SVT's 2024-2029 Strategic Plan aims to address the many challenges that SVT faces:
- Development pressure continues to rise. At the current pace of land protection and development, we may lose half of the important unprotected habitat, farmland, and recreational areas to development in the next 30 years. In other words, the current pace of land protection by SVT and others is inadequate.
- Protecting land is becoming increasingly complex. In the face of increased development pressures and rising real estate costs, the work of land protection requires additional time, partnerships, money, and expertise.
- First class stewardship of our properties and conservation restrictions is complex and resource intensive. To properly steward the lands we protect and provide a high quality visitor experience, we must apply best management practices and support our partners to do so as well. Caring for protected natural areas requires sophisticated intervention to combat threats such as non-native invasive species, disturbance by people, and climate change.
- SVT's membership base has declined in recent years. To protect more land and build a strong conservation movement in this region, SVT must inspire new and diverse people, and reinvigorate former supporters to take a stand for nature.
At the same time, this plan seeks to take advantage of many opportunities to advance our mission:
- Analysis shows that there is still very important land protection work to do. We have identified at least 45,000 acres of land that are not yet protected but provide critical habitat, important natural services, community connections or farmland.
- Convening partners is SVT’s greatest strength. SVT is positioned to inform and unite conservation strategies throughout the region with our robust network of municipal and nonprofit organizations working to protect natural areas. If equipped with further tools and resources, our partners will become more effective and efficient and significantly increase our joint impact.
- People can and will be inspired to protect and care for nature. Through increased educational programming, innovative outreach strategies, and new marketing strategies, we can engage more supporters and empower more volunteers to protect and care for land.
- Our core supporters are loyal and active. We have an extraordinary base of members, volunteers, major donors, and staff. Together, this group forms a strong base upon which we can grow our community and expand our impact.
Given these challenges and opportunities, SVT aspires to achieve long-range conservation goals:
- Protect an additional 45,000 acres through fee acquisition, purchase of conservation restrictions and direct assists of partner land protection projects.
- Through first-class stewardship, restore and maintain habitats that are important for wildlife and provide people with high quality opportunities to experience nature. \
- SVT will build the capacity of our partners through our work with the Metrowest Conservation Alliance that will contribute to the protection of the 45,000 acres and support best management practices in land stewardship.
- As a welcoming and inclusive organization, we will engage more people in the act of conservation; we will increase our strong base of supporters and volunteers and this base will include a diversity of individuals and partners from all parts of the region.
- We will remain one of the best conservation organizations for which to work and volunteer and the makeup of our staff and volunteers will reflect the diversity of the communities we serve.