Levitt Leads Large-Landscape Conservation Summit in DC

On March 1, Jim Levitt, Director of the Program on Conservation Innovation at Harvard Forest, convened the 10th annual Conservation Leadership Dialogue at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. The event took place on the 100th anniversary—to the day—of the passage of the 1911 Weeks Act, which is legislation responsible for some of the more important instances of ecological restoration in the United States. The event's nearly 80 attendees included prominent conservation practitioners representing the U.S. Congress, the Obama administration, various federal government land management agencies, non-profit organizations, universities and research institutions, foundations, and others. Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) opened the day with remarks on large landscape conservation in a national context. She emphasized the need to support community-led land conservation initiatives---a hallmark of the Harvard Forest's Wildlands and Woodlands initiative, which was also featured at this event. Further details about the event are now available.