A land trust is a nonprofit organization governed by citizens concerned with the need to conserve open space -- undeveloped lands with significant ecological, scenic, recreational, agricultural, cultural or historic values -- within their community.

Land trusts have been active in the United States since the 19th century. In fact, land trusts represent the fastest-growing conservation movement in the United States, having assisted in the preservation of millions of acres of open space from Maine to California and Minnesota to Texas.

Land trusts range from small groups of volunteers to large organizations managed by professional staff. Some land trusts own and manage land while others monitor and enforce the provisions of conservation easements they helped put in place.

A land trust is run by people who understand what's important in their community. When a landowner wants to turn her personal love of the land into a commitment to protect that land, she would ask a local land trust for help in achieving that goal. Land trust volunteers bring a variety of skills to the table. They are involved in real estate, ecology, education, communications, fundraising and management of nonprofit organizations. What these conservation volunteers have in common is an abiding interest in protecting natural resources and preserving their natural heritage. Some of the most committed people behind a land trust are the landowners themselves. They care about protecting their land and want to leave a legacy for future generations. They know their partnership with a land trust is the key to ensuring that legacy.

Local land trusts promote a variety of conservation options that provide permanent protection for significant areas. Most often, these options target land and water resources with natural, recreational, scenic, historic or productive value. For conservation-minded landowners, such protection strategies are both practical and essential to preserving the land. A landowner may choose to donate or sell property to a land trust to ensure permanent protection. Or she may donate a conservation easement. An easement places protective restrictions on present and future uses while the landowner retains ownership and use of the land. In all cases, the land trust and landowner work together to create a protection strategy that meets the conservation needs of the land as well as the financial needs of the landowner.

Properties protected by land trusts are everywhere... precious prairie habitat...productive farmland...working forests...trails maintained for hikers to enjoy. Conservation easements guarantee that such resources are protected and preserved for generations to come. It is no surprise. People who love the land have always found a way to preserve nature's treasures. Now, more than ever, they turn to a land trust to achieve that enduring legacy of land.