Photo: Chuck Feil

Impact of Land Trusts Revealed in 2015 Census

The Land Trust Alliance’s National Land Trust Census, released in December, measures the impact of conservation work of behalf of state, local and national land trusts in the United States.

The first census was conducted in 1981, a year before the Land Trust Alliance was established. Though much has changed in 35 years, the importance of protecting the special places we love is stronger than ever. The census is both a benchmark and a snapshot of the land trust movement and its collective impact on people and communities across the country.

Photo: Tom Reimers

Photo: Tom Reimers

Among other key findings, the report shows that land trusts have voluntarily conserved 56 million acres across America——an increase of 9 million acres since 2010. This covers twice the amount of land in all national parks across the contiguous United States!

The 2015 report includes downloadable snapshots of conservation data in every state, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Each portal includes fun facts, an image gallery and a breakdown of the state’s unique land conservation priorities. View national and state data here.