APRIL 2021. A webinar hosted by Rural Lands attracted 35 participants interested in learning about land conservation and succession planning along Oblong Road in Williamstown. Although intended for farmers and landowners in the Oblong Road area, other interested parties joined a Conversation about Conservation, too.
The project was initiated by two Williams College students, Elizabeth Bigham and Juan Rebolledo. They took a planning class assignment beyond the campus and into real life application. They successfully wrote a proposal, mapped the project area, recruited speakers, designed promotional materials, filmed video, and planned the event – all after their class ended.
Panelists included the students, Rob Warren of the Trustees, Elizabeth Wroblicka of Conservation Works, and Jae Silverman of Land for Good. Funding was provided by MassWoods and the Working Forest Initiative.
If you are interested in learning more about conserving your land, or succession planning, please see the resources below:
Contacts:
Rob Warren, Managing Director of Conservation, the Trustees, 857.328.0506, rwarren@thetrustees.org
Elizabeth Wroblicka, Attorney and Estate Planner, Conservation Works, 413.362.5289, elizabeth@conservationworksllc.org
Jae Silverman, Massachusetts Field Agent, Land for Good, 603.357.1600, jae@landforgood.org
David McGowan, Executive Director, Williamstown Rural Lands, 413.458.2494, dmcgowan@rurallands.org
Additional websites and webinars:
From Land for Good: Learn the basics of farm succession planning, how to get started, where to find advisors and additional resources. Watch the full series or choose what support you need, and refer back to these as you work through your succession planning process.
- Part 1. Getting Started: Resources, Tips & Where to Get Assistance.
- Part 2. Financial Considerations: Taxes, Viability & Retirement.
- Part 3. Legal Considerations: Business Entities, Estate Planning.
From MassWoods: