Sentinel Landscape Interview with Michael Spalding

Interview with Michael Spalding, Southern Indiana Sentinel Landscape Coordinator

Michael Spalding, the Program Coordinator for the Southern Indiana Sentinel Landscape, has deep-rooted ties to conservation, stemming from his family’s land in central Indiana that dates back to 1889. Graduating with honors from Purdue University College of Agriculture in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science in Forestry, he has dedicated more than 15 years to conservation efforts spanning 55 Indiana counties. Michael’s career has seen him work as a field forester in a forestry consulting firm and manage public forests, including Jackson-Washington, Yellowwood, Morgan- Monroe State Forests, and Atterbury Muscatatuck Training Center.

Question: What specific goals and objectives does the Sentinel Landscape program aim to achieve in Southern Indiana?

Spalding: We are currently drafting our strategic plan to guide us through the next three years. Our core goals will focus on preserving and protecting military missions, supporting sustainable farming and forestry, restoring and sustaining ecosystems, and increasing landscape resiliency. We will be focusing on strategies and actions that promote wise land use, permanently protect land, encourage sustainable land management practices, restore degraded ecosystems, utilize natural climate solutions, and improve water quality.

Question: The Sentinel Landscapes Partnership involves various stakeholders, including federal agencies, state and local governments, and conservation organizations. Can you discuss how these partners collaborate to achieve the program’s mission and objectives?

Spalding: A core Landscape Coordinating Committee of twelve organizations lead this effort. While we are still in the early stages of this partnership, we are currently in the process of finalizing a charter to formalize our commitment to this collaboration. This committee consists of prominent conservation and military leaders in Indiana. The underlying principle of our collaboration is to achieve more collectively than we could have accomplished individually.

Question: How does CLC coordinate and support the Sentinel Landscape program in Southern Indiana?

Spalding: CLC is the host organization for this partnership program. Last July, I was hired as the full-time program coordinator but I have the entire CLC team behind me supporting my efforts. Our Landscape Conservation Attorney, Rob McCrea, supports any legal needs of the program, and Christian, Andrea, and Christie also lend their support through their diverse set of skills. While all the Sentinel Landscapes throughout the country are doing excellent work, SISL seems to me to have the largest host-supported team leading the effort.

Question: SISL supports sustainable land management for farms and forests. How does the program connect private landowners with available resources and programs to promote sustainable practices?

Spalding: We connect with landowners through multiple channels of outreach including traditional in-person events, social media, and word of mouth. Throughout my career working in Indiana, I have found people are often unaware of financial and technical assistance available for conservation projects on their lands. I also found that those who tried to independently research options online quickly became overwhelmed with seemingly endless pages of materials to read. We serve as a navigator for those landowners and help them discover the conservation options best for them and connect them with the most appropriate local professionals for the project. In an effort to make this information easily accessible for everyone, we created the Conservation Discover Web Application, SISL.org. This site is a one-stop-shop for landowners to learn more about the many conservation options available to them, as well as information to connect them with professionals who can help.

Question: You mentioned the Conservation Discovery Web Application. Can you explain how this application works and how it assists landowners in making informed conservation decisions.

Spalding: This interactive web tool is based on publicly available parcel data similar to county GIS websites. You can locate your property by searching for your name or address, or you can zoom into your parcel and select it. Then, you can choose from several conservation interests and sub-interests based on your conservation goals. These interests include cropland management, erosion control and soil health, forestry, livestock pasture management, permanent land protection, tax incentives, water quality, wildlife habitat, and technical assistance. The web tool will then generate a custom property report that includes your conservation options as well as relevant contact information for conservation professionals who can help you reach your goals.

Question: What makes SISL unique from other conservation initiatives in Indiana?

Spalding: Recognizing the value of landscape- level conservation, CLC is leading the most comprehensive conservation effort in Indiana by supporting a diverse partnership of key leaders in military, conservation, and agriculture. Not only are we talking about taking a comprehensive approach in the diversity of leadership but also in the time and scale of the project. While we will be achieving significant milestones along the way, this 3.5-million-acre landscape-level project will take decades to fully implement.