If a conservation need is not being met in your area and you think a land trust might be the answer, you may want to order a copy of the Land Trust Alliance’s Starting a Land Trust at http://www.lta.org/publications/. This excellent publication covers a lot of ground.

You can go to Find a Land Trust to identify land trusts whose geographical location meshes well with your conservation interests. After you have read Starting a Land Trust and researched local land trusts, you may want to contact the Pennsylvania Land Trust Association, a support organization for Pennsylvania’s land trusts, for additional guidance.

You may ultimately start a wholly new organization, modify the mission of an existing organization such as a watershed association, or work with an existing land trust to expand its geographic interest into your area. Regardless, you will find that people—most particularly local people—are at the root of accomplishing conservation. You will need to work to identify and tap the energies and resources of all who are sympathetic to your conservation concerns.