Gaining Ground

New York

1,976,650

Acres Protected

That’s about 1,497,462 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

1.1 million

Visitors in 2020, more than double that of 2015.

Percent of Land Trusts That Provide Public Access to Their Lands

85%

Land trusts provide opportunities to recreate and recharge.

Number of People Served

72,482

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

Miles of Trails

1,158

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

Miles With Universal Access

42

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

85%

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.

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

Active Land Trusts

88

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

84

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

42

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

Learn about land trust accreditation

People

  • 1,863,000

  • 5,936

  • 384

  • 163

  • 1,047

Land Trust Longevity

  • 93 years old (1931)

  • 10 years old (2014)

  • 34 years old

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

85%

Percent of Land Trusts Receiving Funding to Address Climate Change

31%

Sources of Funding to Address Climate Change
  • New York State Conservation Partnership Program

  • New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

  • New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

  • National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Hudson River Estuary Program

Land Protected

There has been a 10% increase in New York land protected by land trusts since 2010.

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

2010
2015
2020
Total acres protected
1,801,707
1,901,174
1,976,650
+10%
Under easement
550,939
627,230
688,096
+25%
Owned
384,390
410,816
353,609
0%
Acquired and reconveyed
635,055
709,979
649,806
+2%
Protected by other means
231,325
417,462
285,139
+23%

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

92%

Source: 2020 National Land Trust Census

Total Public Funding for Conservation From 1998-2017

$2.1 billion

Source: Trust for Public Land's Conservation Almanac

Acres of Land Lost to Development From 2012-2017

50,200

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

New York land trusts are gaining ground.

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

  • Providing access to land for all: The accredited Grassroots Gardens of Western New York formed the “Gardening for All” accessibility task force in response to the needs of local gardeners living with disabilities and in recognition that all people should have access to the garden network, now and in the future.

    Read more
  • Creating healthy communities: A prominent forested property on the Shawangunk Ridge in New York’s Catskill Mountains is now permanently protected thanks to a recent purchase by the Open Space Institute. The 228-acre property in the town of Mamakating is adjacent to five popular recreational trail systems and to the 3,300-acre Bashakill Wildlife Management Area.

    Read more
  • Protecting land for future generations: Budding naturalists can check out nature in New York’s Hudson Valley with only a library card — and a sense of adventure. Libraries in Columbia County make nature-based Explorer Backpacks available free of charge, thanks to the accredited Columbia Land Conservancy.

    Read more

Land Trusts Working in New York

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