Whether urban or rural, land trusts and residential intentional communities share common goals. Land trusts may purchase the land and maintain ownership as a non-profit, or they may offer legal services. There are two main types:
- Community land trusts found in urban settings typically focus on affordable housing and sometimes co-operative governance.
- Conservation land trusts found in rural settings typically focus on habitat preservation, watershed protection, or ecologically sustainable agriculture.
Land Trust Directories
- Community Land Trust Directory: A comprehensive list and map of CLTs in North America. This list includes citizen-led, regional nonprofits with open membership and democratic structure. It does not include Community Development Corporations, Habitats for Humanity, nor city housing agencies.
- European Community Land Trust Directory: Find detailed CLT listings by country.
- Accredited Land Trust Locator: This source maps conservation-focused land trusts in the U.S. and its territories.
- Land Trust Alliance: Search for land trusts by name, location, or attributes such as public access or trails.
- Search also for databases that list only land trusts in a particular state or region.
Partnering With Community Land Trusts (Urban)
Community land trusts found in urban settings typically focus on affordable housing and sometimes co-operative governance. Potential benefits to residential intentional communities include the following:
- Land security: Land trusts can provide secure land tenure, ensuring the long-term viability of the community and its affordable housing initiatives.
- Joint ownership: Land trusts and communities can co-own land, sharing management responsibilities and decision-making.
- Access to resources: Land trusts may have access to funding, technical assistance, and partnerships that can benefit community projects.
- Credibility and recognition: Partnering with a reputable land trust can enhance the community’s credibility and attract support.
Partnering With Conservation Land Trusts (Rural)
Foremost among the benefits rural land trusts can provide to landowners are alleviation of tax burden thru a conservation easement. The legal expenses for a conservation easement are such that smaller acreages usually do not qualify. Yet conservation land trusts also consider other factors:
- Threat of development: Is the land at high risk of being sold as commercial or suburban real estate?
- Ecological significance: Is the land home to endangered species or important habitats?
- Location: Is the land near other protected areas, or does it contribute to a larger conservation corridor?
Combined paracels: Several neighbors with adjacent parcels might share the expenses of combining their land into one conservation easement.
Potential benefits to rural intentional communities and ecovillages include those listed above for community land trusts, in addition to the following:
- Conservation easements: Communities can place easements on their land, ensuring its permanent protection while allowing for continued residential and agricultural use.
- Leasing agreements: Communities can lease from land trusts a farm or ranch that may have one or more houses, providing affordable lifetime access while adhering to conservation objectives.
- Conservation expertise: Land trusts offer guidance on ecological restoration, sustainable land management, and navigating conservation regulations.
- Collaborative projects: Land trusts and communities can collaborate on specific projects like habitat restoration, trail building, or educational programs.