The Lourey Family Stands With Forests—Will You?
A Forest Home…
Your forest is more than land—it’s a home. It shelters songbirds on their migrations, provides refuge for deer and grouse, and sustains vital ecosystem engineers like wolves and black bears.
It filters the clean water that flows into Minnesota’s lakes, rivers, and streams. It’s where you’ve built memories, walked beneath canopies of green, and felt the deep, steady rhythm of nature.
Under Threat
But forests are disappearing—lost to fragmentation and development. When they’re gone, the wildlife, clean water, and beauty they provide are diminished, sometimes forever.
Through sustainable management, forests can provide more than just habitat—they can also support livelihoods. Thoughtful stewardship allows landowners to responsibly harvest timber, contributing to local economies, while ensuring the forest remains healthy and intact for generations to come.
A Partner You Can Trust
By partnering with the Minnesota Land Trust, you can protect your forest and its future. Together, we can preserve the habitat, clean water, and sustainable benefits your forest provides while honoring your legacy on the land.
If you own 40 acres or more of undeveloped land in Minnesota, you may qualify for grant funding to make this vision a reality. This is your chance to safeguard your forest’s legacy, preserve its resources, and ensure its place in Minnesota’s natural landscape—forever.
Find Out if Your Property Qualifies
Submit a short form (it just takes 2 minutes) and we’ll be in touch to let you know if your property could qualify for a grant-funded protection program.
Or send an email to land@mnland.org with your name, contact information, and the acreage and parcel number(s) of the property you’d like to protect.
Frequently Asked Questions About Protected Properties
Can I harvest trees after the conservation easement is in place?
Yes! Whether you desire to continue to harvest trees through a managed forest over time (or want to allow for future generations to do so) on your tree farm or merely protect your forest land, we can craft a conservation easement that meets your vision for the property while safeguarding its conservation values forever.
Do I get paid for a conservation easement?
The Minnesota Land Trust receives funding through the Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Fund that allows for the purchase of conservation easements across Minnesota. However, many landowners are interested in federal tax breaks that come with the donation of conservation easements, which can be spread across 12 years of federal tax returns. Whatever your position, we can work with you!
Can I be enrolled in the Sustainable Forest Incentive Act (SFIA) and have a conservation easement on my property?
No. State law prohibits a landowner from participating in both. However, many landowners have a desire to make permanent the conservation of their forest lands, and the State does allow for landowners to leave SFIA after their property has been protected through a conservation easement.
Can I have trails and/or operate an ATV or snowmobile on my protected private property?
Yes!
Can I hunt and fish on my protected private property?
Yes!
If my land is protected through a conservation easement, do I have to open it up to the public?
No. Your land continues to be held as private property, owned by you. You determine who can access and use your land. The only change to who accesses the property after a conservation easement is in place is to allow the Land Trust to complete a monitoring visit each year.
About The Minnesota Land Trust
The Minnesota Land Trust is a conservation non-profit organization based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, that works with private landowners to conserve land through voluntary land conservation agreements.
The Land Trust’s mission is to protect Minnesota’s most vital natural lands to provide wildlife habitat, clean water, outdoor experiences, and scenic beauty for generations to come.
Since 1991, the Land Trust has partnered with hundreds of Minnesota landowners to permanently protect over 80,000 acres of natural land and 540 miles of fragile shoreline throughout the state. In addition, we’ve restored over 9,000 acres of critical habitat.
Let’s Stay in Touch
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Funding for this program is provided by the Outdoor Heritage Fund as recommended by the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council.
