Misplaced Priorities: The Importance of Aligning Landowner Goals and Input in Restoration on Private Lands
Shelly Simmons1
1RiversEdge West/Spanish Peaks-Purgatoire River Conservation District
Let’s pretend for a second you are a landowner and someone from a conservation/government organization has contacted you about a fantastic restoration program that pays for just about everything: They begin, “Hello, my name is Bobette. I am here to tell you what is wrong with your land, why you are a bad land manager, how I know what is best for your land, how I can fix it, and how I can show you how to care for your land. Have you seen the project your federal neighbors conducted across the fence? That’s how you should do it too. What? You are not interested???” You hang up the phone and think to yourself, hmmm, I just can’t imagine why they wouldn’t sign up for my program?
Ok, so the above scenario is a bit dramatized, but the point is this: It is blatantly obvious to landowners when someone is trying to push their own ideals upon them. Landowners come from all walks of life, but the one thing that will either draw or deter most of them to your program is the feeling they get from your underlying intentions. Are you truly placing a priority on landowner goals and needs? If not, you will get nowhere in a hurry.
This presentation will (hopefully) help you get your priorities straight when working with private landowners.