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    Gaining Ground

    Minnesota

    1,152,450

    Acres Protected

    That’s about 873,068 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.

    Demographics

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

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

    Active Land Trusts

    5

    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

    2

    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

    2

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

    Learn about land trust accreditation

    People

    • 2,462

    • 118

    • 22

    • 8

    • 45

    Land Trust Longevity

    • 70 years old (1954)

    • 21 years old (2003)

    • 33 years old

    State Association
    View website
    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%

    Sources of Funding to Address Climate Change

    • Minnesota Lessard Sams Outdoor Heritage Fund

    • Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Conservation Partners Legacy Grant

    Land Protected

    There has been a 12% increase in Minnesota land protected by land trusts since 2010.

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

    2010
    2015
    2020
    Total acres protected
    1,025,572
    1,139,909
    1,152,450
    +12%
    Under easement
    279,765
    289,956
    307,457
    +10%
    Owned
    84,465
    113,208
    117,524
    +39%
    Acquired and reconveyed
    169,893
    236,608
    233,947
    +38%
    Protected by other means
    491,450
    500,959
    493,522
    +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

    99%

    Source: 2020 National Land Trust Census

    Total Public Funding for Conservation From 1998-2017

    $758 million

    Source: Trust for Public Land's Conservation Almanac

    Acres of Land Lost to Development From 2012-2017

    40,600

    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

    Minnesota land trusts are gaining ground.

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

    • Protecting water quality: The accredited Northern Waters Land Trust and Minnesota Land Trust launched the Clean Water Critical Habitat program in 2014 to protect 75% of critical shoreland and water parcels. Research shows that healthy watersheds with intact forests are fundamental to good fish habitat and effective protection of water quality.

      Read more

    • Addressing community needs: The accredited Minnesota Land Trust partners with the City of Duluth to protect and promote the city's nature-based recreation assets. Together with outdoor user groups, they are opening an ice climbing venue and the first new park in Duluth in 40 years; guiding the development of the Duluth Traverse, a 100-mile mountain bike trail that spans the city; completing improvements at the Grand Avenue Nordic Ski Center; and redesigning and reconstructing the shoreline at Chamber's Grove Park to improve fish spawning habitat and create ADA-accessible fishing opportunities.

      Read more

    Land Trusts Working in Minnesota

    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
    110 acres protected in MN
    American Farmland Trust
    American Farmland Trust
    Northampton, MA
    1,270 acres protected in MN
    Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
    Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
    Memphis, TN
    1,943 acres protected in MN
    Lake Superior Watershed Conservancy
    Lake Superior Watershed Conservancy
    Sault Sainte Marie, MI
    Minnesota Land Trust
    Minnesota Land Trust
    Saint Paul, MN
    81,772 acres protected in MN
    National Park Trust
    National Park Trust
    Rockville, MD
    20 acres protected in MN
    Northern Waters Land Trust
    Northern Waters Land Trust
    Walker, MN
    5,736 acres protected in MN
    Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
    Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
    Missoula, MT
    943 acres protected in MN
    Standing Cedars Community Land Conservancy
    Standing Cedars Community Land Conservancy
    Osceola, WI
    8 acres protected in MN
    The Conservation Fund
    The Conservation Fund
    Arlington, VA
    289,273 acres protected in MN
    The Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust
    The Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust
    Washington, DC
    180 acres protected in MN
    The Nature Conservancy
    The Nature Conservancy
    Arlington, VA
    660,854 acres protected in MN
    The Trust for Public Land, National Office
    The Trust for Public Land, National Office
    San Francisco, CA
    90,036 acres protected in MN