TELL ME ABOUT LAND TRUSTS

Land trusts are private, non-profit, community-based organizations created to protect land and water resources for the benefit of the public. Land trusts can be local, regional, statewide or even national in focus, i.e. The Nature Conservancy. They are funded largely through membership dues and private gifts, although some state and federal grants may be available for land preservation projects. Land trusts vary in size and most are run by volunteers, although some organizations maintain professional staff.

More than 4 million acres have been protected by some 1,300 land trusts nationwide. Wisconsin is home to approximately 55 land trusts, which have protected about 100,000 acres of forests, wetlands, wildlife habitat, river corridors and open space. For more information on land trusts, contact Gathering Waters, Inc.

Gathering Waters is a land conservation organization formed in 1995 to assist land trusts, landowners and communities in their efforts to protect Wisconsin's land and water resources. Established by a coalition of land trusts, Gathering Waters serves as an education and technical assistance center for land trusts and landowners alike. Gathering Waters also works directly with concerned landowners and existing land trusts statewide to preserve Wisconsin's natural heritage and rural landscape. To learn more about Gathering Waters, see their website at www.gatheringwaters.org.