Land
Protecting vital wildlife corridors throughout Florida has never been more important or urgent. With the fastest growing population of any U.S. state in 2022 capping decades of steady growth, Florida’s natural resources are strained. It’s not just plants and animals relying on conservation for survival in the Sunshine State; Florida’s human residents, visitors and economy also rely on a healthy environment. Find out how we’re helping to propel the Florida Wildlife Corridor initiative forward through our projects and partnerships.
For three generations, the McMaster family owned, worked and lived on their ranch near Helena, Montana. Today, the McMaster Ranch is protected in perpetuity and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Conservation Fund’s relationship with the McMaster family began as a working partnership to preserve their ranch and legacy and evolved into a 20-year friendship that endures to this day.
We’re nearing the finish line on the Pedro Bay Rivers project! This collaborative effort aims to secure conservation easements on over 44,000 acres of vital salmon habitat threatened by Pebble Mine and conserve three of the most significant watersheds in Bristol Bay, Alaska. We need your support by the end of 2022 to raise the final funds needed to finance this project. Now is your chance to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime conservation opportunity.
To all our nation’s veterans, we thank you for your service. The Conservation Fund recently helped secure a conservation easement to permanently protect Patriot Point, a 294-acre retreat on Maryland’s Eastern Shore that provides a peaceful and secure environment for our nation’s wounded, ill and injured service members, and their families and caregivers, to heal and connect with one another.
Cris Stainbrook, President of the Indian Land Tenure Foundation, recently published an essay in Native News Online sharing his thoughts on a new and gracious path forward for land restoration work that honors tribal sovereignty while incentivizing best practices in land conservation.
The former Chattahoochee Brick Company site in Atlanta holds both environmental and historic importance, and we’re proud to have helped secure its protection. We could not accomplish this or any of our important conservation projects without working in partnership with organizations and passionate individuals. Meet an Atlanta native and community champion we partnered with to make this outcome a reality.
Callie Easterly never imagined that she would be living on, managing and helping restore 12,376 acres of critical wetlands, coastal prairie and marshlands in Southeast Texas. But when The Conservation Fund bought the Sabine Ranch property for conservation and needed an onsite manager, Callie embarked on a new adventure that has brought her both intense joy and unexpected challenges. See for yourself why Callie has so much love for Sabine Ranch.
California supports more people, wildlife species and diverse ecosystems than anywhere else in the country. Protecting its many unique places — from forests up north to deserts in the south — is critical in our fight against habitat loss and climate change. And with high development pressure, ravishing wildfires, food insecurity and more, conservation in California has never been more urgent.
In June 2022, the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, in partnership with The Conservation Fund and the Indian Land Tenure Foundation, announced the purchase of 28,089 acres of land to be restored within the Bois Forte Reservation in Minnesota. This historic land restoration was a result of planning, partnerships, and effort of many dedicated individuals, including Cathy Chavers, Tribal Chairwoman of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa and current President of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. Chairwoman Chavers shares with us what this historic event means to her and the Bois Forte tribal members.
The New York Times recently published an essay by Jason Metrokin, President and CEO of the Bristol Bay Native Corporation, which urges support for the permanent protection of Bristol Bay— a place defined by wild salmon — and how it is imperative that we guard it against the proposed Pebble Mine and other future threats.
From urban trail systems to the most remote wilderness hikes, The Conservation Fund has helped establish, connect and extend trails, as well as protect viewsheds, for some of America’s best hiking experiences. As we celebrate American Hiking Society’s 30th Annual National Trails Day®, we encourage you to get out and explore a trail near you. Let’s get inspired by learning about some of the great trails the Fund has helped protect.
Land protection requires perseverance, flexibility and, most importantly, funding in hand to buy land. Will Allen, Senior Vice President of The Conservation Fund, explains how the Great American Outdoors Act doubled the amount of capital for conservation it has also increased the need for more funding to ensure the protection of our nation’s at-risk lands.
While some of our conservation efforts protect vast forests and endangered species, others preserve history and stories of culturally significant places. Together with our partners Preservation Pennsylvania and the Susquehanna National Heritage Area, The Conservation Fund is working on a project that combines preservation of the past with development of the future to honor the history of the Mifflin House—an important station on the Underground Railroad in central Pennsylvania.
If you’re eating wild sockeye salmon, there’s roughly a 50% chance it was caught in Alaska’s Bristol Bay, the largest and most productive salmon fishery in the world. It’s here in the Bristol Bay watershed that many groups have been working tirelessly to steward traditional cultural resources and protect one of the most important fish and wildlife habitats in the world from the threat of a major mining project that could damage the integrity of the ecosystem.
When a 1,700-acre ranch with towering oak trees, a 30-acre lake and incredible views of the Pacific Ocean went up for sale, The Conservation Fund moved quickly to protect this California property and a family’s ranching legacy before it was lost to development.
Just a few miles north of Tucson, Arizona sits the town of Oro Valley, nestled between the Catalina and Tortolita mountain ranges within the Sonoran Desert. The sunny climate makes Oro Valley a great place to enjoy many outdoor activities, including biking, hiking, tennis and golf. With the help of many dedicated Oro Valley residents, The Conservation Fund is about to acquire and preserve 202 acres of open space to enhance the area’s natural, cultural and recreational resources.
Roughly one year after the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act, Colorado’s Sweetwater Lake demonstrates how important conservation funding is to protecting America’s favorite places.
When you think of marshlands, you may not think about Texas. But the Lone Star State is as deep as it is wide. Past the canyons and deserts and brushlands, about two hours east of Houston and not far from the Louisiana border, sits one of the most ecologically important pieces of land in the entire state. Not only is the area flush with over 400 species of migratory birds, it's also essential to helping Texas weather the brunt of catastrophic rain fall from hurricanes and climate change.
