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    Gaining Ground

    Missouri

    362,180

    Acres Protected

    That’s about 274,379 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

    36,263

    Visitors in 2020, more than triple that of 2015.

    Percent of Land Trusts That Provide Public Access to Their Lands

    90%

    Land trusts provide opportunities to recreate and recharge.

    Number of People Served

    8,535

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

    Miles of Trails

    88

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

    Miles With Universal Access

    41

    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

    67%

    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.

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

    Active Land Trusts

    13

    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

    9

    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

    • 3,468

    • 3,588

    • 25

    • 3

    • 138

    Land Trust Longevity

    • 62 years old (1962)

    • 12 years old (2012)

    • 33 years old

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

    78%

    Percent of Land Trusts Receiving Funding to Address Climate Change

    33%

    Sources of Funding to Address Climate Change

    • Missouri Department of Natural Resources

    • Federal Highway Administration

    Land Protected

    There has been a 7% increase in Missouri land protected by land trusts since 2010.

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

    2010
    2015
    2020
    Total acres protected
    338,737
    346,335
    362,180
    +7%
    Under easement
    27,065
    31,552
    46,062
    +70%
    Owned
    179,514
    185,098
    188,110
    +5%
    Acquired and reconveyed
    123,095
    127,094
    118,651
    0%
    Protected by other means
    9,063
    10,321
    9,358
    +3%

    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

    36%

    Source: 2020 National Land Trust Census

    Total Public Funding for Conservation From 1998-2017

    $302 million

    Source: Trust for Public Land's Conservation Almanac

    Acres of Land Lost to Development From 2012-2017

    36,500

    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

    Missouri land trusts are gaining ground.

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

    • Protecting water quality: The Heartland Conservation Alliance is a member of the Urban Waters Federal Partnership that protects the nation's urban waterways. In the Kansas City metro area, the Blue River Urban Waters Federal Partnership seeks to catalyze the restoration and revitalization of the Middle Blue River.

      READ MORE

    • Tackling climate change: Ozark Land Trust has completed a 3,200-acre carbon offset project on its largest directly owned property. The carbon credits for the forested property were issued through the California Air Resources Board.

      Read more

    • Conserving wildlife habitat: The Missouri Prairie Foundation set a new world record at their Penn-Sylvania Prairie property — recent sampling showed 46 native plant species. The 160-acre property is also home to many grassland birds and five species of conservation concern, including the regal fritillary butterfly, prairie mole cricket and northern crawfish frog.

      Read more

    Land Trusts Working in Missouri

    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
    Dancing Rabbit Land Trust
    Dancing Rabbit Land Trust
    Rutledge, MO
    280 acres protected in MO
    Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
    Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
    Memphis, TN
    10,393 acres protected in MO
    Greenbelt Land Trust of Mid-Missouri
    Greenbelt Land Trust of Mid-Missouri
    Columbia, MO
    935 acres protected in MO
    Greenwood Forest Association
    Greenwood Forest Association
    Mountain View, MO
    Heartland Conservation Alliance
    Heartland Conservation Alliance
    Kansas City, MO
    40 acres protected in MO
    Kansas Land Trust, Inc.
    Kansas Land Trust, Inc.
    Lawrence, KS
    140 acres protected in MO
    Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation
    Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation
    Jefferson City, MO
    1,342 acres protected in MO
    Missouri Prairie Foundation
    Missouri Prairie Foundation
    Columbia, MO
    5,219 acres protected in MO
    National Park Trust
    National Park Trust
    Rockville, MD
    Ozark Greenways, Inc.
    Ozark Greenways, Inc.
    Springfield, MO
    1,082 acres protected in MO
    Ozark Land Trust, Inc.
    Ozark Land Trust, Inc.
    Columbia, MO
    27,594 acres protected in MO
    Platte Land Trust
    Platte Land Trust
    Kansas City, MO
    620 acres protected in MO
    The Conservation Fund
    The Conservation Fund
    Arlington, VA
    19,121 acres protected in MO
    The Nature Conservancy
    The Nature Conservancy
    Arlington, VA
    146,014 acres protected in MO
    The Trust for Public Land, National Office
    The Trust for Public Land, National Office
    San Francisco, CA
    4,911 acres protected in MO