Land conservation: our Pillars

Strong working lands, connected habitat, vital water resources.

How We Work

Working Land

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Pillar 1

Working lands are one of the conservation pillars that help keep the Okanogan strong.

Conserved farms, ranches, and other rural landscapes support families, sustain local livelihoods, and preserve the open spaces that shape this region.

Protecting working lands helps ensure these landscapes remain productive, cared for, and part of the region’s future.

Protect LanD

Sustaining families, livelihoods, and rural economies.

Wildlife Habitat

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Pillar 2

Healthy habitat is essential to the plants and wildlife that make the Okanogan unique.

From shrub-steppe and forest to wetland and riparian areas, these landscapes provide food, shelter, and migration corridors for countless species.

Conserving habitat is a Pillar that helps protect biodiversity, support ecosystem balance, and maintain the natural systems that wildlife depend on over time.

Support habitat

Supporting movement, diversity, and ecological health.

Water Resources

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Pillar 3

Water shapes life across the Okanogan. Rivers, streams, wetlands, and floodplains support fish and wildlife, sustain working lands, and help communities and ecosystems endure through changing seasons.

Conserving land connected to water helps protect water quality, support stream health, and maintain the natural functions that store, filter, and slowly release water over time.

This work can strengthen watershed resilience and help sustain both habitat and community well-being.

Protect Watershed

Safeguarding the ecosystems that feed our watersheds.

Conservation Pathways

Three ways we protect land for the long haul.

The pace of change in the Okanogan is reshaping the ranchlands, open valleys, and wildlife corridors that define this region.

For more than twenty years, Okanogan Land Trust has worked with local landowners and communities to protect the places that make this region home.

Conservation in the Okanogan takes more than one path. Through conservation easements, preserves and OLT-owned lands, and long-term stewardship, Okanogan Land Trust brings its conservation work to life.

Our conservation pillars—working lands, habitat, and water—guide what we protect, while our conservation pathways show how that work happens across the Okanogan.

1

Landowner Conservation Easements

We work with willing landowners to create voluntary, permanent conservation agreements that protect a property’s natural, agricultural, and scenic values while the landowners maintain private ownership of the property.

These easements safeguard working farms, ranches, and wildlife habitat for generations to come.

2

Preserves and OLT-Owned Lands

In addition to conservation easements, Okanogan Land Trust owns and manages select properties that represent exceptional ecological or community value.

These lands allow us to advance stewardship through restoration, education, research, and community connection.

3

Stewardship for the Long Haul

Conservation is a commitment we honor in perpetuity.

We visit every conserved property each year, partnering with landowners to ensure conservation promises are upheld and the land continues to thrive.

How It Works

From voluntary agreements to permanent care.

Some lands stay in private hands through conservation easements. Others are protected through OLT ownership and active stewardship.

Together, these conservation tools are how Okanogan Land Trust brings its conservation pillars to life, while creating opportunities for people to learn, explore, and see conservation in action across the Okanogan.

Events & Education

Learn, Connect, Explore

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Conservation Easements

Protecting Water, Rangeland, and Way of Life

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Conservation in Action

The Nelson Family Ranch

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Explore, stay informed, and help protect our lands — for good.

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