How You Benefit from Land Trusts

Across the country, local citizens and communities have joined together to save the places they cherish by establishing land trusts. These non-profit, community-based conservation organizations acquire and protect land for the public good. Strong land trusts provide local communities with effective champions and long-term caretakers of their critical land resources.

The nation's 1,700 + land trusts work with communities to acquire and manage land for the purpose of permanent conservation and then steward the land for public benefit. The land trusts are on the front lines with their local communities to help them save America's land heritage.

Over the years, land trusts have been extraordinarily successful, having protected more than 37 million acres of land, according to the National Land Trust Census.

Land trusts help preserve land for future generations, protect our food and water supply, provide wildlife habitat, and strengthen communities.

Land Trusts Help Your Community

• By helping individuals protect community resources that come from the land – water, food security, wildlife, and places for recreation and reflection
• Promoting stronger local communities by giving citizens the knowledge and support they need to reach out and work with their neighbors to protect the local places they need and love
• Serving as a part of  a national community of land trust staff, volunteers, members and advocates committed to private land conservation across the country

Land Trusts Help Save Limited Resources

Our air and water are limited resources. The tree canopy and vegetation serve as critical filters for our air. Wetlands that border our rivers, lakes and streams filter pollution before it reaches our drinking water. If we do not remove the pollutants that our society puts into the air and water, we consume them ourselves. In many communities it is not uncommon for air quality alerts to close schools and businesses. Already, nearly half of the river miles in America are too polluted to drink from and over 50 percent of our drinking water comes from rivers. Learn more about the threats to land conservation.  Saving land in local communities helps offset this danger.

Land Trusts Offer Economic Benefit Through Land Conservation

In addition to health and food benefits, conserving land increases property values near greenbelts, saves tax dollars by encouraging more efficient development, and reduces the need for expensive water filtration facilities. Study after study has demonstrated the tremendous economic benefits of land conservation. Land trusts work to conserve more land to keep communities healthy and a desirable place to live.