There are dozens of conservancies and land trusts in California that work to preserve sensitive natural areas, farmlands and ranchlands, water sheds, and notable landmarks. Trusts use a number of strategies to provide this protection–from outright acquisition of property to the purchase of a conservation easement, which prevents development on the land.

Land trusts play an important, if unheralded, role in the state’s tourism industry by protecting sensitive lands that draw visitors to California. Land trusts manage watersheds for birding and wildlife viewing, ridge lands for hiking and biking, and heritage sites that draw cultural tourists.

The California Council of Land Trusts defines the work of these organizations as:

Ensuring Californians’ Quality of Life. Californians need clean water and air, places to play and rejuvenate, healthy and affordable food, scenic beauty, and natural areas to experience and learn. These lands are critical to the well being of Californians — to our quality of life, our children’s future and our love of California.

Working in Local Communities. Land trusts are rooted in local communities, and work to protect local places of value and importance. Land trust board members, staff and volunteers reside in the areas they work. They join with fellow community members to respond to local needs and protect local places.

What follows is a list of land trusts and conservancies in Northern California.

Local and Regional Land Trusts

[1] American River Conservancy
348 Highway 49
PO Box 562, Coloma, CA 94536
Phone: 530.621.1224
Email: arc@arconservancy.org

Anderson Valley Land Trust
PO Box 141, Boonville, CA
Phone: (707) 895-3150
E‑mail: AVLT@mcn.org

[2] Bay Area Barns and Trails
PO Box 2435, Mill Valley, CA 94942-2435
Phone: 415-383-6283
E‑mail: BABTT@earthlink.net

[3] Bodega Land Trust
PO Box 254, Bodega, CA 94922-0254
Phone: 707-876-3093
E‑mail: bodegalandtrust@bodeganet.com

[4] Brentwood Agricultural Land Trust
PO Box 2046
104 Oak Street, Brentwood, CA 94513-1335
Phone: 925-634-6738
E‑mail: brentwoodagtrust@sbcglobal.net

[5] California Rangeland Trust
1221 H St, Sacramento, CA 95814-1910
Phone: (916) 444-2096
E‑mail: nvail@rangelandtrust.org

Central Valley Farmland Trust
2948 E. Woodbridge Road, Acampo, CA
Phone: 916-687-3178
E‑mail: bmartin@valleyfarmland.org

Agricultural Trust of Contra Costa County
965 Camino Verde Circle
Walnut Creek, CA 94597-2270
Phone: 415-713-5108

Eastern Sierra Land Trust
621 W. Line Street. Suite 203
P.O. Box 755, Bishop, CA 93515
Phone: 760-873-4554
Email: info@easternsierralandtrust.org

[6] Elkhorn Slough Foundation
PO Box 267
1700 Elkhorn Rd., Moss Landing, CA 95039-0267
Phone: (831) 728-5939

[7] Feather River Land Trust
75 Court Street
P.O. Box 1826, Quincy, CA 95971
Phone: 530.283.5758
Email: frlt@frlt.org

[8] Lake County Land Trust
PO Box 711, Lower Lake, CA 95457-0711
Phone: 707-995-1398
E‑mail: susanne@jps.net

[9] Lassen Land and Trails Trust
P.O. Box 1461, Susanville, CA 96130
Phone: (530) 257-3252
Email: lltt@psln.com

[10] Marin Agricultural Land Trust
PO Box 809, Point Reyes Station, CA 94956-0809
Phone: (415) 663-1158
E‑mail: farmland@malt.org

[11] Monterey County Agricultural and Historical Land Conservancy
P.O. Box 1731
Salinas, CA 93902-1731
Phone: (831) 422-5868
E‑mail: sdarington@redshift.com

Motherlode Land Trust
PO Box 1435, Jackson, CA 95642
Phone: 209.419.2861
Email: ellieroutt@sbcglobal.net

Mountain Meadows Conservancy
P.O. Box 40, Westwood, CA 96137
Phone: (530) 256-3982
Email: info@mtmeadows.org

[12] Muir Heritage Land Trust
PO Box 2452, Martinez, CA 94553-7452
Phone: 925-228-5460
E‑mail: info@muirheritagelandtrust.org

[13] Land Trust of Napa County
1040 Main St Ste 203, Napa, CA 94559-2605
Phone: (707) 252-3270
E‑mail: info@napalandtrust.org

[14] Nevada County Land Trust
175 Joerschke Drive, Suite R
Grass Valley, California 95945
Phone: 530-272-5994
Email: info@nevadacountylandtrust.org

