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Published on: December 9, 2012
Land trust evaluation of progress toward conservation goals
Louise Alexander1, George R Hess
1Department of Biology, NC State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7617, USA. louise_alexander@ncsu.edu
Summary
Most local land trusts in North Carolina struggle to measure conservation success, often reporting land area protected instead of measurable goals. Adopting the Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation can improve environmental management and funding opportunities.
Area of Science:
- Conservation science
- Environmental management
- Land trust operations
Background:
- Local land trusts in the U.S. conserve diverse natural and cultural resources.
- Effective conservation requires clear goals and progress monitoring.
- Current reporting practices may not reflect true conservation outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess how North Carolina local land trusts report progress toward conservation goals.
- To identify gaps in goal setting and progress monitoring among these organizations.
Main Methods:
- Survey of 24 active local land trusts in North Carolina.
- Analysis of responses from 22 land trusts regarding goal development, target identification, and monitoring practices.
Main Results:
- Only a minority of surveyed land trusts set specific conservation goals for all properties.
- Few trusts identified conservation targets or monitored biological indicators across all protected lands.
- Most trusts reported success based on land area conserved and funds raised, not measurable conservation outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Most surveyed land trusts likely cannot determine if conservation goals are met due to a lack of measurable objectives and monitoring.
- This represents a missed opportunity for improved environmental management, public engagement, and funding acquisition.
- Adoption of the Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation is recommended to enhance goal setting and progress measurement.
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