Today this community is indeed a force, having conserved 61 million acres to date, according to the latest National Land Trust Census. It is a community connected by purpose and values. Land trusts may not all work in the same landscapes or conduct the same types of transactions, but they all value land protection for the diverse benefits it brings — from protecting working lands and the livelihoods that go with them, to securing wildlife habitat, clean drinking water, carbon-storing forests and so much more. Land and the Land Trust Alliance are the threads that tie this community together, from past to present to future.
As the Alliance looks to the next 40 years, the path for conservation looks very different than it did in 1982. The challenges that must be tackled are immense — the crises of biodiversity loss, climate change and inequity in conservation and access to land, among others. But these challenges also represent an opportunity, to forge a new path that achieves conservation for the greater good of all.
We are seeing our conservation paradigm dramatically shift, making it harder to plan and see what’s ahead. But the good news is that the Land Trust Alliance was made for moments like this, and we will continue to organize and support the land trust community as it addresses some of society’s greatest challenges, like ensuring clean water, protecting essential plant and animal habitats, and providing communities with access to fresh, local food.
In 1976, Ben Emory, new director of the Maine Coast Heritage Trust, had begun to call on Boston lawyer Kingsbury Browne for advice on federal tax issues related to conservation easements. Emory recruited a handful of other land trusts as clients for Browne’s periodic tax letters, and a small communications network of land trusts evolved.
When Congress considered new legislation relating to tax deductibility of easements, the Brandywine Conservancy, led by Bill Sellers, convened land trusts using easements in December 1979. Browne invited the undersecretary of the Treasury for tax policy, who brought IRS staff Stephen Small. The land trusts agreed to hire lobbyists and coordinate efforts to influence the legislation, winning expansion of the conservation purposes for which easements would qualify for deductibility.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, the Trust for Public Land sponsored a small gathering in San Francisco of established and newly forming Western land trusts in February 1978.
By 1980, more than 400 local and regional land trusts existed, most still in the Northeast, three-fourths with no paid staff, and half with annual budgets under $50,000. The majority of land was protected by fee ownership, but the use of conservation easements was growing.
Then influences converged: the geographic spread resulting in isolation of newer land trusts; recognition of the difficulty of influencing vital legislation; and the growing engagement of Kingsbury Browne in land conservation, leading to his desire to learn about land trusts across the country. A movement was about to be born.
1982-1999
1982
Land Trust Exchange formed in Boston
Incorporated: February 22
First Meeting: March 31
Tax-Exempt Status Received: July 2
Allan Spader named executive director
First issue of Exchange published
1983
Ben Emory named executive director; office moved to Bar Harbor, Maine
Land Trust Exchange urged land trusts to comment on IRS draft regulations on the deductibility of easements
First regional conference held in Wisconsin
1984
The Alliance published its first book, Appraising Easements, in cooperation with the National Trust for Historic Preservation
Exchange featured several articles on how land trusts were beginning to use computers to achieve greater productivity
Initiated first-ever national survey of conservation easement programs, attempting to document all publicly and privately held conservation easements in the country; results published in 1985
1985
First Rally (now called “Rally: The National Land Conservation Conference"), held in Washington, D.C.
National Directory of Local and Regional Land Conservation Organizations issued, showing 535 land trusts protecting 500,000 acres
1986
1986- Federal Tax Law of Conservation Easements published by the Land Trust Exchange and Stephen J. Small
1987
Jean Hocker named president; office moved to Alexandria, Virginia
1988
First edition of The Conservation Easement Handbook published (revised in 2005)
1989
1990
Name changed to Land Trust Alliance; office moved to Washington, D.C.
