Moments of Conservation
In the past 20 years, PORT members serving 12 states have collaborated at the local, state, regional, and national levels to advance working lands conservation in many different ways.
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February 2004
PORT Begins
Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust staff help organize the first meeting of PORT after a variety of organizations and individuals became interested in a "cowboy-conservation organization" that put "people before projects." An alliance of land trusts from across the West who were affiliated with their state livestock associations became the Partnership of Rangeland Trusts. Early members included Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust (CCALT), California Rangeland Trust (CRT), Montana Land Reliance (MLR), Wyoming Stock Growers Land Trust (WSGLT), Ranchland Trust of Kansas (RTK), and Oregon Rangeland Trust (now Northwest Rangeland Trust).
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2004
Northwest Completes First PORT member easement
The Oregon Rangeland Trust completes the Drews Valley easement, the first easement a member organization completed after forming PORT.
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2005
One of California's largest conservation agreements
California Rangeland Trust, in partnership with the Hearst Corporation, American Land Conservancy, and the State of California, completes one of the largest land conservation agreements in California history. Through this unprecedented partnership, 80,000 acres of the Hearst Ranch, including 18 miles of scenic coastline, will remain pristine rangeland forever.
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2005
Wyoming Wildlife & Natural Resource Trust Created
The Wyoming Wildlife & Natural Resource Trust (WWNRT) was created by the Wyoming Legislature in 2005. The purpose of the program is to enhance and conserve wildlife habitat and natural resource values throughout the state. WWNRT has been a trusted partner of the Wyoming Stock Growers Land Trust for nearly 20 years.
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2007
Texas Agricultural Land Trust Joins the Partnership
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2007
Hoy Family Conservation Easement in Kansas
This was RTK’s first conservation easement with the Hoy family near Cassoday.
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2008
Wyoming establishes the Kurt Bucholz Conservation Award
The Wyoming Stock Growers Land Trust, along with Laura Bucholz, established the Kurt Bucholz Conservation Award. This award honors the late Dr. Kurt Bucholz for his productive life dedicated to the conservation of working ranchlands. The recipients of this award exemplify commitment to the conservation of working ranchlands, wildlife habitat and traditional water rights, and are successful stewards of the land, advocating for effective solutions to natural resource issues.
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2013
Oregon Rangeland Trust Changes Their Name
The Oregon Rangeland Trust changed their name to the Northwest Rangeland Trust to reflect the expansion of working lands conservation services to include Washington and Idaho.
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2015
Enhanced tax incentives passed
Congress made the enhanced tax incentives for qualified farms and ranches permanent after years of work between MLR, PORT, and then-Senator Max Baucus and others. This was an idea hatched on a river in Montana while fly fishing, as many great ideas are. For years the incentives had been treated as “extenders” - some years they were implemented, and others they were not.
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2015
Community Conservation Partnership formed in Nebraska
Formation of the Pine Ridge Advisory Committee. Nebraska Land Trust established this community-based approach to land conservation in the region, where local landowners and experts are the drivers of land conservation projects.
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2017
One Million Acres Protected
MLR completed a conservation easement with the Rostad family in Central Montana and conserved it’s one millionth acre of working land. This significant milestone was achieved in part because of PORT’s policy work. As of the fall of 2024, MLR has conserved 1.39 Million acres of working lands.
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2018
Community Support in California
More than 150 donors rally to help fund conservation of the Rock Front Ranch, signifying the first project funded entirely by contributions from the community.
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2018
Nebraska Land Trust Joins PORT
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2019
Colorado Land Trust Merger
The Yampa Valley Land Trust in Northwest Colorado merged with CCALT in 2019. Conservation in Northwest Colorado has expanded tremendously in the last five years in conjunction with the Yampa Valley Conservation Partnership, a partnership between northwest Colorado landowners and CCALT as a continuation and extension of conservation partnerships this region has built for more than 30 years.
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2019
Madison Ranch - Phase 1; Echo, Oregon
3,300 acres on Madison ranch began a process of conserving over 25,000 acres around the Naval Weapons Systems Training Facility in Boardman, Oregon.
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2020
Evaluating Ecosystem Services in California
UC Berkeley scientists find that Rangeland Trust conservation easements return $3.47 in environmental benefits for every dollar invested and that properties conserved by the Rangeland Trust provide $1.44 billion in ecosystem services annually to the people of California and beyond.
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2020
South Dakota Agricultural Land Trust joins PORT
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2021
Meridian Way Conservation Project in Kansas
RTK completed the 10-year Meridian Way conservation project in 2021. This gave RTK the ability to conduct conservation easements with voluntary landowners in the Smoky Hills region. Hiring the organization's first full-time director helped RTK make significant improvements.
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2021
Colorado Policy Updates
CCALT advocated for the passing of Colorado’s Conservation Easement Enhancement and Rural Stimulus Act that went into effect in 2021. This law significantly improved conservation easement tax credit benefits available to landowners. Landowners became eligible to receive up to 90% of the donated value of a conservation easement. This greatly accelerated working lands conservation in Colorado.
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2023
Four PORT members Become part of America the Beautiful Grant to Conserve Grasslands
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) awarded a four-year, $4 million America the Beautiful grant to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to support the Playa Lakes Joint Venture partnership – including Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust, Nebraska Land Trust, New Mexico Land Conservancy, Ranchland Trust of Kansas, and Texas Agricultural Land Trust – in conserving more than 250,000 acres of grassland. The Southern High Plains Grassland Protection, Restoration and Enhancement Project will enable the five land trusts to share best practices across the region and to permanently protect working grasslands for the benefit of wildlife and people.
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2024
Nebraska Increases Pace of Land Conservation
Nebraska Land Trust's average annual rate of land conservation has increased by 712% since its first decade.
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2024
South Dakota part of $22.8 million Grant for Working Lands Conservation in Northern Great plains