Why Land Conservation Is Important
When land is lost, it is lost forever.
The loss of our open land is not happening by accident. For many decades, our country has created tax laws, zoning, and transportation policy that have fueled rapid sprawl and the development of natural areas. Typical building patterns in America drive us further and further from the center of our communities as we carve up increasingly distant fields and forests.
For many of us, saving the places that enrich our lives is reason enough to support conservation. But much more is at stake. Ensuring that our natural areas are preserved is critical to:
- the quality of the air we breathe,
- the water we drink, and
- the food we eat.
“With all the changes happening in Montana, a valley like this is all the more precious. Not only our place, but nearly all the ranches around us are multi-generational. It’s crucial that this valley stay intact; that our community stay intact. Because it took over a century to develop what we have here. But it would take no time at all to destroy it with subdivision.”
— Gayle Berg; Gayle and her husband Rick Berg, donated a conservation easement on their ranch to the Montana Land Reliance.
The window for change is still open.
Conservation is essential to healthy, prosperous communities, and local land trusts are here to help. If you’re a landowner looking to preserve your property, find out more about:
- Why conserving your land is a vital link
- How to conserve your land
- How everyone benefits from land trusts
