Habitat Conservation
Assistance Network
Proactive Conservation for Working Lands

The Watershed Land Trust (WLT) Is a nonprofit charitable organization which was formed to hold land in fee simple and/or conservation easements in perpetuity.  Most Land Trust's mission is to hold vast areas of land typically in large sections.  With the ability and expertise to work with any Mitigation Bank or In Lieu Fee arrangement, the WLT is unique in that its mission and focus is to preserve watersheds, waterways, streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands, and adjacent (riparian) corridors and green space primarily for the benefit of water quality, ecosystems, and Open Space.  The Arkansas Darter, Topeka Shiner, Pallid Sturgeon, Red Spotted Toad,  Lesser Prairie Chicken and other species of concern are of interest to the WLT.

Given this ability to fill a Unique Stewardship Niche, the WLT is a good choice to be a co-holder of a conservation easement with another Land Trust or Governmental Entity to protect a legitimate Conservation Purpose.  Such a Conservation Purpose could be for preservation of fish, wildlife, or plant habitats or ecosystems.  Often times, these will be mitigation sites or in other words, sites that were created or improved as a result of an adverse impact elsewhere which will also include the Conservation Purpose of preservation of open space.  If the easement preserves open space to advance a federal, state, or local governmental conservation policy – for example, it protects farmland under a state flood control program or to advance the no net loss of wetlands provision under the Clean Water Act– it may limit public access to the land as long as the limitation does not undermine the purpose of the easement.  Here are a couple of examples of projects that could benefit from a conservation easement by or in cooperation with the WLT.

Contact Watershed Land Trust

Listed as:

• Land Trusts