Land Trusts Had a Big Decade

Land trusts are diversifying, racking up victories, and conserving millions of acres of land in recent years, according to a recent report.

1 minute read

January 11, 2022, 6:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


A line of trees next to open grass land at the Ridges Sanctuary in Wisconsin.

The Ridges Sanctuary is a nature preserve and land trust in Door County, Wisconsin. | Malachi Jacobs / Shutterstock

"More than 15 million acres of land across America have been added to the nation’s inventory of conserved land by land trusts since 2010," reports Marcus Schneck for Penn Live.

Those gaudy numbers come courtesy of a new report by the Land Trust Alliance, published in December.

The report breaks down the amount of acreage added to each state. In the state of Pennsylvania, for instance, "land trusts have added 232,704 acres since 2010, raising the state’s total to 880,722 acres," reports Schneck.

"The census also highlighted the role land trusts played in providing solace for many Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 16.7 million people visited land trust properties in 2020, a substantial increase from 6.25 million in 2015," adds Schneck.

The source article includes demographic data and more information on the management of land trusts around the country.

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