One of this country’s most amazing resources is its land – the US is comprised of approximately 3.7 million acres of mountains, plains, prairies, forests, deserts, and rain forests. The National Park Service maintains parks and forests in all 50 state, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands. In addition to our nationally protected lands, each state maintains a system of parks and forests that are safe from development and maintained for future generations to enjoy.

Federal, state, and local parks and forest conservation programs are not enough to protect threatened lands across this country. While land owners are required to observe federal, state, and local rules concerning land usage (such as zoning laws and building ordinances), in general, they are free to use their land as they see fit. And when land owners make the decision to sell their undeveloped lands, it’s often deep-pocketed developers who are happy to part with their cash in exchange for the next home of a big box store or strip mall.

Profit does not always win out in such matters, however, and organizations exist that promote land conservation by setting up land trusts, conservation easements, and by obtaining private lands for conservation.

Because not everyone is willing or able to simply donate large tracts of land for conservation purposes, land conservation organizations have developed a series of tools and techniques that they use to encourage land or financial donations and protection of lands in perpetuity. If you’re thinking about how to manage your land, or if you are interested in donating money to a land conservation project, check out some of the available options and organizations that are working to make land conservation possible in this country.

American Land Conservancy
American Land Conservancy is a national non-profit land conservation organization that conserves landscapes for the benefit of people and wildlife. American Land Conservancy achieves its conservation goals in three key ways: direct land purchase, conservation easements and through the acquisition of surface and sub-surface land rights. Interested land owners can work with American Land Conservancy to sell or donate their land, and American Land Conservancy acts as a partner by helping land owners determine the best agencies for managing their land, and in managing the overall transfer of the land. American Land Conservancy also has a Conservation Easement program, and they help owners maintain the right to their land while protecting it into the future from development or the removal of its resources.

Land Trust Alliance
According to their website, the Land Trust Alliance promotes voluntary private land conservation that benefits communities and natural systems, and is the national convener, strategist and representative of more than 1,600 land trusts across America. Interested parties can set up conservation easements, donate land, or donate money that is diverted to land trust purchases. The Land Trust Alliance also strives to educate people on how public policy affects land usage and conservation, and provides information on their site that discusses land conservation in the news and in public policy. They also have a Lobbying 101 page on their website, and encourage people to lobby their elected officials about land conservation policies.

The Nature Conservancy
Probably the best known of the land conservation organizations, The Nature Conservancy’s mission is to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. The Nature Conservancy works to actively protect threatened lands from harm through a series of Conservation Initiatives. They also use a science-based philosophy to identify threatened lands and develop solutions that can be used to return those lands to conserved states, and purchases land for conservation purposes. You can also Adopt-an-Acre of a Costa Rican rain forest with a charitable gift, or specify that your donation be used to Rescue a Coral Reef.

In addition to these and other national organizations, there are numerous smaller organizations that work on the local level around the country in helping people preserve land within their communities. Trustees of Reservation in Massachusetts has an extensive Land Conservation program, and maintains over 100 properties in the state. If you are considering donating money or land to a conservation organization and want to stay local, check with one of the larger conservation organizations to find an appropriate partner. You can also a basic search and plug in your local information, or call your local government for recommendations.

Land conservation organizations have preserved over 37 million acres of land through these kinds of practices. If you can’t donate land, consider becoming a member of one of these organizations or donating money outright. While we can’t save every acre from being developed, we can actively participate in protecting fragile ecosystems, virgin forests and other vulnerable parcels from environmental ruin.