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    Gaining Ground

    Utah

    1,243,448

    Acres Protected

    That’s about 942,006 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

    25,645

    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

    565

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

    Miles of Trails

    151

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

    Miles With Universal Access

    10

    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.

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

    Active Land Trusts

    8

    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

    7

    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

    • 12,369

    • 638

    • 25

    • 12

    • 84

    Land Trust Longevity

    • 43 years old (1981)

    • 13 years old (2011)

    • 31 years old

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

    33%

    Percent of Land Trusts Receiving Funding to Address Climate Change

    33%

    Land Protected

    There has been a 13% increase in Utah land protected by land trusts since 2010.

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

    2010
    2015
    2020
    Total acres protected
    1,097,319
    1,206,790
    1,243,448
    +13%
    Under easement
    52,808
    65,793
    89,081
    +69%
    Owned
    80,952
    84,852
    88,812
    +10%
    Acquired and reconveyed
    119,230
    123,122
    389,739
    +227%
    Protected by other means
    844,329
    844,485
    675,816
    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

    90%

    Source: 2020 National Land Trust Census

    Total Public Funding for Conservation From 1998-2017

    $412 million

    Source: Trust for Public Land's Conservation Almanac

    Acres of Land Lost to Development From 2012-2017

    53,100

    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

    Utah land trusts are gaining ground.

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

    • Ensuring clean drinking water: The accredited Summit Land Conservancy works in Summit County, Utah, to preserve undeveloped lands including farmlands and open spaces in the Weber River basin, which supplies irrigation and drinking water for 30% of people living in the Wasatch Front.

      Read more

    • Protecting land for future generations: The accredited Utah Open Lands is a regional land trust working to preserve, protect and steward open spaces to maintain Utah's natural heritage and quality of life for present and future generations.

      Read more

    • Conserving wildlife habitat: A Trappist Cistercian monastery established in 1947 by World War II veteran monks, the Huntsville Monastery will provide critical winter habitat for hundreds of Rocky Mountain elk and serve as a wildlife corridor for two endangered species: the Canada lynx and yellow-billed cuckoo.

      Read more

    Land Trusts Working in Utah

    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
    224 acres protected in UT
    American Farmland Trust
    American Farmland Trust
    Northampton, MA
    Bear River Land Conservancy
    Bear River Land Conservancy
    Logan, UT
    4,609 acres protected in UT
    Colorado West Land Trust
    Colorado West Land Trust
    Grand Junction, CO
    1,443 acres protected in UT
    Friends of Alta
    Friends of Alta
    Alta, UT
    35 acres protected in UT
    National Park Trust
    National Park Trust
    Rockville, MD
    705 acres protected in UT
    Ogden Valley Land Trust
    Ogden Valley Land Trust
    Huntsville, UT
    7,950 acres protected in UT
    Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
    Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
    Missoula, MT
    42,294 acres protected in UT
    Summit Land Conservancy
    Summit Land Conservancy
    Park City, UT
    15,530 acres protected in UT
    Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter
    Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter
    Park City, UT
    1,200 acres protected in UT
    The Conservation Fund
    The Conservation Fund
    Arlington, VA
    117,235 acres protected in UT
    The Nature Conservancy
    The Nature Conservancy
    Arlington, VA
    373,070 acres protected in UT
    The Trust for Public Land, National Office
    The Trust for Public Land, National Office
    San Francisco, CA
    65,066 acres protected in UT
    Utah Open Lands
    Utah Open Lands
    Salt Lake City, UT
    58,347 acres protected in UT
    Virgin River Land Preservation Association
    Virgin River Land Preservation Association
    Saint George, UT
    3,420 acres protected in UT
    Western Rivers Conservancy
    Western Rivers Conservancy
    Portland, OR
    1,276 acres protected in UT