Share

    Land conservation is not keeping pace with growing threats to our lands, waters, wildlife and ways of life. There is, however, an answer to these growing threats — accelerating private land conservation.

    To do that, the Land Trust Alliance is committed to ensuring land trusts have the necessary information, tools, capacity and resources to do more, faster. In support of our land trust members, we work to secure federal funding and charitable donations, mobilize a new powerbase for conservation and ensure conserved lands serve all people.

    You can make a difference.

    Making progress on today’s daunting environmental problems — including wildlife decline and worsening climate change — can feel out of reach for any one person. But engaging in land conservation — including supporting local land trusts — is an easy and tangible way to be a part of the solution.

    Together, we are gaining ground.

    Government relations

    Advocating for land conservation.

    To protect more land, land trusts need the help of federal conservation programs. The Alliance works to advance federal policies and secure resources that support land trust to accelerate the pace of voluntary private land conservation.

    Advocacy priorities

    Ending abusive conservation easements

    Abusive conservation easement tax shelters continue to cost taxpayers billions of dollars while putting at risk our public goodwill along with the critical federal policies and funding programs it helped us secure. After years of hard work and persistence by the Land Trust Alliance, our land trust members and our allies on Capitol Hill, Congress finally passed the Charitable Conservation Easement Program Integrity Act in 2022 to end the abuse.

    Farm Bill

    The Farm Bill is the single largest source of federal funding for private land conservation and a top priority for the Alliance. The Alliance was instrumental in securing funding increases in the 2018 Farm Bill, and we continue to lead our members through the ongoing 2018 Farm Bill implementation process. We have also prepared strong recommendations for the upcoming 2023 Farm Bill reauthorization cycle.

    Natural climate solutions

    Effective conservation, restoration and management of our lands can help remove and store atmospheric carbon and help human, plant and animal communities adapt to our changing climate. Our goal is to promote policies and funding that advance these natural climate solutions while supporting the protection.

    Our commitment to 30x30

    President Biden’s executive order committing to the conservation of 30% of U.S. lands and oceans by 2030 is an ambitious call to action for the land conservation community. The opportunities to conserve land — and the losses that can be stemmed — are found on private lands. As such, the land trust community has an important role to play to ensure that federal policies, programs and funding sources prioritize private land conservation and catalyze a dramatic increase in the rate of land protection by willing landowners.

    "The Alliance has helped in so many ways. I really appreciate their prompts, so I know when things are happening and when to contact my representatives. They provide so much information about the issues that I feel I can speak with confidence about our position. In addition, when writing an op-ed piece this past year, the Alliance provided guidance and editing help. Considering I hadn’t ever done that before, it was nice to have someone to go to for assistance."
    — Ellen Gass, conservation director, Texas Land Conservancy

    Land trusts are gaining ground.

    The Land Trust Alliance is committed to building support for land trusts and land conservation by encouraging and empowering people to get outside, volunteer, advocate for and donate in support of conservation.

    https://youtu.be/nGNbGZLkHhc

    Support your local land trust.

    Land trusts provide their communities with places to relax, recreate, exercise and play. Find a land trust near you today.