Dear Friends,
As a land trust, we always have one eye on the horizon. Every acre we protect is a promise to our community, to future generations, and to the landscapes themselves. We address the needs of today, from ecological stewardship to community access, while never losing sight of our enduring responsibility. Land protected by the Conservancy is protected forever – and forever starts now.
It is with that mindset that I’m proud to introduce our latest strategic plan. This plan is both a reflection of where we are as a 55-year-old land trust and a roadmap for the next five years, a critical period that will set the foundation for the future.
To move forward with purpose, we first took a step back. We listened closely to our community, interviewing key stakeholders, engaging staff and Board members, and taking a hard look at where we excel and where we can grow. We asked ourselves: What does true collaborative success look like when you’re entrusted with nearly 10,000 acres of natural land?
From these conversations, several key questions emerged:
- How do we engage more landowners to share best practices in sustainable land management?
- How can we connect more students of all ages to educational programs that foster a lifelong love and respect for nature and conservation?
- What steps must we take to ensure our organization’s financial sustainability far into the future?
Our mission remains unchanged: to provide wild and forested lands and clean waterways for our community, forever. Our vision is clear: a future where nature and people thrive together. That vision demands balance – between conservation and access, between human needs and wildlife protection.
And perhaps most importantly, our purpose remains rooted in the values that inspired our founders in 1969: to protect forests as living places where people can recreate, hunt, fish, learn, and find connection with the natural world.
We invite you to read the overview of our strategic plan and join us in building this future together.
Sincerely,
Fritz Schroeder
President & CEO