Land Trust Alliance Incorporated

Government relations and outreach: the alliance furthers the interests of land trusts across america by advocating for sound policies and resources that advance land conservation. The alliance leveraged its network of over 300 advocacy ambassadors to secure passage of the charitable conservation easement program integrity act to halt the abuse of conservation donations which threatened the enhanced conservation easement tax incentive. Through our ambassador program manager, we train and engage land trust staff and board members in actively participating in the policy process. Ambassadors took center stage at our advocacy days, a spring event that provides land trust leaders with hands-on training as well as time with key legislators to discuss issues important to the land trust community. The alliance serves as the primary point of contact for land trusts to understand the farm bill agricultural conservation easement program helping them to work with landowners to protect farms and ranches. In addition, we educate land trusts on federal conservation programs to ensure they have information about land conservation tools.

Conservation permanence: the land trust alliance continues to lead the land trust community in its mission to provide lasting land conservation. The alliance supports land trust success by increasing their expertise, diligence and resilience. Through its conservation defense initiative, land trusts are more prepared than ever to overcome legal and practical challenges. The alliance also works to shape the practice and the body of conservation law, advancing the legal position that conservation easements must be upheld carefully and owned land diligently protected, that conserved lands benefit the public and deserve to be tax-exempt, and that the judgment of land trusts therefore is worthy of regulatory and judicial deference. The 562 land trust members of terrafirma in 2025 have demonstrated the wisdom of collective conservation defense adding legal support and resources for over 12.2 million acres of conserved land. Terrafirma risk retention group llc, the charitable risk pool launched by the alliance in 2011 and owned the insured by land trusts, covered over 41,000 conservation properties. With over 80 percent of the land owned or conserved by land trusts safely insured with terrafirma, or held by organizations capable of self- insurance, the land trust community has justifiably earned a reputation for expertly serving the public interest.