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    Gaining Ground

    Montana

    3,982,383

    Acres Protected

    That’s about 3,016,957 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

    11,150

    Visitors in 2020, more than triple that of 2015.

    Percent of Land Trusts That Provide Public Access to Their Lands

    100%

    Land trusts provide opportunities to recreate and recharge.

    Number of People Served

    4,083

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

    Miles of Trails

    110

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

    Miles With Universal Access

    17

    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

    83%

    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.

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

    Active Land Trusts

    9

    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

    8

    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

    7

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

    Learn about land trust accreditation

    People

    • 241,514

    • 11,656

    • 207

    • 33

    • 131

    Land Trust Longevity

    • 52 years old (1972)

    • 23 years old (2001)

    • 34 years old

    State Association
    Heart of the Rockies Initiative
    View website
    State Association
    Montana Association of Land Trusts
    View website
    Percent of Land Trusts Who Increased Focus on Climate Change in the Last Five Years

    67%

    Percent of Land Trusts Receiving Funding to Address Climate Change

    67%

    Land Protected

    There has been a 31% increase in Montana land protected by land trusts since 2010.

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

    2010
    2015
    2020
    Total acres protected
    3,050,449
    3,457,702
    3,982,383
    +31%
    Under easement
    1,398,136
    1,575,616
    1,977,213
    +41%
    Owned
    288,515
    239,268
    210,174
    0%
    Acquired and reconveyed
    1,092,225
    1,216,996
    1,359,365
    +24%
    Protected by other means
    271,572
    485,053
    435,631
    +60%

    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

    95%

    Source: 2020 National Land Trust Census

    Total Public Funding for Conservation From 1998-2017

    $904 million

    Source: Trust for Public Land's Conservation Almanac

    Acres of Land Lost to Development From 2012-2017

    20,100

    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

    Montana land trusts are gaining ground.

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

    • Conserving wildlife habitat: The accredited Vital Ground Foundation was founded by the bear trainers Doug and Lynne Seus to honor the animals they worked with. What grizzlies need is room to roam, and Vital Ground has worked with willing landowners to conserve over 618, 000 acres of grizzly bear habitat in Montana, Washington and Idaho. The organization also works to reduce conflicts between grizzlies and people.

      Read more

    • Creating healthy communities: In the heart of the greater Yellowstone ecosystem, the Gallatin Valley Land Trust developed several layers of partnership to create several layers of conservation benefit in Highland Glenn near Bozeman, Montana.

      Read more

    • Conserving family farms and ranches: The accredited Montana Land Reliance has worked with Montana's landowners to permanently protect agricultural lands, fish and wildlife habitat and open space. Since its founding in 1978, the organization has protected over 1 million acres.

      Read more

    Land Trusts Working in Montana

    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
    1,415 acres protected in MT
    Bitter Root Land Trust
    Bitter Root Land Trust
    Hamilton, MT
    9,212 acres protected in MT
    Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
    Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
    Memphis, TN
    20,101 acres protected in MT
    Five Valleys Land Trust
    Five Valleys Land Trust
    Missoula, MT
    97,716 acres protected in MT
    Flathead Land Trust
    Flathead Land Trust
    Kalispell, MT
    16,164 acres protected in MT
    Gallatin Valley Land Trust
    Gallatin Valley Land Trust
    Bozeman, MT
    50,722 acres protected in MT
    Kaniksu Land Trust
    Kaniksu Land Trust
    Sandpoint, ID
    976 acres protected in MT
    Montana Land Reliance
    Montana Land Reliance
    Helena, MT
    1,204,445 acres protected in MT
    National Park Trust
    National Park Trust
    Rockville, MD
    160 acres protected in MT
    Prickly Pear Land Trust
    Prickly Pear Land Trust
    Helena, MT
    10,067 acres protected in MT
    Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
    Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
    Missoula, MT
    214,799 acres protected in MT
    The Conservation Fund
    The Conservation Fund
    Arlington, VA
    231,371 acres protected in MT
    The Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust
    The Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust
    Washington, DC
    440 acres protected in MT
    The Nature Conservancy
    The Nature Conservancy
    Arlington, VA
    1,391,823 acres protected in MT
    The Trust for Public Land, National Office
    The Trust for Public Land, National Office
    San Francisco, CA
    539,138 acres protected in MT
    The Vital Ground Foundation
    The Vital Ground Foundation
    Missoula, MT
    111,480 acres protected in MT
    The Wilderness Land Trust
    The Wilderness Land Trust
    Helena, MT
    316 acres protected in MT
    Western Rivers Conservancy
    Western Rivers Conservancy
    Portland, OR
    6,130 acres protected in MT