Biodiversity and Land Trusts

Local land trusts across the United States have done a remarkable job protecting working farm and forest lands, scenic values and natural areas. The majority of land trusts identify wildlife habitat and thus biodiversity as a core value.

The Value of a Biodiversity Focus

Why do land trusts care about biodiversity? A focus on biodiversity and strategic planning ensures that the most important places are protected first. Wildlife are obvious beneficiaries, but biodiversity conservation also provides clear benefits to people in the form of cleaner air, water, and a host of other ecological services. What this means for land trusts is a greater ability to leverage financial resources, build community support, and ensure the permanence of land protection efforts.

Increased Funding

As conservation issues become more pressing and the land trust community continues to grow, foundations and individual donors are demanding that land trusts present a clear vision for their system of protected lands. They want to see how protection efforts fit into larger state and regional plans and what the long term conservation value of these properties will be. Land trusts who are familiar with biodiversity principles, conservation plans and planning, important local partners, and most importantly – can articulate a clear sense of where they are heading - will have a leg up in securing limited conservation dollars.

Ensuring the Permanence of Easements

As properties change hands and development pressure continues to increase, the permanence of many easements is likely to be challenged.  Easements that fall under state or regional wildlife plans and that clearly document high biodiversity – and therefore public - value are less likely to be targeted. Strategic planning will spare land trusts not only the headache of legal challenges but possibly hundreds of thousands of dollars in litigation fees.

Public Buy-in

Local communities want to know that a land trust’s work is benefiting them. Wildlife, water, and working farms all resonate strongly with the public – all resources that land trusts work to protect. Land trusts that provide opportunities for community involvement - such as habitat restoration events - work effectively with other local conservation groups, and that produce public maps to demonstrate the long-term conservation value of their work are more likely to attract both community support and additional easements where they matter most.

Biodiversity resources

Helpful resources for land trusts working to increase biodiversity values in their communities. Resource topics include:

See all Biodiversity Resources