Training and regional services plan unveiled
1991
Conservation Easement Stewardship Guide published
1993
Land Trust Standards and Practices Guidebook published
First Land Trust Alliance field office established in New York
1994
Launched database of model documents and technical resources to better respond to 2,000 information requests received annually
1995
First Northwest regional conference held in Troutdale, Oregon
1997
First Land Trust Alliance public website launched
1998
The Alliance, in partnership with The Conservation Fund, introduced the Land Conservation Leadership Program
2000-2009
2001
The New York Times featured lead story on results of the 2000 National Land Trust Census
Alliance convened land trust partners to increase pace of conservation in Chicago region
Northern Rockies Land Conservation Planning Workshop held in Bozeman, Montana
LTAnet launched, first online library of land conservation information for member land trusts
2002
Rand Wentworth hired as president
Lake Superior Land Trust Partnership held its first meeting
2004
Maine Coast Protection Initiative conceived
Land Trust Standards and Practices revised with input from land trust community
First million dollar grant awarded (Doris Duke Foundation) to advance training and accreditation
2005
Joint Committee on Taxation recommended eliminating federal tax incentives for conservation easements; Alliance united land trusts in campaign to save incentives
2006
Alliance-led coalition won new federal law providing significant new tax incentives for conservation
National Land Trust Census featured on front page of USA Today
New York state tax credit passed through a joint effort among the Alliance and New York land trusts
Standards and Practices Curriculum developed
Alliance creates a National Council
2007
The Learning Center launched, providing online access to the Standards and Practices Curriculum and multiple conservation resources
20th Rally held Oct. 3-6
Twenty-two land conservation organizations selected for national accreditation pilot program
2008
Exchange becomes Saving Land magazine
Land trust excellence programs initiated to increase capacity
Inaugural group of 39 land trusts accredited
With guidance from the newly formed Conservation Defense Council, Alliance begins development of a conservation defense clearinghouse, fund and network
2009
Multi-course Standards and Practices Curriculum made available online and in print
2010-2019
2010
Piloted the Leadership Program, and in following years piloted additional training as part of this program:
- Leadership Program cohort two in 2012
- Advanced Leadership Retreat for select alumni in 2014
- High Impact Land Trust retreat in 2015
- Community Conservation retreat in 2016
Won renewal in Congress of the enhanced federal tax incentive for conservation easement donations through 2011
2011
2010 Land Trust Census Report released showing a gain of 10 million protected acres in five years; local, state and national land trusts saved a total of 47 million acres
Organized Terrafirma Risk Retention Group, LLC, a charitable risk pool owned by participating land trusts that insures its members against the legal costs of defending conservation
2012
158 land trusts accredited
First-ever Land Trust Lobby Day held in Washington, D.C.
2013
Alliance launches the community-centered conservation program and its commitment to connect more people to the land
Alliance Western program implements Oregon Advancing Conservation Excellence program through a $4.5 million grant from the Yarg Foundation
2014
Farm Bill passes, providing up to $1 billion for a new conservation program to save working farm and ranch lands throughout the United States over the next 10 years
Alliance Midwest program creates peer networks to strengthen Midwest land trust community
“A Land Conservation Vision for the Gulf of Mexico Region” published by Alliance partner Partnership for Gulf Coast Land Conservation
2015
After a 20-year effort, Alliance and partners successfully lobby Congress to make permanent the enhanced incentive for conservation easement donations
Capital campaign, Together: A Campaign for the Land, successfully raises $40.1 million
2016
Rand Wentworth retires as president of the Alliance after 14 years
Andrew Bowman named new president of the Alliance
With funding and partnership from the Chesapeake Bay Funders Network, Alliance launches the Chesapeake Land and Water Initiative
2015 Land Trust Census (released in 2016) shows 56 million acres protected by land trusts, more land than in the national parks across the lower 48
2017
Alliance undertakes a year-long Strategy Review Process to inform and create a new strategic plan
Terrafirma starts its fifth policy year with more than 500 land trusts and 8 million acres enrolled; conservation defense initiative celebrates its 10th anniversary
Alliance launches new Land and Climate Program
Alliance celebrates 35 years
Land trust accreditation program celebrates 10 years, with one-quarter of all land trusts accredited and 77% of total acres owned and under easement held by an accredited land trust
