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    Gaining Ground

    Virginia

    1,940,822

    Acres Protected

    That’s about 1,470,320 football fields!

    Land trusts have already conserved 61 million acres of private land across the nation — more than all of the national parks combined. Help us conserve another 60 million acres by the end of the decade.

    Together, let’s keep Gaining Ground.

    Visitors to Land Trust Properties

    2,195

    More and more people are enjoying the benefits of nature.

    Percent of Land Trusts That Provide Public Access to Their Lands

    43%

    Land trusts provide opportunities to recreate and recharge.

    Number of People Served

    1,227

    Land trusts provide programs and activities to get people outside and learn about the land.

    Miles of Trails

    25

    Walking, hiking and other outdoor recreation improve people's health and well-being.

    Miles With Universal Access

    8

    Universal access trails are designed to be used by all people, regardless of ability.

    Percent of Land Trusts Who Increased Community Engagement in the Last Five Years

    57%

    Land Trusts Are Deepening Relationships With:

    • People from various racial and ethnic backgrounds

    • Older adults or those living in retirement communities

    • People who identify as LGBTQ+

    • People living with disabilities

    • Veterans

    Land Trusts Are Helping Address Community Needs, Including:

    • Youth education and development

    • Community and economic development

    • Food security and agriculture

    • Health and wellness

    • Social and environmental justice

    Demographics

    Every land trust is as unique as the community it serves.

    Virginia land trusts are community-led and supported and protect lands and waters that help the entire state.

    Active Land Trusts

    23

    A land trust is a nonprofit that conserves land by acquiring and stewarding land or conservation easements.

    Learn more about land trusts
    Alliance Member Land Trusts

    20

    Land Trust Alliance members commit to adopting Land Trust Standards and Practices as their guiding principles.

    Learn about the land trust alliance
    Accredited Land Trusts

    12

    Accredited land trusts undergo a thorough review of their practices in governance, finance, transactions and stewardship.

    Learn about land trust accreditation

    People

    • 815,226

    • 20,031

    • 4,108

    • 316

    • 264

    Land Trust Longevity

    • 81 years old (1943)

    • 11 years old (2013)

    • 32 years old

    State Association
    Virginia's United Land Trusts
    View website
    Percent of Land Trusts Who Increased Focus on Climate Change in the Last Five Years

    50%

    Percent of Land Trusts Receiving Funding to Address Climate Change

    25%

    Land Protected

    There has been a 24% increase in Virginia land protected by land trusts since 2010.

    Acre by acre, land trusts are helping to conserve Virginia lands, waters and ways of life.

    2010
    2015
    2020
    Total acres protected
    1,569,349
    1,708,079
    1,940,822
    +24%
    Under easement
    757,984
    757,301
    823,324
    +9%
    Owned
    118,386
    129,416
    285,903
    +142%
    Acquired and reconveyed
    197,973
    256,747
    232,886
    +18%
    Protected by other means
    495,007
    595,560
    598,709
    +21%

    Disclaimer: Land trusts conserve land in many different ways and every project is unique. Category totals may change depending on how acres are reported by survey respondents to reflect the most current data and minimize double-counting. In some instances, the total may be greater than the sum of the separate categories due to organizations that provided total acres not broken down by category.

    Percent of Land Owned and Under Easement Held by an Accredited Land Trust

    39%

    Source: 2020 National Land Trust Census

    Total Public Funding for Conservation From 1998-2017

    $583 million

    Source: Trust for Public Land's Conservation Almanac

    Acres of Land Lost to Development From 2012-2017

    72,700

    Source: NRCS - Natural Resources Inventory

    This information reflects data collected in the National Land Trust Census, the longest-running comprehensive survey of private land conservation in America. Learn more about the Census and see which land trusts participated in the 2020 National Land Trust Census.

    Making a Difference

    Virginia land trusts are gaining ground.

    Land trusts across the state are helping find solutions to some of Virginia's most pressing issues.

