwork

A true story of what went on behind the scenes over 8 years to execute easements on the Salisbury-O’Toole Ladder Ranch in Colorado and Wyoming
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 04/29/2012

Saving the U.S. from Itself: Toward a Rational Energy Policy

Why does the pace of change in energy and transport seem to be zero when we know technology is racing ahead . . . all across our inventive land? -Ken Berlin
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 02/25/2011

Prairie Plains Resource Institute’s Ranch Management in Nebraska

Envisioning a program to conserve high plains shortgrass prairie, generate ranch income, and educate the public about the Great Plains
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 02/10/2011

Orri Vigfusson Shares Successful Conservation Partnership Secrets

The founder of the North Atlantic Salmon Fund explains how the rights of netsmen are like the rights of small landowners
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 02/03/2011

North Atlantic Salmon Fund - Fair Compensation for Conservation

Orri Vigfusson, the world’s number one salmon conservationist, explains his idea of a “fair deal,” paying netsmen and long-liners for their fishing rights
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 01/26/2011

Farmers, Foresters, Ranchers and Wall Street

Michael Van Patten’s Mission Markets Earth is a first-of-its-kind trading platform designed to help everyone, including private landowners, trade ecosystem credits
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 01/21/2011

Forest Management, Education and Baseball at Georgia’s Big K Farm

Two Atlanta Braves Baseball Stars Pitch Forest Stewardship to Fellow Landowners, Teachers, Kids, and Legislators

Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 07/27/2015

Conservation Easement Tax Deduction Extension

An increased tax deduction for conservation not only increases protected land, but increases justice in society.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 01/10/2011

Best Working Lands Quotes of 2010

PLN’s “Keep Working Lands Working” blog takes a look back at some of the most thought provoking statements and events of 2010
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 01/04/2011

What Would Christmas be Without a Live Tree?

It’s a family affair at the North Parish Christmas Tree Farm in central Maine.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 12/07/2011

Value-Added Forestry: Unleashing the Entrepreneurial Forester

In Central Minnesota, Greg Nolan seeks to spread “forestry with a small f” by incubating mom-and-pop businesses on a landscape scale.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 12/16/2010

Pacific NW Coached Stewardship Planning: Longterm Investments

In Oregon and Washington, coached Forest Stewardship Planning is an investment, not only in forests, but in the people who care for the land.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 12/08/2010

A Ranch, a Watershed, and Cattle in the 21st Century American West

Perspectives of a beginner in the western ranching business: Nikos Monoyios says ranches are important because ranchers provide land & water stewardship.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 12/01/2010

Forest Stewardship Program, Reinventing Private Forest Management

USFS State and Private Forestry is working smarter to meet demand and thinking strategically to conserve landscapes.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 11/23/2010

December Summit in NV on Renewable Energy to Save Sagebrush

Exciting new partnership using renewable energy to restore sagebrush has taken hold among rangeland managers, ranchers, and the biofuels industry in Nevada.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 12/01/2010

The Facebook Generation Tunes In to Conservation, Land Management

Locust Hill Farm in Fauquier County, Virginia is a Study in Youthful Stewardship and Wired Technology
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 08/29/2012

Magalen Bryant, Extraordinary Supporter of Conservation and the Environment

Magalen Bryant is an effective leader, committed conservationist, and genuine philanthropist. But she’d rather you just call her Maggie.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 11/08/2010

The O’Toole Ladder Ranch

A sixth-generation ranch in Wyoming and Colorado meets the 21st century with innovation and family unity.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 10/27/2010

Beyond Rocks and Ice, More from Mike Scott

The first Great Depression and Dust Bowl resulted in great strides for conservation and stewardship. What about this time?
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 10/22/2010

Mike Scott, Father of GAP Analysis

“The time to save species is when they are still common.”
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 10/22/2010

The Certificate in Land Preservation at the University of Pennsylvania

Tom Daniels has designed the country’s only certificate program for land preservation, in operation for the past three years.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 10/05/2010

Conservation Easement Aggregation Projects in New England

Keith Ross is once again leading an innovative initiative to conserve large contiguous blocks of managed forests
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 09/11/2012

Landscape Scale Conservation in the North Woods

Ten years ago a conservation easement on three-quarters of a million acres of land was unheard of. The Pingree Partnership changed all that.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 09/24/2010

California Rangeland Trust: A Booming Business, Where’s the Cash?

