The Rocky Mountain West is a geography of hope and opportunity. Today, we have enough wide-open spaces to support iconic wildlife, agricultural economies, and free-flowing rivers.
Yet, we are experiencing extraordinary economic and demographic pressure that will forever change the landscape and how it supports our economies and communities.
Heart of the Rockies serves as the collaborative backbone for 27 independent land trusts working in five states and two provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, and Washington.
Each land trust partner is deeply rooted in their local community and native ecosystem. They work only with willing landowners using voluntary agreements to conserve private land.
Private land conservation is crucial for maintaining open space important for agricultural production, wildlife habitat, and water availability.
Land trusts know how to do this work, but need capital to scale up solutions to meet current challenges. Our collaboration helps increase the pace of private land conservation.
We work to bring new funding into the landscape to support land trust operations and conservation projects, making conservation dollars go farther by leveraging this with regional, state, and federal matches.
We work on policies that support landowners and land trust work.
We network and support each other through learning and mentorship.
We help bring the latest science so land trust can make strategic decisions about where to invest their limited time and resources.
www.bearriverlandconservancy.org
Gabriel Murray, Operations Manager
LTA Accreditation in process
Established in 2011
Region: Bear River Watershed, Utah
www.bitterrootlandtrust.org
Gavin H. Ricklefs, Executive Director
LTA Accredited
Established in 1996
Region: Bitterroot Valley, Montana
Mark Elsbree, Montana and Northwest Director
Gates Watson, Montana State Director
Dan Schlager, Wyoming State Director
LTA Accredited
Established in 1985
Region: National
www.flatheadlandtrust.org
Paul Travis, Executive Director
LTA Accredited
Established in 1985
Region: Flathead Valley, Montana
www.fvlt.org
Whitney Schwab, Executive Director
LTA Accredited
Established in 1972
Region: Southwest Montana – Clark Fork, Blackfoot, Mission, Bitterroot, and Rock Creek river valleys
www.gvlt.org
Chet Work, Executive Director
LTA Accredited
Established in 1990
Region: Montana headwaters of the Missouri and Upper Yellowstone Rivers
www.inlandnwland.org
Dave Schuab, Executive Director
Chris DeForest, Conservation Director
LTA Accredited
Established in 1991
Region: five counties in eastern Washington (Spokane, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Stevens, and Adams) and two counties in northern Idaho (Kootenai and Bonner)
www.jhlandtrust.org
Max Ludington, President
LTA Accredited
Established in 1980
Region: Teton, Sublette and Fremont counties, Wyoming
Katie Cox, Executive Director
LTA Accredited
Established in 2002
Region: Sanders County, Montana, and Bonner County, Idaho
Eric Grace, Executive Director
LTA Accredited
Established in 1996
Region: Treasure Valley, Idaho
www.lemhilandtrust.org
Jennifer Smith, Executive Director
LTA Accredited
Established in 2005
Region: Lemhi County, Idaho
www.mtlandreliance.org
Kendall VanDyk, Jordan Vana, Managing Directors
LTA Accredited
Established in 1978
Region: Montana statewide
www.nature.org_idaho
Tess O’Sullivan, Land Conservation Strategy Lead
LTA Accredited
Established in 1951
Region: state-wide chapters
Jim Berkey, High Divide Headwaters Director
LTA Accredited
Established in 1962
Region: state-wide chapters
www.nature.org_wyoming
Abby Scott, NW Wyoming Program Director
LTA Accredited
Established in 1951
Region: state-wide chapters
www.natureconservancy.ca
Richard Klafki, Rocky Mountain Program Manager
Established in 1962
Region: National
www.palouselandtrust.org
Lovina Englund, Executive Director
LTA Accredited
Established in 1996
Region: Benewah, Clearwater, Idaho, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce, Shoshone counties in Idaho; Whitman county, Washington
www.payettelandtrust.org
Craig Utter, Executive Director
LTA Accredited
Established in 1994
Region: Adams, Idaho, Valley, and Washington counties, Idaho
www.pricklypearlt.org
Mary Hollow, Executive Director
LTA Accredited
Established in 1995
Region: Lewis and Clark, Broadwater and Jefferson Counties in Montana.
www.rmef.org
Jennifer Doherty, Director of Lands
RMEF MT – Mike Mueller, Sr. Lands Program Manager
RMEF ID – Aaron Swift, Lands Program Manager
Region: National
Established in 1984
Region: National
www.sagebrushlandtrust.com
Matt Lucia, Executive Director
LTA Accredited
Established in 2004
Region: Southeastern Idaho Counties of Bannock, Bear Lake, Bingham, Caribou, Franklin, Onieda, and Power
www.tetonlandtrust.org
Kim Trotter, Executive Director
LTA Accredited
Established in 1990
Region: Upper Snake River Watershed in eastern Idaho
www.tpl.org
Dick Dolan, Montana Program Director
LTA Accredited
Established in 1972
Region: National
www.vitalground.org
Ryan Lutey, Executive Director
LTA Accredited
Established in 1990
Region: International
www.woodriverlandtrust.org
Scott Boettger, Executive Director
LTA Accredited
Established in 1994
Region: Blaine, Butte, Camas, Custer, Elmore, Gooding, Jerome, Lincoln, Minidoka counties, Idaho
www.wsgalt.org
Jessica Crowder, Executive Director
LTA Accredited
Established in 2000
Region: State-wide
