Land trusts are a non-profit charitable organization that holds as its core values the conservation of private property through donation, acquisition and/or conservation agreements (easements and covenants).

As opposed to a government sponsored conservation area, these land trusts protect private land in perpetuity, assuring the land stays conserved for generations to come.

The hallmark of a land trust is the direct action they take to protect the local land base, and that they hold those lands or conservation easements in trust for future generations.

A Land Trust can be set up by a group eligible to form a non-profit charitable society or organization.

• preserve and protect the ecological integrity of the land even though the land may be bought and sold
• protect habitats for other species and for the future sustainability of the ecosystem
• protect watershed areas, riparian areas, streams and other water sources
• protect heritage or cultural features of land
• maintain control over land and natural resources at the community level
• plan, protect, and manage for the long term needs of both the land and the people, rather than for short term economic returns from land speculation and development
• provide land or historical features as a community resource, educational tool, or area be stewarded in an ecologically appropriate manner
• place land and water (including agricultural, forestry or other human use areas) in trust for the common benefit of this and future generations of all life
• provide access to land and housing for people with a shared vision of stewardship which they could not otherwise afford to buy (generally referred as a Community Land Trust)
• provide a land base for community education/economic development

• Decide what kind of a land trust you want to be and draft a mission and statement of purpose with clear objectives. Consider which Land Trust activities you want your land trust to undertake.
• Consider whether you will have the resources to do these activities.
• Consider the statement of purpose in the context of CCRA regulations for charitable organizations. (This is very important before drafting your Purpose & Goals within the Incorporation documents – some Purposes are not compatible with CCRA)
• Decide about membership and management Options include:

1. membership organization which elects the board
2. small society where all members are also directors
3. society with directors appointed by another organization

• Recruit people with the goals and skills you need (both for the founding board and for future volunteers or staff).
• Do visioning workshops, board development, strategic planning etc., Make sure there is consensus about the big questions.
• Become familiar with the Societies Act, draft a constitution and bylaws, then apply for incorporation. This should be done carefully and thoughtfully, as weaknesses in the bylaws and constitution may come back haunt you later.
• Make application to CCRA for Charitable status.
• Join professional or other compatible, like-minded orgs like the LTABC, OLTA or RMN who can help you achieve your goals and purposes.
• Apply for general designation to hold Conservation covenants (after co-holding a covenant with another land trust.)

• Land trusts (or conservancies) usually provide Stewardship Education (schools, the community as a whole, landowners individually), hold Conservation Covenants or acquire lands outright.
• Tools include outright purchase, life estate, right of first refusal, conservation covenants, management agreements, leases, etc.

• Fund raising for an operating budget, land acquisition, monitoring & stewardship programs and an endowment fund (for example, estimated “hard costs” of holding a covenant can run from 6 to 12k)
• Membership and public support (for volunteers, for donor support, for community support)
• Public education, information, and assistance with stewardship and conservation
• Partnerships with other organizations
• Land Acquisition
• Land protection
• Working with land owners and other land trusts to draft and hold conservation covenants
• Land Management
• Supervising, monitoring, and ensuring compliance forever
• Record keeping. Land trust activities create mounds of information which must be catalogued, protected and updated
• Communications & Training
• Policy, standard & practices development
• Board, Staff and volunteer recruitment & training
• Preparation and storage of documents, databases, photographs, legal documents etc.
• Research & Inventory of Priority areas, species, values and features for stewardship and conservation