About

25^th Anniversary

From May 2011 to the May 2012 Country Barbeque, we are celebrating our 25^th year.

Mission Statement

The Columbia Land Conservancy works with the community to conserve the farmland, forests, wildlife habitat, and rural character of Columbia County, strengthening connections between people and the land.

Highlights

• Protected 21,980 acres of farms, forests, and rural landscapes with permanent conservation easements – 25% of all privately conserved land in the Hudson Valley and 60% in the Capital Region.
• Established 5,452 acres of public lands and manages 10 Public Conservation Areas.
• Helped secure over $5 million dollars to ensure the protection of 4,830 acres of working farmland.
• Created an agricultural program that promotes working farms and provides logistical support, including matching 18 successful farmers with landowners working on 500 acres of land.
• Assist with open space and trail development, conservation planning and agriculture issues throughout the County, including workshops and conferences, coordinating funding initiatives, and fostering partnerships among towns, county government, and allied conservation organizations.
• Developed an environmental educational program that worked with 3,500 people in 2011.

The Columbia Land Conservancy (CLC) is a member-supported, nonprofit 501(c)(3) land trust. CLC is governed by a volunteer board of trustees and has a staff of fifteen. We work in partnership with landowners and communities in Columbia County, New York, to protect wildlife habitat, farmland, and rural open space, and to encourage balanced growth. We also offer free education and recreation programs to children and adults. The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, has awarded CLC accredited status which ensures we meet rigorous national standards for effective governance.

Vision Statement

The Columbia Land Conservancy will be a dynamic force in supporting and sustaining a strong and vibrant rural community, where agriculture plays a central role in the economy, where development respects historic traditions and natural resources, and where there are accessible open spaces and abundant, healthy natural lands and wildlife habitats.

Collaborations

• Columbia County Agriculture & Farmland Protection Plan Committee
• Chatham Agricultural Partnership
• Columbia County Agriculture Roundtable
• Columbia County Bounty
• Columbia County Farm to Schools Initiative
• Columbia County Sportsmen’s Federation
• Columbia County Tourism Development Board
• Farm Bureau
• Harlem Valley Rail Trail
• Hudson Valley/Catskill Conservation Easement Working Group
• Hudson-Mohawk Resource Conservation and Development Council
• Land Trust Alliance Northeast Land Trust Conference Committee
• Olana Landscape/Viewshed Advisory Committee

Annual Report and Financials

• 2010 Annual Report
• 2010 IRS Form 990
• 2009 Annual Report
• 2009 IRS Form 990
• Archive