CRT and the Rangeland Coalition have broken the decades-long impasse between ranchers, conservationists, and “big government.” Now they just need cash.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 09/15/2010

California Land Trusts: Small is Beautiful

The Land Trust movement - and the future heritage of our country - is sustained by committed individuals and families with a long-term vision of the future.

Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 09/10/2015

Are Southern Forests Running Out of Time?

The Forest Service and Gary Myers are Worried About the Future of the World’s Most Diverse Temperate Forests
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 09/01/2010

Private Lands in the #11 State for Biodiversity and Extinctions

The state that spawned the Sagebrush Rebellion is quietly fomenting a new revolution: collaboration in the name of conserving wildlife and water.

Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 01/04/2016

Might Green Energy Replace Development as #1 Threat to Habitat?

Connectivity, argues Ed Hastey, is the answer to a lot of our conservation problems on both public and private lands - but do energy companies realize that?
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 10/25/2010

Eliminating the “White Space” from Conservation Planning

A decades-long state director for the Bureau of Land Management makes a case for private lands as critical conservation corridors.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 08/10/2010

Southern Ecosystems and Symbiotic Relationships

Our new Mississippi State Conservation Center highlights the Magnolia state’s wildlife, forests, and agriculture.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 08/06/2010

Plan for Succession, not Just Bequeathing, of Your Private Land

Creating a succession plan is not the same as estate planning; think of it as designing your family legacy.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 07/27/2010

Big News from Texas for Landowners and Little Birds

Private Landowner demand for services from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department grows while federal support faces cutbacks
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 07/21/2010

A Land Trust of Landowners for Landowners

The Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust: making best use of a tax credit and lottery funds.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 08/21/2012

Challenges at The Connecticut Forest and Park Association

Connecticut's Oldest Land Trust Faces America’s Latest Problems: Budget Woes and Property Turnover
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 07/07/2010

Malpai Borderlands Group, Ranches of SE Arizona Face a New Threat

This post is a continuation from last week’s, about the Malpai Borderlands Group, or MBG, a group of ranchers working to protect their land and ranching heritage.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 07/14/2010

Malpai Borderlands Group - an Early Inspiration for PLN

Ranchers in southeast Arizona at the Mexican Border have learned - sometimes the hard way - that they are “attached to the rest of the world.”
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 06/28/2010

People and Animals Put the Work, and Happiness, into Working Land

A new program in Wyoming links kids to ranching. This is the kind of innovative thinking that could spread like wildfire.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 08/15/2011

Big Sky and Tax Deductions: Motivators that Drive the Private Landowner Network

Wide open range land, narrow profit margins, big sky, high taxes, tall southern pines, growing debt: factors driving the Private Landowner Network or PLN.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 07/26/2010

3 reasons to Shift From a Public to Private Land Conservation Investment Portfolio

Take a look at my latest presentation on why the conservation community, both public and private, needs to consider a reorientation of their land conservation focus from public land acquisition to private land conservation initiatives.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 04/02/2010

Western Ranching Coalition: Ranchbook

This the transcript of the speech I gave at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Public Lands Council meeting on February 26, 2009
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 06/29/2010

People, particularly forestry folks

I have been trying to ascertain for months whether the conservation easement deductions provided in the 2008 Farmbill apply to forest landowners.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 09/19/2008

PRIVATE LANDS IN THE WEST

A review of the current ranch-land conservation-scape
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 06/30/2008

Conservation Tax Incentive Extension

Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 07/04/2010

Federal Conservation Programs at work

I just read that the USDA's nationwide Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) topped the 1 million acre mark last week with the addition of a 60 acre tract in Minnesota.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 01/23/2008

Private Conservation boasts record progress

More than 11,000 acres were protected in Massachusetts in 2007 through conserrvation easements
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 07/21/2010

Tax Benefits Result in More Acres Conserved

Now that the 2006 Pension Bill provisions are due to expire in just over a month it is becoming more and more imperative to persuade the senate and house
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 10/09/2012

Maine State Conservation Center

RFF just posted its first state conservation website
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 07/29/2010

New Senate tax incentives for land owners

Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 06/22/2010

Why I've been running

I have worked in conservation for over 35 years, and my career path, which might be more appropriately dubbed the “careening” path of a total maverick

Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 07/17/2014

Running Into The Wind Post #1

My name is Amos S. Eno and I am President of the Resources First Foundation (hereafter RFF), which I established in 2000.
Posted By: Amos S. Eno on: 07/25/2013

About the Author

Amos S. Eno is the president of the Resources First Foundation and project director of the Private Landowner Network. This blog will help you understand why we do what we do and inform you of the current happenings in our focus area.