Outside the Park Boundary: How Local Communities are Conserving Private Lands through Partnerships with Land Trusts
By Bryan Martin, External Relations Officer, Land Trust Alliance Great Sand Dunes Wilderness. Photo by Dan Orcutt
All across America, people are working together to conserve fields, farms, forests, parks, and trails close to home. They bring energy, creativity, and local knowledge of their community. They believe that America’s special places should be protected—unchanged into the future—and they seized upon an extraordinary idea. They formed land trusts.
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and trusts harness three fundamental American values—private initiative, community cooperation, and a deep connection to the land. They are as diverse as the people and communities they serve, but share a common mission: to protect the places that people value most. America’s 1,700 land trusts have now conserved 50 million acres, boast over 12,000 staff, and have garnered over five million sup-
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Trail & Timberline
porters. Land trusts conserve more than two million acres every year. This is important because every day we lose 5,000 acres to development. Orchards, farms, meadows, climbing areas, and vast natural areas are being converted to shopping malls, office parks, condos, and roads. The United States population is projected to grow by 100 million and the amount of land covered by development will triple
by the year 2050. More than eight percent of our population will live in metropolitan areas where open space will be increasingly precious. In light of this development pressure, Americans yearn for clean water and food that is safe, fresh, and local. We want time in nature to improve our fitness and prevent illness. We want our children to thrive in school and grow up in a safe and nurtur-
