Start a Land Trust

Starting a land trust is a powerful way to conserve natural landscapes and cultural heritage. Establishing a land trust requires careful planning, community engagement, and adherence to legal frameworks, ensuring the preservation of these important areas for future generations.

Land Trusts Truly Are Community Organizations

They stem from a need identified by local citizens, then brought to fruition and carried on year after year thanks to the efforts of the community. The work is rewarding and interesting, and the overwhelmingly positive results justify the effort and funds invested by volunteers and donors. The positive impact is hard to measure, but is realized by each person who becomes involved, engaged and informed by the work of a land trust; who experiences a deeper connection with people, places and wildlife; and who experiences the quiet calm of a nature reserve protected forever as described (however inadequately) above.

Step One - Before You Start

What kind of land trust do you want to be? Which Land Trust activities do you want your land trust to do? Create a community process to draft a purpose/mission statement. That way, you will get the wider community buy-in for your goals.

Where will the resources needed (financial, human, community) for these activities come from? Become familiar with the Standards and Practices for Land Trusts, and be aware that you should have the resources to meet these standards in the future.

Here is a Land Trust Starter Kit that OLTA updated in collaboration with the Alliance of Canadian Land Trusts. This is a comprehensive resource that helps guide interested groups through the process of initiating a new land trust in their community.

Step Two - The Legal Stuff & Incorporation

Consider the statement of purpose in the context of CRA regulations for charitable organizations.

Make decisions about membership and management

Membership organization which elects the board
Size of Board of Directors

Step Three - Almost There

The Fun Stuff

10 Activities for a Land Trust

Fundraising

Maintain an operational budget and endowment fund for land acquisition and continuing stewardship of lands in trust.

Partnerships

Expand the impact with other organizations including funders, government, and other community organizations.

Education

Spread news about issues related to conservation and land stewardship to the public.

Conservation Covenants

Negotiating, writing, and holding agreements.

Memberships

Community support with fundraising, volunteers, and partnerships.

Record Keeping

Land trust activities create mounds of information.

Land Protection

Own the land, conservation covenants, or voluntary agreements with landowners.

Land Management

Of land held in trust.

Land Acquisition

Donation or purchase.

Compliance

Supervising, monitoring, and ensuring compliance in perpetuity.