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Wisconsin is home to more than 50 active land trusts that collectively
protect and manage over 200,000 acres with significant ecological,
scenic, recreational, agricultural, and historic value. These
land conservation organizations range from small groups operated
solely by volunteers to large land trusts with multiple professional
staff.
Land trusts in Wisconsin vary in the geographic scope of the conservation
work they take on. Some, like the Kinnickinnic River Land Trust,
have identified a specific watershed within which they operate to
protect the health and natural functioning of the rivers or lakes
that watershed encompasses. Others, like the Waukesha County Land
Conservancy, use a political delineation for their service area.
Still others operate within multiple counties or in areas which
overlap political boundaries.
Land trusts are run by people who understand
what natural resources are important to their community. Land trust
Board members, staff and volunteers bring a variety of skills to
the table. They are involved in real estate, ecology, education,
communications, fundraising and management of nonprofit organizations.
What these conservationists have in common is an abiding interest
in protecting natural resources and preserving our natural heritage.
Thanks to their commitment, land trusts are the fastest growing
conservation movement in the United States.
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