The Stewardship Program was created to ensure the ongoing preservation of the lands in the District’s care, including those we own outright and those we protect through conservation easements. To fulfill our mission, we must act as a diligent caretaker and guardian of these lands. One component of the Stewardship Program is managing our easement properties. This includes: building and maintaining constructive relationships with easement landowners; maintaining a clear understanding of the condition of our easement sites through periodic monitoring visits; documenting features of the land through photographs, written reports and maps; responding to use requests from the landowners; enforcing conservation easements if the need arises; and protecting the conservation values of the property in accordance with our mission.

Another component of the Stewardship Program is the protection and management of land that the District owns outright. On the lands that the District purchases for recreational uses, it is often a challenge to balance the desire to provide public access to these lands with the need and responsibility to protect the natural resources. To meet that challenge, we develop property-specific land management plans for those lands. These plans include information on the natural resources on the property, as well as recommendations on the most appropriate levels of public access. The District is then able to integrate these two factors into the management of the property. To assist us in meeting our goals for the property, we work with partner agencies, other resource professionals and a core group of dedicated and resourceful volunteers.