LandCAN

 

Conservation Resources for Landowners

Our mission is to promote the protection of endangered species, wetlands, farms, forests, working lands and other open spaces by empowering landowners to make smart decisions about their properties. LandCAN is a comprehensive resource for farmers, foresters, ranchers and other landowners who wish to make more responsible, sustainable decisions about the use and future of their land. To enable this, we offer a variety of resources on private land ownership, including informative articles and a searchable directory of conservation programs and professionals throughout the country.

Follow the links below to find out more about our various information resources, which cover private sector conservation products and professionals. LandCAN covers many topics in conservation; from carbon credits and conservation markets to government grants and assistance programs. Don’t forget to visit our blog, too, where we go deeper into the issues that affect landowners and rural residents across the country, or subscribe to the LandCAN newsletter where we touch on the current issues in land conservation today.

Conservation Grant & Assistance Programs
Conservation Grant & Assistance Programs
These national land conservation funding and technical assistance programs are national in scope and the majority are offered by the Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Department of Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service.

directory of local, regional or national professionals
Conservation Connection
Let our servers do the walking to help you find local, regional or national professionals to assist you with your tax, estate, or conservation objectives.

Income Generating Programs
Income Generating Programs
NCX is the trusted solution for landowners to find the right income generating programs for their land. NCX has facilitated over $20M of payments to landowners for carbon, wildlife habitat, and more. Instantly learn your eligibility for hundreds of programs and easily compare them to find the right fit for your land. Their team of experts makes sure you don’t miss opportunities to fund your unique goals.

Introductory and technical articles on land conservation, tax planning, estate planning, wildlife conservation, and conservation easements
Article Library
Introductory and technical articles on land conservation, tax planning, estate planning, wildlife conservation, and conservation easements.

Conservation Success Stories
Conservation Success Stories
Highlighting stories of conservation success for landowners, farmers, foresters, recreational guides and individuals

Carbon Sequestration Resources
Carbon Sequestration
Information on Conservation Markets, Carbon Credits, Mitigation Banking and the resources and professionals to help.

Land Conservation Toolbox
Land Conservation Toolbox
Use the LandCAN Land and Energy Conservation Toolbox as your resource for land conservation education and resources.

Conservation Tax Center
Conservation Tax Center
Tax and Estate information and resources on: Succession Planning, Conservation Easements, Tax Credit trading and 1031 exchanges.

Conservation Newsroom
Conservation Newsroom
Up-To-Date news items and tax information in the land conservation arena, federal program updates & deadlines and the LandCAN Blog

Why Conservation Matters

Private Ownership Accounts for 71% of Land in the Lower 48 States

Private land ownership in the US
Map Source: vividmaps.com

There are over 13 million landowners across the country comprised of over 10.7 million individuals, partnerships and corporations manageover 264 million acres of private forestland, over 938 million acres are cropland, pastureland, and range land owned and managed by over 1.9 million farmers and ranchers. Although they make up less than 2% of the U.S. population, ranchers, farmers, and forest owners care for the vast majority—70%—of the land in the Lower 48.

Conservation is about more than “saving the earth” or having a “green agenda.” Rather, it’s about restoring a balance that’s being upset as people lose their connection to rural areas. What’s often lost in the drive to urbanize is the fact that forests, wetlands, mountain ranches and farms all continue to play important roles in our societies, ecosystems, and way of life. Maintaining them is essential for food security and ensuring the future availability of clean water and air. Failure to take steps now to protect these lands against responsibly calculated sprawling development can have drastic consequences.

Getting Started

As a private landowner, there are things you can do today to make a positive change in the world. These include donating a portion of your property to a land trust or easement, or working to prevent soil erosion, manage wildlife and harvest crops more responsibly on your property. Learn more by browsing our website or using the LandCAN Library to learn more about land and energy conservation. You can also use our Private Landowner Toolbox, which provides links to online apps that let you measure your carbon production, perform cost/benefit analyses and get up-to-date tax information.

Taking the Next Steps

Sustainable land conservation is not a quick fix, but rather an ongoing way of life. To ensure this work continues for years to come, consider doing advance estate planning that specifies what you want to happen to your property in the future. It’s never too early to make these important decisions — doing so can potentially save your loved ones a great hassle and expense, while also ensuring your wishes are respected. Explore your options with estate planning and management and take the first steps today.

Who We Are

The Land Conservation Assistance Network (LandCAN) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Yarmouth, Maine. Since 2000, we have been providing online tools for farmers, foresters, ranchers and other landowners. In addition to maintaining a national land conservation directory, we also provide more comprehensive conservation resources for Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Texas, and Virginia. We also have created the Habitat Conservation Assistance Netwotrk, a site designed to help private landowners manage candidate, threatened, and endangered species habitat on their land.

How You can Help

You can support the LandCAN by making a tax-deductible contribution that supports our ongoing expenses, which include web hosting and database maintenance. Don’t forget to show your support for us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+, too!