What is a Land Conservancy?

Land conservancies, also known as land trusts, are community-based, nonprofit organizations dedicated to the permanent protection and stewardship of natural and working lands for the public good.

Land conservancies are positioned to act swiftly and professionally to help landowners and communities protect the places important to us all—open spaces that define our sense of place, connect us to the natural world, and provide real services such as water quality protection, wildlife habitat, outdoor recreation, and sources of food and timber.

How does a Land Conservancy Work? Land conservancies are suited better than any other organization to safeguard Michigan's natural beauty and the conservation values of our most important lands. To do this, land conservancies use the following suite of tools to protect and steward land forever:

• Nature Preserves or Sanctuaries - Lands are acquired through donation or purchase to be used as a nature preserve or sanctuary. Often, these lands are open to the general public to visit and enjoy.
  
  
• Conservation Easements - A voluntary legal tool that allows the land to remain in private ownership but permanently limits development to protect the conservation values of the property.
  
  
• Government Assists - Conservancies often help local communities or the State of Michigan acquire public parkland and open space. Assistance can range from grant writing support to leading fundraising campaigns.
  
  
• Stewardship - For the lands that are owned and managed by conservancies or for the conservation easements they hold, stewardship is the term used for ongoing management and monitoring to protect the conservation values of those properties.
  
  
• Education - Whether providing education to landowners about conservation options or engaging community members in the stewardship of natural areas, conservancies educate people about the values of the natural environment.
  
  

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