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    Gaining Ground

    United States

    61,072,596

    Acres Protected

    That’s about 46,267,118 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

    16.7 million

    Visitors in 2020, more than double that of 2015.

    Percent of Land Trusts That Provide Public Access to Their Lands

    80%

    Land trusts provide opportunities to recreate and recharge.

    Number of People Served

    6.4 million

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

    Miles of Trails

    9,761

    Getting outside improves people's health and well-being.

    Miles With Universal Access

    997

    Trails that are designed to be used by all people, regardless of ability.

    Percent of Land Trusts Who Increased Community Engagement in the Last Five Years

    76%

    Land Trusts Are Deepening Relationships With:

    • People from various racial and ethnic backgrounds

    • Older adults or those living in retirement communities

    • People living with disabilities

    • People who identify as LGBTQ+

    • 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.

    Land trusts are community-led and supported and protect lands and waters that benefit everyone.

    Active Land Trusts

    1,281

    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

    948

    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

    453

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

    Learn about accreditation

    People

    • 6.3 million

    • 233,574

    • 10,047

    • 2,669

    • 13,672

    Land Trust Longevity

    • 180 years old (1843)

    • 3 years old (2020)

    • 32 years old

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

    74%

    Percent of Land Trusts Receiving Funding to Address Climate Change

    33%

    Sources of Funding to Address Climate Change

    • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

    • United States Department of Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service

    • North American Wetlands Conservation Act

    • United States Forest Service

    • Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science

    Land Protected

    Local land trusts are leading the way forward.

    Land trusts have protected 61 million acres — more than all national parks. Local and state land trusts contributed to 70% of the growth in land protected since 2015.

    2010
    2015
    2020
    Total acres protected
    45,813,150
    54,891,951
    61,072,596
    +33%
    Under easement
    12,837,451
    16,572,307
    20,236,888
    +58%
    Owned
    7,231,273
    7,941,081
    8,489,036
    +17%
    Acquired and reconveyed
    10,562,844
    12,207,155
    13,057,348
    +24%
    Protected by other means
    14,004,762
    17,400,332
    18,132,959
    +29%

    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

    $46 billion

    Source: Trust for Public Land's Conservation Almanac

    Acres of Land Lost to Development From 2012-2017

    2,626,800

    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.

    National Land Trusts

    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
    6,020 total acres protected
    American Farmland Trust
    American Farmland Trust
    Northampton, MA
    76,533 total acres protected
    Appalachian Trail Conservancy
    Appalachian Trail Conservancy
    Harpers Ferry, WV
    128,795 total acres protected
    Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
    Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
    Memphis, TN
    505,177 total acres protected
    Garden Conservancy
    Garden Conservancy
    Garrison, NY
    134 total acres protected
    National Park Trust
    National Park Trust
    Rockville, MD
    25,256 total acres protected
    Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
    Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
    Missoula, MT
    1,131,097 total acres protected
    The Conservation Fund
    The Conservation Fund
    Arlington, VA
    7,853,446 total acres protected
    The Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust
    The Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust
    Washington, DC
    20,962 total acres protected
    The Nature Conservancy
    The Nature Conservancy
    Arlington, VA
    21,877,389 total acres protected
    The Trust for Public Land, National Office
    The Trust for Public Land, National Office
    San Francisco, CA
    2,994,110 total acres protected
    The Wilderness Land Trust
    The Wilderness Land Trust
    Helena, MT
    55,261 total acres protected