AUSBON SARGENT LAND PRESERVATION TRUST

STEWARDSHIP & MONITORING: STEWARDSHIP IS THE OVERALL MANAGEMENT AND OVERSIGHT OF ALL AUSBON SARGENT CONSERVATION EASEMENTS AND FEE-OWNED PROPERTIES. STEWARDSHIP INCLUDES, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO, MONITORING AND DEFENDING EASEMENTS, RECORD KEEPING, BUILDING LANDOWNER RELATIONSHIPS, PROVIDING EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL AND EVENTS FOR LANDOWNERS, VOLUNTEERS, MEMBERS, AND STAFF, REVIEWING AMENDMENT REQUESTS AND RESERVED RIGHTS INQUIRIES FROM LANDOWNERS ON PROPERTIES ON WHICH WE HOLD A CONSERVATION EASEMENT. MONITORING IS THE ANNUAL PERIODIC PROPERTY INSPECTIONS BY OUR TRAINED VOLUNTEER MONITORS OR STAFF, AS WELL AS THE PREPARATION OF DOCUMENTS FOR THE INSPECTION AND DOCUMENTATION AND FOLLOW-UP OF THE INSPECTION. MONITORING SERVES AS A REGULAR REMINDER THAT THE LANDOWNER IS LEGALLY BOUND TO KEEP THE PROPERTY IN THE CONDITION AS DEFINED IN THE CONSERVATION EASEMENT. ALL MONITORING REPORTS ARE REVIEWED BY STAFF AND IN THE EVENT OF A COMPLIANCE ISSUE, ASLPT STAFF CARRIES OUT AN INVESTIGATION AND WORKS TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE.MONITORING IS DONE BY VOLUNTEERS; HOWEVER, WE GENERALLY AIM TO HAVE STAFF VISIT 20 OF THESE PROPERTIES WITH VOLUNTEER MONITORS EACH YEAR. THESE VISITS VARY IN LENGTH DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE PROPERTY AND THE RESTRICTIONS ON THE PROPERTY. WE GENERALLY HAVE A TRAINING SESSION IN EARLY JUNE FOR NEW VOLUNTEERS. THE TRAINING INCLUDES AN ONLINE INSTRUCTIONAL COMPONENT OF APPROXIMATELY THREE HOURS AS WELL AS A FIELD VISIT. DURING THESE SESSIONS WE INSTRUCT THE VOLUNTEERS ON THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES WHEN THEY ARE MONITORING THE PROPERTY. WE ALSO KEEP THE VOLUNTEERS UPDATED ON ANY CHANGES IN POLICIES WE HAVE REGARDING MONITORING.WE USE DRONE TECHNOLOGY TO AUGMENT ON THE GROUND MONITORING AND WE ARE USING AERIAL IMAGERY BY UTILIZING THE ONLINE WEBSITE FOR LENS. THIS TECHNOLOGY IS INTENDED FOR LARGER PARCELS WITH TOPOGRAPHY THAT IS DIFFICULT TO MONITOR BY FOOT.