[15] Northcoast Regional Land Trust
P.O. Box 398, 2182 Old Arcata Rd.
Bayside, CA 95524-0398
Phone: (707) 822-2242
E‑mail: info@ncrlt.org

[16] Northern California Regional Land Trust
167 East Third Avenue, Chico CA 95926
Phone: 30.894.7738
Email: ncrlt@landconservation.org

[17] Peninsula Open Space Trust
222 High Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301
Phone: (650) 854-7696
E‑mail: post@openspacetrust.org

[18] Placer Land Trust
11521 Blocker Drive, Auburn CA 95603
Phone: (530) 887-9222
Email: info@placerlandtrust.org

[19] Redwood Coast Land Conservancy
PO Box 1511, Gualala, CA 95445-1511
Phone: (707) 785-3327
E‑mail: rclc@mcn.org

[20] Sacramento Valley Conservancy
PO Box 163351, Sacramento, CA 95816-9351
Phone: 916-731-8798
E‑mail: Bond13mac@aol.com

San Joaquin Valley Conservancy
PO Box 732, Merced, CA 95341-0732
Phone: 209-723-9283
E‑mail: sjvc@bigvalley.net

[21] Land Trust of Santa Cruz County
PO Box 1287, 617 Water Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95061-1287
Phone: (831) 429-6116
E‑mail: landtrust@ltscc.org

[22] Save Mount Diablo
1196 Boulevard Way, Suite 10
Walnut Creek, CA 94595-1167
Phone: (925) 947-3535
E‑mail: smdinfo@savemountdiablo.org

[23] Sempervirens Fund
Drawer BE
Los Altos, CA 94023-4054
Phone: 650-968-4509

[24] Sequoia Riverlands Trust
4278 So. Garden St., Visalia, CA 93277
Phone: 559-738-0211
Email: info@sequoiariverlands.org

[25] Shasta Land Trust
P.O. Box 992026, Redding, CA 96099-2026
Phone: (530) 241-7886
Email: info@shastalandtrust.org

[26] Sierra Foothill Conservancy
PO Box 529, Prather, CA 93651-0529
Phone: 559-855-3473
E‑mail: sfc@psnw.com

Sierra Valley Resource Conservation District
PO Box 50, Vinton, CA 96135
Phone: (530) 993-4580
Email: sierravalleyrcd@netzero.net

[27] Solano Land Trust
1001 Texas Street, Fairfield, CA 94533-0011
Phone: (707) 432-0150
E‑mail: admin@solanolandtrust.org

[28] Sonoma Land Trust
966 Sonoma Ave, Santa Rosa, CA
Phone: (707) 526-6930
E‑mail: lois@sonomalandtrust.org

[29] Tri-Valley Conservancy
1736 Holmes Street, Livermore, CA
Phone: 925-449-8706
E‑mail: conservancy@pacbell.net

[30] Truckee Donner Land Trust
P.O. Box 8816, Truckee, CA 96162
Phone: (530) 582-4711
Email: info@tdlandtrust.org

Tuolumne County Land Trust
PO Box 5362, Sonora, CA 95370
phone: 209.532.6937
email: mgpowell@sbcglobal.net

[31] Western Shasta Resource Conservation District
6270 Parallel Rd, Anderson, CA 96007
Phone: (530) 365-7332

[32] Yolo Land Trust
PO Box 1196, Woodland, CA 95776-1196
Phone: (530) 795-3110
E‑mail: judy@yololandtrust.org

Statewide and Councils of Land Trusts

[33] [33] [33] [36] American Land Conservancy
250 Montgomery St Ste 210
San Francisco, CA 94104
Phone: 415-912-3660
E‑mail: mail@alcnet.org

[37] California Council of Land Trusts
1107 9th Street, Suite 1050, Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 497-0272
mail@calandtrusts.org

California Rangeland Trust
1221 H St, Sacramento, CA 95814-1910
Phone: (916) 444-2096
Email: nvail@rangelandtrust.org

[38] The Nature Conservancy
201 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone: (415) 777-0487
E‑mail: msweeney@tnc.org

[39] Pacific Forest Trust
416 Aviation Blvd, Santa Rosa, CA 95403-1032
Phone: (707) 578-9950
E‑mail: jodonnell@pacificforest.org

[40] Sierra-Cascade Land Trust Council

[41] Trust for Public Land, California
116 New Montgomery St., San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone: (415) 495-4014
Email: info@tpl.org

[42] Wilderness Land Trust
PO Box 163, Carmel Valley, CA 93924
Phone: 415-606-5895
E‑mail: nikki@wildernesslandtrust.org