Land is disappearing. Every day, vital habitats are lost to climate change and human development. This land loss is a threat to all life on Earth.
That’s why land conservation matters now more than ever. Amid federal rollbacks on land protection, Greater Good Charities remains committed to protecting the natural spaces which provide clean water and air for humans, shelter for wildlife, and buffers against natural disasters. Working with land trusts is just one of the unique ways in which we provide a safeguard for critical habitats and species.
Land trusts are organizations that achieve their conservation goals through land acquisitions and by obtaining the rights to privately owned land via conservation easements.
Most importantly, the agreements land trusts make with property owners are permanent, allowing for long-term conservation of critical land.
What is a Conservation Easement?
Conservation easements are used by land trusts to prohibit land from being used for development or any other activities that might harm the natural landscape. Easements are agreements between the landowner and another body, such as a charitable organization, which dictate that the landowner still maintains private ownership of the space while the land trust takes on the responsibility of seeing that the land is conserved.
How Permanent Land Protection Works
A conservation easement remains in effect even if the property comes under new ownership later on. Restrictions are written into the deed of the property. So, aside from some rare cases, these agreements bind future heirs as well. The land trust then oversees compliance.
Why Land Trusts Endure Beyond Political Cycles
Most nonprofits, including environmental organizations dedicated to land conservation, rely on support from the federal government. When administrations change, priorities also shift. Nonprofits can quickly lose funding, and environmental protections can be stripped back.
Land trusts offer a more permanent solution to land conservation. By working directly with property owners, conservation groups can achieve their goals without having to rely on federal protections.
Land Trusts We’re Backing: Argentina and Idaho
The La Payunia Reserve in Argentina, a proposed UNESCO Heritage Site, is home to many endangered and vulnerable wildlife species. That’s why Greater Good Charities supported three key land acquisitions totaling over 150,000 acres to donate to the reserve.
With the land officially protected, we are now collaborating on establishing a plan to rehabilitate overgrazed areas, rebuild native vegetation, and monitor species recovery.
Similarly, in Idaho, a fourth-generation landowner has pledged to permanently protect the Sagle Peninsula, and Greater Good Charities is committed to supplying the stewardship funds to preserve it forever. The Sagle Peninsula comprises 500 acres of forests, meadows and wetlands which provide food, water and shelter for elk, birds and countless other species.
Protecting this acreage—one of the region’s most climate resilient and ecologically valuable areas—will also restore access for the Kalispel Tribe, whose neighboring lands and cultural traditions rely on these waters for hunting, fishing and connection to place.
How You Can Support Land Stewardship
Your support makes all our environmental work possible. With the help of generous supporters like you, we’re able to fund the acquisition of vital land and conservation easements which make land protection possible. Click the link to learn more and donate now.
