Land Conservation
The pace of change in the Okanogan is reshaping the ranchlands, open valleys, and wildlife corridors that define this region. Between 1993 and 2008, 45% of the Okanogan’s large ranches changed ownership, and more than half went to developers, accelerating the loss of intact working lands and the habitat they support.1
For more than twenty years, Okanogan Land Trust has worked with local landowners to protect the places that make this region home. Through voluntary conservation easements, families have been able to keep their land whole, continue agricultural operations, and safeguard important ecological values for the long term.
Areas of Impact
Working Land
Sustaining families, livelihoods, and rural economies.
Wildlife Habitat
Supporting movement, diversity, and ecological health.
Water Resources
Safeguarding the ecosystems that feed our watersheds.
How We Work
Landowner Conservation Easements
We work with willing landowners to create voluntary, permanent conservation agreements that protect a property’s natural, agricultural, and scenic values while the landowners maintain private ownership of the property. These easements safeguard working farms, ranches, and wildlife habitat for generations to come.
Preserves and OLT-Owned Lands
In addition to conservation easements, Okanogan Land Trust owns and manages select properties that represent exceptional ecological or community value. These lands allow us to advance stewardship through restoration, education, research, and community connection.
Stewardship for the Long Haul
Conservation is a commitment we honor in perpetuity. We visit every conserved property each year, partnering with landowners to ensure conservation promises are upheld and the land continues to thrive.
Events & Education
Learn, Connect, Explore
Conservation Easements
Protecting Water, Rangeland, and Way of Life
Conservation in Action
The Nelson Family Ranch
1 Haggerty, Julia and Patty Gude “Land Ownership Change and the Ranching Economy in the Okanogan Valley and Eastern Okanogan County, Washington.” Headwaters Economics (2008): pg 3, 31. Web. 20 March 2014.