In March 2026, Buncombe County finalized the purchase of 342 acres on Deaverview Mountain, in partnership with the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, securing the future of what will become the largest public park in the county. Located just five miles from downtown Asheville, the mountain has long been a visible and valued part of the…
In December 2025, Trust for Public Land (TPL) protected 11,520 acres in the Upper Wenatchee watershed in Chelan County, Washington. The acquisition completes Phases 1 and 2 of a long-term effort to conserve up to 35,000 acres within and around Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest by 2030. On the same day the property was purchased, TPL conveyed…
In early 2026, Columbia Land Trust permanently conserved 2,666 acres of oak and pine woodland above the Wild and Scenic-designated Klickitat River in south-central Washington. The project protects one of the highest quality Oregon white oak landscapes in the state and fills a critical gap in a 30-mile corridor of conserved lands between the Columbia…
In October 2025, NDPonics secured and protected 149 acres of forestland in western Virginia, preserving a high-value landscape that includes old-growth forest, a 20-foot waterfall, and critical wildlife habitat. The property directly adjoins the Short Hills Wildlife Management Area and other NDPonics-protected lands, strengthening a growing conservation corridor and preventing future fragmentation from logging or…
At the end of 2025, Trust for Public Land, in partnership with the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation (FPR), successfully protected a 344-acre parcel at the center of Vermont’s Eden Forest. By filling in the last piece within a protected landscape, they completed a conservation effort that began more than a decade ago….
Oregon State University (OSU) has acquired more than 3,000 acres in the Tualatin Mountains, securing the last large block of undeveloped forest within 10 miles of Portland and transforming it into a publicly owned research forest and recreation destination. The new Tualatin Mountain Forest will advance climate-smart forestry, expand equitable access to nature, and support…
In a historic milestone for Indigenous-led conservation, the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County has reclaimed 1,720 acres of ancestral land in Big Sur through a transfer facilitated by The Wildlands Conservancy. This land return marks the first time in more than 250 years that the Esselen people have regained ownership of part of their homeland….
On January 17, 2025, the U.S. Forest Service authorized the East Crazy Mountains & Inspiration Divide Land Exchange, consolidating over 5,200 acres of public and private lands in Montana’s Crazy Mountains. The agreement creates a contiguous block of protected land, restores public access through a new 22-mile trail system, and resolves decades of access disputes…
On June 24, 2025, Texas Tribal Buffalo Project welcomed community members for its first ever open house celebration to mark the acquisition of its new 149.5 acre property in Floresville, TX and the rematriation of buffalo onto this land. Alongside hayrides, conversation, and food, attendees were also able to see the first calf born on…
In early January 2025, the Bureau of Land Management signed the Record of Decision for the final Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The plan is the result of over 30 public and stakeholder engagement meetings over two years with community members, state and Federal officials, Tribes, and other stakeholders. The…
