Montco organization to become affiliate of Natural Lands Trust
Anticipating a heightened ability to protect natural resources, Natural Lands Trust and Montgomery County Lands Trust (MCLT) announced a merger July 2.
The Ches-Len Preserve is one of several Chester County nature preserves that is owned and managed by Natural Lands Trust.
Under the terms of the agreement, MCLT becomes an affiliate of Natural Lands Trust and will continue to pursue its mission to preserve open space in Montgomery County.
“Our paths and missions have been intertwined for many years as both organizations have worked to protect Montgomery County’s natural and agricultural lands,” said Molly Morrison, president of Natural Lands Trust, in a press release. “We have partnered on many projects over the years; this affiliation will formalize that partnership and allow us to use donor and public support even more efficiently. Our combined resources will make both organizations stronger.”
Founded in 1993, the Montgomery County Lands Trust has preserved some 2,800 acres through conservation easements and offered support and advocacy for the Montgomery County Open Space program, which has invested more than $200 million in farmland preservation and natural resource protection.
Natural Lands Trust is a regional land trust serving eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey. Since its founding in 1953, the organization has protected more than 100,000 acres of land, including 41 nature preserves that it owns and manages in 13 counties.
Peter Hausmann, chairman of Natural Lands Trust’s Board of Trustees, lauded MCLT’s passionate and effective advocacy for improving the quality of life in Montgomery County over the last two decades. “The vision of MCLT’s founders—among them Drew Lewis, Phoebe Driscoll, Hugh Moulton, Art Loeben, and Kate Harper—inspires us to build upon this ‘culture of conservation.’ It is a legacy we are proud to inherit and carry forward.”
Natural Lands Trust is dedicated to protecting the forests, fields, streams, and wetlands that are essential to the sustainability of life in eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey. They employ a comprehensive approach to conservation that includes saving land, stewarding natural resources, and providing opportunities for the region’s residents to connect to nature. For more information, visit www.natlands.org.