    • Tackling climate change: The accredited Eastern Shore Land Conservancy organized a regional climate collaborative of local emergency managers, agency officials, university researchers and representatives of several nonprofits to help communities break out of what has been dubbed the “flood, rebuild, repeat” cycle.

      Read more

    • Addressing community needs: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the accredited Piedmont Environmental Council heightened its investment in food security, particularly the work of its Buy Fresh Buy Local program to connect consumers with local food and farmers.

      Read more

    • Protecting water quality: The accredited Virginia Eastern Shore Land Trust is working with landowners to have a 100-foot buffer in between their agricultural operations and any body of water in order to maintain local drinking water quality and for people to enjoy the region’s famous blue crabs and oysters in the years to come.

      Read more

    Land Trusts Working in Virginia

    Land Trust Alliance member land trusts, listed below, commit to adopting Land Trust Standards and Practices as their guiding principles.

    Access Fund
    Access Fund
    Boulder, CO
    21 acres protected in VA
    American Farmland Trust
    American Farmland Trust
    Northampton, MA
    2,372 acres protected in VA
    Appalachian Trail Conservancy
    Appalachian Trail Conservancy
    Harpers Ferry, WV
    12,796 acres protected in VA
    Broad Water Innovations
    Broad Water Innovations
    Richmond, VA
    2,624 acres protected in VA
    Capital Region Land Conservancy
    Capital Region Land Conservancy
    Richmond, VA
    3,519 acres protected in VA
    Clean Water Project
    Clean Water Project
    Warrenton, VA
    Coastal Virginia Conservancy
    Coastal Virginia Conservancy
    Norfolk, VA
    630 acres protected in VA
    Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
    Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
    Memphis, TN
    5,756 acres protected in VA
    Ever Green Team
    Ever Green Team
    Blackstone, VA
    Friends of Dragon Run
    Friends of Dragon Run
    Gloucester, VA
    1,201 acres protected in VA
    Historic Virginia Land Conservancy
    Historic Virginia Land Conservancy
    Williamsburg, VA
    10,889 acres protected in VA
    Land Savers United
    Land Savers United
    Roanoke, VA
    175,850 acres protected in VA
    Land Trust of Virginia
    Land Trust of Virginia
    Middleburg, VA
    34,184 acres protected in VA
    National Park Trust
    National Park Trust
    Rockville, MD
    249 acres protected in VA
    New River Conservancy
    New River Conservancy
    West Jefferson, NC
    1,725 acres protected in VA
    New River Land Trust
    New River Land Trust
    Blacksburg, VA
    56,273 acres protected in VA
    Northern Virginia Conservation Trust
    Northern Virginia Conservation Trust
    Annandale, VA
    5,028 acres protected in VA
    Old Dominion Land Conservancy, Inc.
    Old Dominion Land Conservancy, Inc.
    Purcellville, VA
    19,817 acres protected in VA
    Open Space Institute Land Trust
    Open Space Institute Land Trust
    New York, NY
    4,465 acres protected in VA
    Piedmont Environmental Council
    Piedmont Environmental Council
    Warrenton, VA
    393,131 acres protected in VA
    Potomac Conservancy
    Potomac Conservancy
    Silver Spring, MD
    3,459 acres protected in VA
    The Conservation Fund
    The Conservation Fund
    Arlington, VA
    65,037 acres protected in VA
    The Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust
    The Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust
    Washington, DC
    199 acres protected in VA
    The Nature Conservancy
    The Nature Conservancy
    Arlington, VA
    463,587 acres protected in VA
    The Northern Neck Land Conservancy, Inc.
    The Northern Neck Land Conservancy, Inc.
    Warsaw, VA
    6,871 acres protected in VA
    The Trust for Public Land, National Office
    The Trust for Public Land, National Office
    San Francisco, CA
    19,879 acres protected in VA
    Valley Conservation Council
    Valley Conservation Council
    Staunton, VA
    23,198 acres protected in VA
    Virginia Eastern Shore Land Trust
    Virginia Eastern Shore Land Trust
    Exmore, VA
    14,000 acres protected in VA
    Waterford Foundation
    Waterford Foundation
    Waterford, VA
    883 acres protected in VA