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    Gaining Ground

    Alabama

    459,858

    Acres Protected

    That’s about 348,377 football fields!

    Land trusts have already conserved 61 million acres of private land across the nation — more than all of the national parks combined. Help us conserve another 60 million acres by the end of the decade.

    Together, let’s keep Gaining Ground.

    Visitors to Land Trust Properties

    201,230

    Visitors in 2020, more than triple that of 2015.

    Percent of Land Trusts That Provide Public Access to Their Lands

    38%

    Land trusts provide opportunities to recreate and recharge.

    Number of People Served

    4,950

    Land trusts provide programs and activities to get people outside and learn about the land.

    Miles of Trails

    200

    Walking, hiking and other outdoor recreation improve people's health and well-being.

    Miles With Universal Access

    18

    Universal access trails are designed to be used by all people, regardless of ability.

    Percent of Land Trusts Who Increased Community Engagement in the Last Five Years

    60%

    Land Trusts Are Deepening Relationships With:

    • People from various racial and ethnic backgrounds

    • Older adults or those living in retirement communities

    • People who identify as LGBTQ+

    • People living with disabilities

    • Veterans

    Land Trusts Are Helping Address Community Needs, Including:

    • Youth education and development

    • Community and economic development

    • Food security and agriculture

    • Health and wellness

    • Social and environmental justice

    Demographics

    Every land trust is as unique as the community it serves.

    Alabama land trusts are community-led and supported and protect lands and waters that help the entire state.

    Active Land Trusts

    8

    A land trust is a nonprofit that conserves land by acquiring and stewarding land or conservation easements.

    Learn more about land trusts
    Alliance Member Land Trusts

    6

    Land Trust Alliance members commit to adopting Land Trust Standards and Practices as their guiding principles.

    Learn about the land trust alliance
    Accredited Land Trusts

    5

    Accredited land trusts undergo a thorough review of their practices in governance, finance, transactions and stewardship.

    Learn about land trust accreditation

    People

    • 3,659

    • 429

    • 37

    • 8

    • 96

    Land Trust Longevity

    • 38 years old (1986)

    • 18 years old (2006)

    • 34 years old

    Percent of Land Trusts Who Increased Focus on Climate Change in the Last Five Years

    20%

    Percent of Land Trusts Receiving Funding to Address Climate Change

    0%

    Land Protected

    There has been a 58% increase in Alabama land protected by land trusts since 2010.

    Acre by acre, land trusts are helping to conserve Alabama lands, waters and ways of life.

    2010
    2015
    2020
    Total acres protected
    290,409
    388,454
    459,858
    +58%
    Under easement
    54,657
    142,558
    202,920
    +271%
    Owned
    32,829
    43,191
    39,703
    +21%
    Acquired and reconveyed
    93,273
    107,815
    108,031
    +16%
    Protected by other means
    109,650
    106,582
    109,204
    0%

    Disclaimer: Land trusts conserve land in many different ways and every project is unique. Category totals may change depending on how acres are reported by survey respondents to reflect the most current data and minimize double-counting. In some instances, the total may be greater than the sum of the separate categories due to organizations that provided total acres not broken down by category.

    Percent of Land Owned and Under Easement Held by an Accredited Land Trust

    92%

    Source: 2020 National Land Trust Census

    Total Public Funding for Conservation From 1998-2017

    $284 million

    Source: Trust for Public Land's Conservation Almanac

    Acres of Land Lost to Development From 2012-2017

    42,400

    Source: NRCS - Natural Resources Inventory

    This information reflects data collected in the National Land Trust Census, the longest-running comprehensive survey of private land conservation in America. Learn more about the Census and see which land trusts participated in the 2020 National Land Trust Census.

    Making a Difference

    Alabama land trusts are gaining ground.

    Land trusts across the state are helping find solutions to some of Alabama's most pressing issues.

    • Providing access for all: The accredited Freshwater Land Trust joined 19 organizations to form the group Champions for Health, organizations and agencies working together to improve the health of Jefferson County. The group create a 750-mile master plan for a network of greenways, bike and pedestrian paths and trails to improve the environmental, economic and social well-being of the community while promoting healthy lifestyles.

      Read more

    • Addressing community needs: The accredited Land Trust of North Alabama partnered with Downtown Huntsville, Inc. and Downtown Charitable Fund to provide temporary employment to service industry workers from downtown Huntsville businesses who had been displaced due to the economic fallout of COVID-19.

      Read more

    Land Trusts Working in Alabama

    Land Trust Alliance member land trusts, listed below, commit to adopting Land Trust Standards and Practices as their guiding principles.

    Access Fund
    Access Fund
    Boulder, CO
    91 acres protected in AL
    Alabama Forest Land Trust, Inc.
    Alabama Forest Land Trust, Inc.
    Mobile, AL
    85,107 acres protected in AL
    American Farmland Trust
    American Farmland Trust
    Northampton, MA
    Dauphin Island Bird Sanctuaries
    Dauphin Island Bird Sanctuaries
    Dauphin Island, AL
    Freshwater Land Trust
    Freshwater Land Trust
    Birmingham, AL
    8,252 acres protected in AL
    Georgia-Alabama Land Trust
    Georgia-Alabama Land Trust
    Piedmont, AL
    112,138 acres protected in AL
    Land Trust of North Alabama
    Land Trust of North Alabama
    Huntsville, AL
    8,261 acres protected in AL
    Lookout Mountain Conservancy
    Lookout Mountain Conservancy
    Lookout Mountain, TN
    National Farmers Trust
    National Farmers Trust
    Birmingham, AL
    3,103 acres protected in AL
    National Park Trust
    National Park Trust
    Rockville, MD
    South Alabama Land Trust
    South Alabama Land Trust
    Fairhope, AL
    17,746 acres protected in AL
    Southeastern Cave Conservancy, Inc.
    Southeastern Cave Conservancy, Inc.
    Signal Mountain, TN
    420 acres protected in AL
    The Conservation Fund
    The Conservation Fund
    Arlington, VA
    18,243 acres protected in AL
    The Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust
    The Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust
    Washington, DC
    73 acres protected in AL
    The Nature Conservancy
    The Nature Conservancy
    Arlington, VA
    167,480 acres protected in AL
    The Trust for Public Land, National Office
    The Trust for Public Land, National Office
    San Francisco, CA
    3,227 acres protected in AL