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    Gaining Ground

    Virgin Islands

    1,333

    Acres Protected

    That’s about 1,010 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.

    Demographics

    Every land trust is as unique as the community it serves.

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

    Active Land Trusts

    2

    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

    2

    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

    1

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

    Learn about land trust accreditation

    People

    • 31

    • 14

    • 0

    • 1

    • 14

    Land Trust Longevity

    • 18 years old (2006)

    • 13 years old (2011)

    • 16 years old

    Land Protected

    There has been a 5% increase in Virgin Islands land protected by land trusts since 2010.

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

    2010
    2015
    2020
    Total acres protected
    1,264
    1,308
    1,333
    +5%
    Under easement
    30
    31
    31
    +3%
    Owned
    591
    629
    630
    +7%
    Acquired and reconveyed
    618
    640
    609
    0%
    Protected by other means
    25
    105
    63
    +152%

    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

    100%

    Source: 2020 National Land Trust Census

    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

    Virgin Islands land trusts are gaining ground.

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

    • Protecting lands for future generations: The Trust for Virgin Islands Lands has protected 170 acres of important lands on the islands of St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John. The organization recently received accreditation.

      Read more

    • Conserving wildlife habitat: The accredited Trust for Public Land purchased and protected the majority of Estate Maho Bay in the heart of St. John. The area is home to hundreds of tropical plants and more than 50 tropical bird species; the offshore waters host sea grass beds, coral reefs and green sea turtles

      Read more

    • Tackling climate change: Warming ocean waters are contributing to the loss of coral reefs across the world. The accredited Nature Conservancy is using cutting-edge science to restore elkhorn coral populations in the Virgin Islands.

      Read more