Alliance releases the revised Land Trust Standards and Practices
Alliance hosts the 30th Rally: The National Land Conservation Conference
2018
Alliance adopts its 2018-2022 Strategic Plan, which includes a vision for bold social media campaign (i.e., relevance campaign) to broaden public support for land conservation
Alliance launches its first-ever digital annual report (for year 2017), saving trees and expense
In late December, the Alliance celebrates the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill that reflects many of our community’s highest priorities
2019
Alliance joins 11 other organizations in calling for immediate passage of the Charitable Conservation Easement Program Integrity Act, which will stop abuse of the federal incentive for conservation easement donations
Alliance joins Oregon Community Foundation, Seattle Foundation and Idaho Community Foundation to unveil the Pacific Northwest Resilient Landscapes Initiative, launched with support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. The initiative will permanently protect thousands of acres of natural lands in Oregon, Idaho and Washington that can preserve biodiversity, durable wildlife habitat and functional migration corridors as the climate changes
Alliance launches Common Ground: Creating a Shared Vision for Conservation, a listening and learning project to help inform the way forward for community conservation
Alliance partners with the USDA Forest Service to launch the Scholars for Conservation Leadership Program, a career and leadership development program to expand opportunities for underrepresented students so they can more readily pursue careers in natural resource management and conservation. The 2019 pilot program benefits 10 undergraduate students from across the United States
Alliance honors Jean Hocker, former president, with a special memorial at Rally 2019: The National Land Conservation Conference
Alliance creates a President’s Circle to engage the organization’s top individual donors
2020-2024
2020
In mid-March, all Alliance and Commission staff move to a telework protocol due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Alliance pivots from in-person meetings to virtual events, including the first-ever virtual Advocacy Days, which increases participation by 61%
Alliance publishes A Call to Action to Advance Land Conservation in a Time of Societal Crises: An Assessment for Supporters of the Land Trust Alliance
Alliance convenes the land trust community through online meetings to share advice, lessons learned and ways forward during the COVID-19 pandemic, creating an informative webpage and compiling resources on the Learning Center
Land trust accreditation program celebrates reaching 443 accredited land trusts and 79% of total acres owned and under easement held by an accredited land trust
Alliance holds first-ever virtual Rally: The National Land Conservation Conference with record participation
2021
Alliance publishes: Achieving 30x30: The Essential Role of Private Land Conservation in response to the Biden Administration’s executive order signed on January 27, 2021
The Land Trust Accreditation Commission celebrates its 15th anniversary
Results from the Alliance’s 2020 National Land Trust Census are published, showing the collective impact of land trusts across the country to protect land — 61 million acres to date — and address the needs of their communities
In conjunction with the results of the National Land Trust Census, the Alliance launched a new Find a Land Trust website, featuring a profile for each of its 948 member land trusts
2022
The Alliance celebrates 40 years of progress in private land conservation
The 545 land trust members of Terrafirma collectively insure over 10,212,198 acres, 38% more than when the Alliance started Terrafirma in 2013, and one and a half times the size of Hawaii! Terrafirma has also paid out $4.5 million for covered claims, handled over 1,500 claims and insured over 36,000 conservation properties
2022
The Alliance released a Farm Bill Advocacy Toolkit to assist land trusts in successfully advocating for sound Farm bill policies that help land trusts support landowners in conserving the farmlands, ranchlands, forestlands and wetlands that are critical to providing a healthy future for all people
The Defending Voluntary Private Land Conservation Toolkit is published to help land trusts set the record straight against attacks on voluntary conservation that put critical conservation tools at risk
The community-centered conservation team convened the inaugural First Stewards Summit in Portland, Oregon, prior to Rally
2024
The Alliance established a five-person team to help land trusts participate in conservation programs administered by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and save more working lands
Rally: The National Land Conservation Conference in Providence, Rhode Island, broke attendance records with 2,337 participants
The New York State Conservation Partnership Program celebrates 20 rounds of grants totaling more than $31 million is support to land trusts across the state
