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Gaining Ground

Indiana

158,999

Acres Protected

That’s about 120,454 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

84,881

Visitors in 2020, more than triple that of 2015.

Percent of Land Trusts That Provide Public Access to Their Lands

100%

Land trusts provide opportunities to recreate and recharge.

Number of People Served

29,710

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

Miles of Trails

127

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

Miles With Universal Access

29

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

83%

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.

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

Active Land Trusts

22

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

16

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

4

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

Learn about land trust accreditation

People

  • Members/financial supporters

    6,933

  • Volunteers

    1,634

  • Full-time staff

    38

  • Part-time staff

    14

  • Board members

    229

Land Trust Longevity

  • Oldest

    62 years old (1960)

  • Youngest

    12 years old (2010)

  • Median age

    28 years old

Percent of Land Trusts Who Increased Focus on Climate Change in the Last Five Years

58%

Percent of Land Trusts Receiving Funding to Address Climate Change

8%

Land Protected

There has been a 41% increase in Indiana land protected by land trusts since 2010.

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

2010
2015
2020
Total acres protected
112,595
145,265
158,999
+41%
Under easement
19,928
21,613
26,732
+34%
Owned
38,992
46,699
58,231
+49%
Acquired and reconveyed
31,891
37,241
37,499
+18%
Protected by other means
21,784
35,018
36,537
+68%

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

61%

Source: 2020 National Land Trust Census

Total Public Funding for Conservation From 1998-2017

$174 million

Source: Trust for Public Land's Conservation Almanac

Acres of Land Lost to Development From 2012-2017

48,300

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

Indiana land trusts are gaining ground.

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

  • Conserving wildlife habitat: The accredited Central Indiana Land Trust discovered a new spider on a land trust property while participating in a bioblitz to inventory plants, animals and fungi. The tiny spider, tentatively named Orenoetides sp., is only one of several new and endangered species recently found living in the southwest Johnson County area.

    Read more

  • Providing access to land for all: The accredited Sycamore Land Trust is bringing exploration, curiosity and nature play into kids' school days. Staff come to schools to lead hikes, hands-on demonstrations and multidisciplinary lessons for about 3,000 students yearly.

    Read more

Land Trusts Working in Indiana

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