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Gaining Ground

Oregon

868,695

Acres Protected

That’s about 658,102 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

40,895

More and more people are enjoying the benefits of nature.

Percent of Land Trusts That Provide Public Access to Their Lands

93%

Land trusts provide opportunities to recreate and recharge.

Number of People Served

14,592

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

Miles of Trails

90

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

Miles With Universal Access

13

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

86%

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.

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

Active Land Trusts

18

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

10

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

    17,099

  • Volunteers

    3,911

  • Full-time staff

    77

  • Part-time staff

    19

  • Board members

    168

Land Trust Longevity

  • Oldest

    44 years old (1978)

  • Youngest

    2 years old (2020)

  • Median age

    27 years old

State Association
Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts
View website
Percent of Land Trusts Who Increased Focus on Climate Change in the Last Five Years

86%

Percent of Land Trusts Receiving Funding to Address Climate Change

79%

Sources of Funding to Address Climate Change

  • Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board

Land Protected

There has been a 23% increase in Oregon land protected by land trusts since 2010.

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

2010
2015
2020
Total acres protected
705,427
794,012
868,695
+23%
Under easement
69,486
71,054
137,518
+98%
Owned
188,077
217,406
219,200
+17%
Acquired and reconveyed
134,228
169,570
176,973
+32%
Protected by other means
313,636
332,598
335,004
+7%

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

83%

Source: 2020 National Land Trust Census

Total Public Funding for Conservation From 1998-2017

$695 million

Source: Trust for Public Land's Conservation Almanac

Acres of Land Lost to Development From 2012-2017

22,800

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

Oregon land trusts are gaining ground.

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

  • Addressing community needs: The accredited Wallowa Land Trust partnered with the Nez Perce to host tribal members on an accredited Nature Conservancy-owned preserve, where they gathered to dig spring roots and reunite with other Nez Perce.

    Read more

  • Conserving wildlife habitat: The accredited Greenbelt Land Trust protects Lupine Meadows, a spectacular 95 acre collection of upland and wetland habitats capable of supporting a large diversity of plants and animals, including significant populations of endangered species including the threatened Kincaid’s lupine and Nelson’s checkermallow plant species, the endangered Fender’s blue butterfly and bird species such as the Vesper sparrow.

    Read more

  • Tackling climate change: The accredited North Coast Land Conservancy conserved the Rainforest Reserve, a climate-resilient landscape characterized by steep forested slopes, rocky outcrops featuring federal plant species of concern and the headwaters of salmon streams and the drinking water sources for the communities of Cannon Beach and Arch Cape.

    Read more

Land Trusts Working in Oregon

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