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Mission
The mission of the American Land Conservancy (ALC), a private, nonprofit land trust , is to protect our natural heritage by conserving land for the benefit of people and wildlife. Founded in 1990, ALC is dedicated to conserving landscapes that represent the very best of our ecological, scenic, recreational, cultural and agricultural resources. Through land acquisition, conservation easements and land exchanges, ALC has conserved hundreds of thousands of acres across the country. ALC values collaboration and works in partnership with willing private landowners, communities, public resource agencies, foundations, industry groups, and non-profit organizations.
Key Facts
Geographic areas served:
National, with emphasis on Alaska, California coast, California Central Valley and Foothills, the Great Basin, and Mississippi River states (especially Missouri, Illinois, and Arkansas)
Target demographics:
All who treasure and enjoy our country’s great landscapes, wild places, working farms and ranches, and wildlife habitat and want to ensure this unique natural heritage endures for future generations.
Results to date:
* Completed the 82,000-acre Hearst Ranch project, including protection of 18 miles of public access in the heart of California’s Central Coast
* Conserved 5,000 acres of old-growth forest, Kodiak Brown Bear habitat, and wild salmon streams on Alaska’s pristine Afognak Island
* Conserved 25,000 acres along the mighty Mississippi River between St. Louis, MO and Cairo, IL, protecting wetlands and habitat for endangered species while restoring natural floodplains.
Obstacles:
Skyrocketing land prices and fewer federal dollars for conservation have forced us to spend more time fundraising. We need to ensure we have sufficient resources on hand to act quickly when land is imminently threatened.
What your donation will allow us to do:
Protect open space, critical wildlife habitat, working farms and ranches, outdoor recreation areas, parks. and other great landscapes and wild places.
Your donation of $50 enables us to:
Ship and process documents needed to purchase land and convey it to public ownership
Your donation of $100 enables us to:
Travel to visit one-on-one with a landowner who wants to learn how to protect his or her property from development
Your donation of $1,000 enables us to:
Cover due diligence costs, such as appraisals, closing costs, or legal fees, which are necessary in order to protect a parcel of land
Board Members and Affiliation:
HARRIET BURGESS
• Founder and President Emerita, American Land Conservancy
• Former senior vice president and western regional manager, Trust for Public Land
GARY T. GIACOMINI, ESQ.
• Board Chair, Audit Committee Chair
• Partner of Hanson, Bridgett, Marcus, Vlahos & Rudy, LLC in San Francisco
• Retired from the Marin County Board of Supervisors after serving for 24 years
KEITH LENARD
• Development Committee Chair
• Partner at Hall and Hall, Inc.
• Former Director, ALC’s American Landscapes Program
• Former Director of Land Conservation, Nature Conservancy - Wyoming
• Former Director of Lands, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
• Former Executive Director of the Palos Verdes Land Conservancy and The Access Fund
ART LIPPOLDT
• Treasurer
• Illinois Chairman, Ducks Unlimited
• Former Illinois Area Chairman, Illinois Zone Chairman, Illinois District Chairman for Ducks Unlimited
• Retired veterinarian, after 30-year practice
• Former President, Illinois Veterinary Academy
• Served on Veterinary Board of Illinois Department of Registration
DR. JERRY MERAL
• Governance Committee Chair
• Former Executive Director, Planning and Conservation League
• Former Deputy Director, California Department of Water Resources
• Former Western Water Resources Director, Environmental Defense Fund
ROBERT STEPHENS
• Vice Chair
• Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management and Sustainability, California Environmental Protection Agency
• Internationally recognized expert in toxic waste disposal
Past and Current Funders:
(highlights only)
• Robert and Lois C. Braddock Charitable Foundation
• Entergy Corporation
• William Randolph Hearst Foundation
• American Electric Power Corporation
• US Fish & Wildlife Service - AK Coastal Program
• Grand Victoria Foundation
• IL Clean Energy Community Foundation
• Packard Foundation
• Paul Allen Foundation
Key Staff
• Kerry O’Toole, President
• Tim Richardson, Director, Alaska Program and Government Relations
• Jenny Frazier, Director, Mississippi River Program
• Ed Stanton, Project Manager, Central Valley and Foothills Program
• Pat Ortmeyer, Director of Development and Communications