2027-2031
Strategic Plan
Our Values
Ecological Integrity:
We are guided by science and use best practices to support long-term ecological health, resilience, and habitat protection. We believe intact ecosystems hold ecological, cultural, and restorative value worthy of enduring protection.
Partnership:
We build relationships grounded in trust, shared purpose, data-driven collaboration, and mutual respect to advance conservation in the Maine Appalachian Trail corridor.
Responsibility:
We are accountable stewards of conserved lands, donor resources, and public trust. We follow through on our commitments, remain tenacious in protecting Maine's Appalachian landscapes, and advocate for thoughtful land stewardship and organizational practices.
Connectedness:
We honor the relationship between people, place, and trail, and value the deep history of Maine's Appalachian region. Through inclusivity, shared stewardship, and respect, we conserve land so present and future generations can feel a meaningful connection to wild and remote landscapes.
Use MATGIC data and targeted partnerships to close conservation gaps in MATLT's focus areas.
Objectives
1. Delineate six conservation focus areas, cultivate relationships with key landowners to determine land conservation strategies, and create a plan to conserve indicated priority parcels.Â
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2. Advance active projects such as Trillium property and Moxie Pond Wilderness Preserve.
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3. Participate in conservation consortiums to coordinate landscape protection efforts among partners conserving land adjacent to Maine’s Appalachian Trail corridor.
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4. Promote the MATGIC GIS system as the preferred tool for Maine Appalachian Trail conservation analysis and develop a sustainability plan to ensure continued use and relevance for conservation partnersÂ
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5. Establish an approach that considers Federal, State, Municipal and Indigenous governmental relationships and land return in conservation projects and easement language.
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6. Develop and implement plans for the identification, use, and stewardship of MATLT fee lands and conservation easements that allow public access.
Objectives
1. Â Develop consistent brand messaging and communicate MATLT's distinct identity relative to other A.T. organizations by investing in brand awareness campaigns across all marketing channels.
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2. Engage communities in programming to improve access and promote awareness of the land we protect.
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3. Encourage earned media, build social media presence, and maintain community event visibility (hikes, partner events, outdoor retailer outreach).
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4. Build donor base and diversified revenue sources to reduce grant concentration and support confident long-term planning.
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5. Continue building relationships with community stakeholders, such as Indigenous relations via First Light, New Mainers via #WEOUTSIDE, High Peaks Initiative through participation and trademark licensing, and other program partnerships as appropriate.
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6. Evaluate community hikes to determine the future of the program.
Objectives
1. Increase Board governance capacity including recruitment, officer succession, self-evaluation, and Committee leadership, all with a focus on skills, diversity, and philanthropic capacity.Â
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2. Support future needs through succession planning and volunteer engagement pathways that expand organizational bandwidth.
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3. Define pathways to Board membership and develop a pipeline of involved individuals and/or organizations,
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4. Review, maintain and support organizational policies and practices to advance our work and effectiveness.
Objectives
1. Increase Board governance capacity including recruitment, officer succession, self-evaluation, and Committee leadership, all with a focus on skills, diversity, and philanthropic capacity.Â
​
2. Support future needs through succession planning and volunteer engagement pathways that expand organizational bandwidth.
​
3. Define pathways to Board membership and develop a pipeline of involved individuals and/or organizations,
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4. Review, maintain and support organizational policies and practices to advance our work and effectiveness.