This trend worries those interested in preserving the character of the valley and the river's water quality. As land values rise, farmers face increasing pressure to sell their land. That's where land trusts can help, says SAHC's executive director Lynn Cox. Land trusts give landowners more choices. They help individuals and communities protect land that is valued by them.
Land trusts are tools people can use.
The land trust movement is growing, in part because people just naturally want to protect what is precious to them. Trusts give them a way to do that privately, without government involvement. We only work with landowners who want to work with us. It's a cooperative venture. With the help of a land trust, a farmer who wants to keep his land in the family and protect it from development can grant a conservation easement that will cover part or all of his acreage.