North American Program 

Community Land Specialists

Brenda R. Haskins, Director

	Program Description Responsibilities Affiliations, 2001-2004 Training For More Information
	Program Description Community land specialists live and work in the communities they serve and are committed to assisting their neighbors achieve some land-related goal. Established in 2001, each year the program brings together nine individuals from communities around the country to be trained as community land specialists. All land specialists are referred by community organizers or public interest lawyers with ties to the Land Tenure Center. Responsibilities The land specialists assist their communities by organizing 32 hours of workshops each year. The land specialists choose the workshop topics and speakers based on the needs of their communities. The land specialists prepare the presentation, secure the venue, advertise the event and serve as moderator. Other times the land specialists will use their skills to perform some of the labor-intensive research and act as a referral source to legal service providers. Land specialists are compensated for both the participation at the training sessions (travel, meals and time) and for their 32 hours of workshop presentations. Community Land Specialists’ Affiliations 2001-2004 Community Land Specialists wear many hats. A few of the organizations are listed below. Some of the land specialists are employed by these organizations, many more volunteer their time and energy on the groups' behalf. The organizations are listed in no particular order. Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Pendleton, OR Community: Tribal members Land Law issues: Strengthen tenure security of tribal members Intervention: Public education and estate planning Goshen Road Environmental Action Team Pollocksville, NC Community: African Americans Land Law issues: Educate neighbors about public works projects that affect property rights Intervention: Monthly meetings on various topics associated with neighborhood and community planning Santa Cruz Farms and Greenhouses Espanola, NM Community: Land grant heirs and small farmers Land Law issues: Help fellow farmers get to market and then get a fair price Intervention: Work cooperatively with other growers to enhance market opportunities for all Land Loss Prevention Project (LLPP) Durham, NC Community: African American and small farmers Land Law issues: Advocate for African Americans to retain and regain farm land Intervention: Legal research to support litigation; Present estate planning workshops; Investigate environmental justice claims. Starr County Colonia Assistance Corp., Community Resource Group Austin and Rio Grande City, TX Community: Mexican-American community Land Law issues: How can colonias residents obtain secure title to property and acquire basic services and avoid fractionation Intervention: Research unclear titles to property; Assist with real estate closings and conversion of contract for deed; Work with local service providers to secure basic services; Hold community workshops on land ownership issues. Colonias Unidas Las Lomas, TX Community: Mexican-American Land Law issues: How to secure title to property and acquire basic services for colonias residents? Intervention: Research unclear titles to property; Assist with real estate closings; Work with local service providers to secure basic services; Hold community workshops on land ownership issues. Housing Opportunities of Houston, & North East Economic Development Council Houston, TX Community: Low-income and minority home owners Land Law issues: Trying to ensure home ownership for the low-income and minority population in Houston. Intervention: Education and information dissemination to prospective homeowners. Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund Albany, GA Community: Low-income and African American farmers Land Law issues: Provide outreach on farm management, cooperatives and marketing expertise to ensure family farm survivability. Intervention: Organize estate planning workshops; Conduct title research to discover ownership interests. Sandhills Family Heritage Association Spring Lake, NC Community: African American landowners Land Law issues: How to incorporate community development, land trusts and protection of cultural and natural sites? Intervention: Research and document African American landowners and their records in the Sandhills who are at high risk of losing their land; Participate in workshops and one-on-one meetings with landowners to educate them on their rights and responsibilities, benefits of wills, and pitfalls of heir property. Sam's Memorial CED, Inc. Darien, GA Community: Low to moderate income people in Darien , GA. Land Law issues: Promote general social and economic welfare of the community. Specifically, provides self-help programs, permanent and temporary housing. Intervention: Seek out and work to realize economic and housing development opportunities. White Earth Band of Chippewa White Earth, MN Community: Tribal members Land Law issues: How to restore lands within the reservation boundaries to Tribal ownership and provide desperately needed housing? Intervention: Help put the land of the Shooting Star Casino into federal trust; Research WELSA, (federal legislation) to reclaim tax-forfeited lands of individual allottees; Develop a coalition/task force to reclaim four townships ceded under the Nelson Act of 1889; Create a list of current and upcoming tax-forfeited real estate. INTACT Community Development Corporation and Black Farmers & Agriculturalists Association New York, NY Community: African American farmers Land Law issues: Work to ensure that African American farmers are treated equitably and fairly. Intervention: Educate farmers individually and through mass public education efforts. National Network of Forestry Practitioners Ridgeland, SC Community: Rural communities and the forests on which they depend Land Law issues: Promote the mutual well-being of workers, rural communities, and forests by building sustainable relationships between forests and people. Intervention: Educate landowners individually as they request, and collectively through public education and brochure development. Texas Southern University, Thurgood Marshall Law School , Environmental Law & Justice Center Houston, TX Community: Low-income and minority communities in Houston , in Texas and in neighboring states Land Law issues: Provide public education, organizing and technical assistance to communities fighting detrimental workplace conditions and adverse