Gaining Ground

Alaska

638,662

Acres Protected

That’s about 483,835 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

3,515

Visitors in 2020, more than double that of 2015.

Percent of Land Trusts That Provide Public Access to Their Lands

50%

Land trusts provide opportunities to recreate and recharge.

Number of People Served

1,712

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

Miles of Trails

37

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

Miles With Universal Access

2

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

80%

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.

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

Active Land Trusts

7

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

4

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

Learn about land trust accreditation

People

  • 1,383

  • 109

  • 17

  • 4

  • 58

Land Trust Longevity

  • 35 years old (1989)

  • 18 years old (2006)

  • 29 years old

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

60%

Percent of Land Trusts Receiving Funding to Address Climate Change

20%

Sources of Funding to Address Climate Change
  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Land Protected

There has been a 43% increase in Alaska land protected by land trusts since 2010.

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

2010
2015
2020
Total acres protected
445,722
563,758
638,662
+43%
Under easement
28,748
38,823
40,966
+43%
Owned
301,320
307,643
307,736
+2%
Acquired and reconveyed
80,830
160,162
145,315
+80%
Protected by other means
34,824
55,984
144,646
+315%

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

100%

Source: 2020 National Land Trust Census

Total Public Funding for Conservation From 1998-2017

$357 million

Source: Trust for Public Land's Conservation Almanac

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

Alaska land trusts are gaining ground.

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

  • Addressing community needs: The Bristol Bay Heritage Land Trust worked with Koliganek Natives LTD, an Alaska Native village corporation, to put a large conservation easement in place at the confluence of Harris Creek and the Nushagak River in Southwest Alaska. A total of 570 acres are under Native ownership and permanently protected from development.

    Read more
  • Providing access to all: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the accredited Great Land Trust got creative when opening a new trail by launching a do-it-yourself grand opening that made the event accessible to a broader swath of the community.

    Read more

Land Trusts Working in Alaska

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