SANTA FE CONSERVATION TRUST

The Santa Fe Conservation Trust (SFCT) was established in 1993 to help protect an iconic property - Atalaya Mountain – that was under immediate threat of residential development. The bulldozers had already begun to clear land on the mountain when SFCT became involved. At that, time there was little in the way of professional guidance or local incentives to consider as an alternative to development. Working cooperatively with other conservation partners, SFCT secured Atalaya, repaired the scar across its face, and established a trailhead that hundreds of people use every year. Today, with 82 conservation easements recorded in four counties totaling more than 35,000 acres of protected open space, SFCT is shifting its business model to actively pursue conservation projects rather than simply waiting to be approached by landowners. A land trust's primary function is to conserve land by upholding legal agreements of retired development rights that protect conservation values and support the natural integrity of the land. The land trust movement is one by which private land is preserved for public benefit by landowners who voluntarily retire all or a portion of the development rights to their land. As the population of northern New Mexico grows, pressure is increased to convert more land from its natural state to provide homes, roads and other amenities deemed necessary for modern society. SFCT's objective is to provide a platform from which land conservation can be completed in a professional manner that will: Benefit the land and the landowner, provide public-recreation and education opportunities, preserve wildlife habitat, and protect open space, scenic views and cultural resources that help to define our communities.