environmental effects. Intervention: Work with civic organizations to raise awareness of environmental problems in minority neighborhoods. Oneida Nation of Wisconsin Oneida, WI Community: Tribal members Land Law issues: How best to provide housing, promote education, protect the land, and preserve the environment for the 7th generation? Intervention: Develop a Consolidation Plan for a 90 acre parcel of trust land with over 100 owners who hold small undivided interests; Help prepare wills for the owners of the above parcel of land so that it does not fractionate any further; Review Title Reports for tribal land transactions; Process bankruptcies. Cherokee Tribe of Northeast Alabama Horton, AL Community: Tribal members Land Law issues: Promote sovereignty and self-sufficiency through tribal enterprise development. Intervention: Develop culturally-sensitive land-related enterprises. Various Ascequia Associations Questa, NM Community: Latina/o residents of northern New Mexico Land Law issues: Promote ascequia culture through education and outreach to individuals and groups. Intervention: Education at community meetings and work with individuals on their particular situations. Pima County Neighborhood Reinvestment Committee Tucson, AZ Community: Residents of Pima County, AZ Land Law issues: Provide financial support, technical assistance, and training for community-based revitalization efforts. Intervention: Incorporate and emphasize homeownership in revitalization efforts. San Xavier Water District, Tohono O'odham Nation Tucson, AZ Community: Tribal members and allottee heirs Land Law issues: How to educate tribal members here and in Mexico about rights and opportunities for control of land? Intervention: Provide information and education concerning land and water rights to members and heirs. Fort Berthold Land Owners Association Newtown, ND Community: Tribal members Land Law issues: How to strength tenure security of tribal members and allottee heirs? Intervention: Educate members about Federal Indian Law and their rights as land owners Navajo Land Owners' Rights Group Ramah, NM Community: Tribal members Land Law issues: How to strength tenure security of tribal members and economic development opportunities for the tribe? Intervention: Provide information and technical assistance to tribal members and landowners. Winston County Self-Help Cooperative Jackson, MS Community: Limited income agricultural producers Land Law issues: How to help the growers of Winston County, MS? Intervention: Provide outreach and training on agricultural practices and cooperatives to members and youth Nez Perce Individual/Allottee Lapwai, ID Community: Tribal members Land Law issues: How to strength tenure security of tribal members? Intervention: Provide outreach to tribal members to inform them of the opportunities to increase tenure security. Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians Dunseith, ND Community: Tribal members Land Law issues: How to strength tenure security of tribal members and regain control over property allotted to non-members? Intervention: Provide public education to groups and assistance to individuals hoping to consolidate ownership. Southwest Grassfed Livestock Alliance Villanueva, NM Community: Producers, land managers, conservationists and researchers Land Law issues: How to ensure that producers get a fair price for their products? Intervention: Promote and market grassfed livestock products through applied research, education, and cooperation in order to improve human, ecological, social, and animal health. New Mexico Land Grant Forum and Las Truchas Land Grant Truchas, NM Community: Land grant heirs Land Law issues: How to strengthen the rights of the heirs to land grants? Intervention: Search for justice and equity for land grant heirs in order to provide for their own food and shelter. Shoshone-Bannock Tribe Fort Hall, ID Community: Tribal members Land Law issues: How to ensure that tribal members have strong tenure rights? Intervention: Educate tribal members about their land rights and responsibilities. Mississippi Association of Cooperatives Louisville, MS Community: Limited resource and minority cooperative members Land Law issues: How to ensure that future generations of African Americans will be able to pursue careers in agriculture? Intervention: Expand education, training and technical assistance to participating cooperatives. Georgia Legal Services Athens, GA Community: Limited resource urban and rural residents Land Law issues: How to keep help limited resource residents retain or acquire homes? Intervention: Organize community meetings; Conduct title research Training Two training sessions are held each year. In the spring, the new land specialists receive a basic overview of land law. The participants come from across the United States and while they might be familiar with their own particular problems and issues, they benefit from seeing differences and similarities in situations faced by other land specialists. Spring Training The spring training session focuses on developing basic skills and awareness in estate planning, title searching, boundary disputes and heir property. The training materials were developed by attorneys with the sponsoring organizations, by faculty and staff at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and by other land law legal professionals. (Documents require Adobe Acrobat) Spring 2001 Training Agenda, Tuskegee, AL (3 p., 13KB) Spring 2002 Training Agenda, Madison, WI (2 p., 11KB) Spring 2003 Training Agenda, Penn Center, SC (2 p., 18KB) Srping 2004 Training Agenda, Suquamish, WA (2 p., 27KB) Fall Training Each fall, all the land specialists attend a national training session. These sessions are aimed at solving particular problems and providing legal solutions.(Documents require Adobe Acrobat) October 2001 Training - Albuquerque, NM Agenda (2 p., 18KB)   November 2002 Training - Albuquerque, NM Agenda (2 p., 18KB) Summary Report (9 p., 457KB) Community Asset Mapping & Heritage Preservation (14 p., 650KB) slide show by Ammie Jenkins Conservation and Community Development (81 p., 12.9MB) slide show by Mikki Sager   October 2003 Training - El Paso, TX Agenda (3 p., 123KB) Photos (slideshow) Summary Report (7 p., 438KB)   October 2004 Training - Jekyll Island, GA Agenda (3 p., 26KB) Summary Report (10 p., 403KB) For more information contact: Brenda R. Haskins, Land Tenure Center 1357 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53715 brhaskins@facstaff.wisc.edu, 608-262-1601

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