i Home to wildlife such as bighorn sheep, Armendaris Ranch also harbors historical artifacts that point to early human activity and Indigenous cultures. (Photo by Turner Enterprises) Kirsten Ferguson The accredited New Mexico Land Conservancy recently completed one of the nation’s largest conservation easements. Owned by media mogul Ted Turner, the 315,000-acre Armendaris Ranch in southern New Mexico stretches along the Rio Grande from the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge to the southern end of Elephant Butte Lake. The ranch protection project is the largest ever completed by the U ..read more

Land Trust Alliance Announced during Rally 2022: The National Land Conservation Conference, the nation’s largest gathering of land conservation leaders, the National Land Trust Excellence Award recognized Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust. National Land Trust Excellence Award Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust Rally 2022 Conservation ..read more

Land Trust Alliance Announced during Rally 2022: The National Land Conservation Conference, the nation’s largest gathering of land conservation leaders, the National Land Trust Excellence Award recognized Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust. National Land Trust Excellence Award Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust Rally 2022 Conservation ..read more

Land Trust Alliance The Land Trust Alliance, a national land conservation organization working to save the places people need and love by strengthening land conservation across America, presented Ebonie Alexander the distinguished Kingsbury Browne Conservation Leadership Award. Alexander is the Executive Director of the Black Family Land Trust, Inc. She is distinguished by her skills and accomplishments in conflict resolution, specifically her work navigating the interests involved in garnering support for the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act (UPHPA) and her career dedicated to advocac ..read more

i Sherry Huber. (Photo © NatureServe.org) Jameson French Sherry Huber was passionate about working forests. She was also passionate about conservation — especially the protection of those beloved working forest landscapes. That combination of passions not only benefited her beloved home state of Maine, but also the entire land trust community.  Sherry served as a Land Trust Alliance board member from 2007-2016, was a huge supporter of our expanded advocacy program and a regular attendee at early Advocacy Days events. Her deep well of connections in Maine meant that Sherry could easil ..read more

i The Niobrara River abuts the Hutton Niobrara Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary. (Courtesy of Jackie Augustine/Audubon of Kansas) Corey Himrod Attacks on voluntary private land conservation are nothing new, most recently manifesting around the Biden administration’s commitment to 30x30, falsely portraying its conservation incentives — things like increased funding to help accelerate private land conservation — as a federal land grab that tramples the rights of landowners. The anti-voluntary private land conservation movement has been visible recently in Nebraska, however, there is some good news to ..read more

i Tribal chairman Clyde Prout III (left) and Placer Land Trust executive director Jeff Darlington (right) at Yo’ Dok’im Pakan — Gerjuoy North Fork Preserve. (Placer Land Trust) Kirsten Ferguson Forty acres of California forestland overlooking the North Fork American River and Sierra Nevada mountains have been protected by the accredited Placer Land Trust and returned to the tribe that considers the land its ancestral home. The land is also home to an incredible diversity of wildlife, as well as a vibrant spring, seasonal waterfall and large rock outcrops. Due to the conservation values of th ..read more

i Image: © Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District Corey Himrod As the Land Trust Alliance celebrates 40 years (and counting!) of private land conservation, we’re dedicating Throw-Back Thursdays (#TBT) to looking back at past conservation victories and seeing what those victories look like today. The story below is from the Summer 2002 issue of Exchange: The Journal of the Land Trust Alliance. The Big Sur Land Trust and The Nature Conservancy secured the view from one of the most famous sections of California’s scenic coastal Highway 1 and linked 13 parks and preserves with their $37 milli ..read more

i Image by Alain Audet from Pixabay Chelsea Welch *UPDATE (August 8, 2022): On Sunday, August 7, the U.S. Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act with funding for the programs noted below intact. The U.S. House is expected to approve the landmark legislation this Friday (August 12) and send it to the desk of President Biden for his signature. **UPDATE (August 13, 2022): On Friday, August 12, the U.S. House passed the Inflation Reduction Act, sending the legislation to President Biden's desk for signing. The Land Trust Alliance is grateful to Congress for getting the IRA across the fin ..read more

i Sustainable Iowa Land Trust’s 10-year Circle Our Cities campaign aims to protect 10 farms to grow food near 10 Iowa cities. (Sustainable Iowa Land Trust) Kirsten Ferguson Ten Iowa cities with 10 permanent food farms in 10 years. That’s the ambitious goal of Circle Our Cities, a campaign by the accredited Sustainable Iowa Land Trust (SILT). The mission is to permanently protect land to grow fresh produce close to urban areas, which can play an important role in the fight against food insecurity. “The origin of Circle Our Cities is to bring home the fact that our metro areas are importing 90 ..read more