As with many other growing communities across the country, the Twin Cities metropolitan region is faced with the daunting task of determining how to cope with current and future growth patterns, how to meet the need for economic development, transportation, and housing, and—most importantly—how to maintain our cherished and often envied quality of urban life. Early city leaders had the vision to set aside beautiful parks and open spaces and to connect those places with "green corridors." As the core urban areas have expanded, so have efforts to continue to protect our natural features. In addition to city parks and playgrounds, the metropolitan area boasts an extraordinary network of regional parks, many managed for their natural features and characteristics as well as for their recreational opportunities.

In just six years, the 11-county metropolitan area lost 120,000 acres of farms, potential parks and open space to sprawl. Without more careful planning and accelerated protection efforts, development will outpace conservation. More than ever, the Minnesota Land Trust is being called upon by citizens and local organizations to play a significant role in the process of developing conservation priorities for the metropolitan area and—even more importantly—implementing programs that will protect our long-valued open spaces.

With most of our early efforts focused in the metropolitan area, the Land Trust continues to be a leader in using easements as a conservation tool, working with individuals and communities in the band of counties stretching across central Minnesota from the St. Croix River to the South Dakota border.

Back to Minnesota Land Trust Regions page