Land Trust Alliance Incorporated

Education and capacity building: the Alliance continues to strengthen, empower and magnify the impact of its more than 1,000-member Land trusts and affiliates. The Alliance provides Land trusts with the tools they need to grow in strength and impact. Through our national Land conservation conference, regional conferences, webinars and online resource center, we provided 80 trainings and 45 self-study online courses, and 7 toolkits on all aspects of conservation work, including risk management, dei, fundraising, climate change, and board and professional development for more than 13,000 registrants in 2023. Our transformative leadership training and Land Trust excellence programs continued to invest in high-potential leaders and organizations with an added emphasis on strategic communications, conservation planning with climate in mind, community conservation and public engagement. At the end of the year, there were 462 accredited Land trusts in 46 states and two territories, representing more than 81% of the acres of farmland, forests, wildlife habitat and important water supplies stewarded by Land trusts across the country. We updated guidance for implementing the 2017 edition of Land Trust standards and practices, the ethical and technical guidelines for operating a Land Trust, and launched 3 new toolkits devoted to integrating remote monitoring into a Land Trust's stewardship program, understanding heirs' property (a significant contributor to african american Land loss) and growing Land Trust dei competencies.

Conservation permanence: the Land Trust Alliance continues to lead the Land Trust community in its mission to provide lasting Land conservation. The Alliance supports Land Trust success by increasing their expertise, diligence, and resilience. Through its conservation defense initiative, Land trusts are more prepared than ever to overcome legal and practical challenges. The Alliance also works to shape the practice and the body of conservation law, advancing the legal position that conservation easements must be upheld carefully and owned Land diligently protected, that conserved lands benefit the public and deserve to be tax-exempt, and that the judgment of Land trusts therefore is worthy of regulatory and judicial deference. The 555 Land Trust members of terrafirma in 2024 have demonstrated the wisdom of collective conservation defense adding legal support and resources for over 11.5 million acres of conserved Land. Terrafirma risk retention group llc, the charitable risk pool launched by the Alliance in 2011 and owned the insured by Land trusts, covered over 38,000 conservation properties. With over 80 percent of the Land owned or conserved by Land trusts safely insured with terrafirma, or held by organizations capable of self- insurance, the Land Trust community has justifiably earned a reputation for expertly serving the public interest.

Government relation and outreach: the Alliance furthers the interests of Land trusts across america by advocating for sound policies and resources that advance Land conservation. The Alliance leveraged its network of over 300 advocacy ambassadors to secure passage of the charitable conservation easement program integrity act to halt the abuse of conservation donations which threatened the enhanced conservation easement tax incentive. Through our ambassador program manager, we train and engage Land Trust staff and board members in actively participating in the policy process. Ambassadors took center stage at our advocacy days, a spring event that provides Land Trust leaders with hands-on training as well as time with key legislators to discuss issues important to the Land Trust community. The Alliance serves as the primary point of contact for Land trusts to understand the farm bill agricultural conservation easement program helping them to work with landowners to protect farms and ranches. In addition, we educate Land trusts on federal conservation programs to ensure they have information about Land conservation tools.