America’s forests, farms and ranches define our horizon and our history. We are committed to working with ranching families to protect the rugged expanses that support rural economies, protect wildlife habitat and preserve a uniquely American way of life. To date, we have protected more than a million acres of the nation’s most vulnerable farms, forests and ranches by keeping them working for current and future generations.

Forests

Our forests come in many patterns—coastal or landlocked, boggy or dry, evergreen or brilliantly colored—so it seems fitting that our forest conservation efforts also vary. In California, we’re pioneering a model of sustainable forest management. In the Southeast, we bring community forestry to life. Across the country, we help our partners acquire and conserve working forests that support jobs, recreation and wildlife.

For more information on our forestry work click here.

Farms

Farming can be risky business. The swings of weather and capital markets take a heavy toll on small or independent farmers. We support sustainable farmers through our Natural Capital Investment Fund, which provides capital and technical support for small farms and businesses that use resources wisely.

Ranches

Family ranches landmark the West. To protect ranchlands across this rugged region, we use both classic conservation strategies, such as easements (legal agreements to restrict development), and new sources of capital, such as mitigation funds from oil and gas development. Our work along Colorado’s Navajo River and in Wyoming’s Upper Green River Valley offers a snapshot.

Click on the links below to learn more about the ranches we've helped protect:

Cottonwood Ranches, WY

With a diverse mix of public and private partners, we completed a deal that permanently protects 1,042 acres of critical sage grouse habitat on a working cattle ranch southwest of Daniel, Wyoming, and improves habitat conditions on more than 25,000 acres of adjacent land owned by the Bureau of Land Management.