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    Gaining Ground

    Arkansas

    308,244

    Acres Protected

    That’s about 233,518 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

    2,000

    More and more people are enjoying the benefits of nature.

    Percent of Land Trusts That Provide Public Access to Their Lands

    100%

    Land trusts provide opportunities to recreate and recharge.

    Number of People Served

    25

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

    Miles of Trails

    5

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

    Miles With Universal Access

    0

    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

    100%

    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.

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

    Active Land Trusts

    4

    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

    1

    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

    1

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

    Learn about land trust accreditation

    People

    • 375

    • 15

    • 6

    • 3

    • 23

    Land Trust Longevity

    • 21 years old (2003)

    • 16 years old (2008)

    • 18 years old

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

    100%

    Percent of Land Trusts Receiving Funding to Address Climate Change

    100%

    Land Protected

    There has been a 20% increase in Arkansas land protected by land trusts since 2010.

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

    2010
    2015
    2020
    Total acres protected
    257,419
    269,781
    308,244
    +20%
    Under easement
    14,773
    29,350
    72,925
    +394%
    Owned
    19,014
    28,641
    30,909
    +63%
    Acquired and reconveyed
    138,580
    143,752
    131,689
    0%
    Protected by other means
    85,052
    85,721
    72,721
    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

    81%

    Source: 2020 National Land Trust Census

    Total Public Funding for Conservation From 1998-2017

    $265 million

    Source: Trust for Public Land's Conservation Almanac

    Acres of Land Lost to Development From 2012-2017

    44,400

    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

    Arkansas land trusts are gaining ground.

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

    • Tackling climate change: The accredited Northwest Arkansas Land Trust worked with the City of Fayetteville to help site renewable energy. In the process, they permanently protected a prairie parcel to sequester carbon. The land trust completed a conservation easement and land management agreement, as well as a small walking trail so area residents can enjoy birding and rare plants (over 200 plant species were identified in a “botany blitz”).

      Read more

    • Conserving wildlife habitat: Birds that depend on open grasslands are the fastest declining birds in North America, so when Mrs. Betty Hinshaw agreed to donate 25 acres along Little Wildcat Creek in Tontitown, Arkansas, the accredited Northwest Arkansas Land Trust jumped at the chance to create a one-of-a-kind nature preserve dedicated to the conservation of grassland birds.

      Read more

    Land Trusts Working in Arkansas

    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
    American Farmland Trust
    American Farmland Trust
    Northampton, MA
    Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
    Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
    Memphis, TN
    39,093 acres protected in AR
    Mississippi River Trust
    Mississippi River Trust
    Stoneville, MS
    11,346 acres protected in AR
    National Park Trust
    National Park Trust
    Rockville, MD
    2,093 acres protected in AR
    Northwest Arkansas Land Trust
    Northwest Arkansas Land Trust
    Fayetteville, AR
    5,211 acres protected in AR
    Ozark Land Trust, Inc.
    Ozark Land Trust, Inc.
    Columbia, MO
    3,684 acres protected in AR
    Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
    Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
    Missoula, MT
    514 acres protected in AR
    TennGreen Land Conservancy
    TennGreen Land Conservancy
    Nashville, TN
    1,213 acres protected in AR
    The Conservation Fund
    The Conservation Fund
    Arlington, VA
    1,800 acres protected in AR
    The Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust
    The Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust
    Washington, DC
    1,956 acres protected in AR
    The Nature Conservancy
    The Nature Conservancy
    Arlington, VA
    231,126 acres protected in AR
    The Trust for Public Land, National Office
    The Trust for Public Land, National Office
    San Francisco, CA
    21,677 acres protected in AR