What is the Couderay Waters Regional Land Trust? 

The Couderay Waters Regional Land Trust, serving the Couderay watershed region of Sawyer and Washburn counties, is a private, community based, non-profit organization established to protect land and water resources for the public benefit.  It is qualified as a tax exempt §501(c)(3) entity. It is organized to permanently protect important natural resources in the Couderay River watershed area.  The resources sought to be protected by the trust have natural, recreational or scenic value.

The Couderay Waters Regional Land Trust is organized as a corporate entity. As such, the Couderay Waters Regional Land Trust is an independent, non-governmental organization.  Its mission is to promote and assist in the protection and preservation of the natural environment of the Couderay River watershed area.

Conserving the Land

One of the most important roles of the Couderay Waters Regional Land Trust is to work with landowners concerned with protecting their land and leaving a lasting legacy for future generations.  The trust provides advice on protection strategies that best meet the landowner’s conservation and financial needs.  The trust also has long-term responsibility for managing and overseeing the land it has helped to conserve.

Because the Couderay Waters Regional Land Trust is a private organization, it can be more flexible than public agencies – and can act more quickly – in conserving important lands.

Nearly six million acres have been protected by 1,260 land trusts nationwide.  Wetlands, farms, wildlife habitats, forests, urban gardens and parks, watersheds, trails and river corridors are among the areas safeguarded by land trusts.

Wisconsin’s Land Trusts

The land trust movement in Wisconsin has grown out of a long tradition of respect for the land and a commitment to preserve natural areas from unplanned development.  Today there are 45 local and regional land trusts operating in the state.  Nearly 30,000 acres of land come under their protection and management.  Wisconsin’s land trusts focus on preserving areas with significant ecological, scenic, recreational, agricultural, social or historic value – all part of the natural heritage.  The oldest, the Ridges Sanctuary in Door County, was established in 1937 and has protected 1,200 acres of property. The bulk of the conservation work accomplished by land trusts is done by their thousands of volunteers who negotiate land protection actions with landowners, manage conserved lands, participate in public education and outreach regarding land trusts and private land conservation, and build membership for their organizations.

Collectively, land trusts around the state have about 17,000 members working on land conservation and a total operating budget of about $2.4 million dollars.

Focus of the Couderay Waters Regional Land Trust

The focus of the Couderay Waters Regional Land Trust is the protection of the natural environment of the Couderay River watershed area of Sawyer and Washburn counties.  It relies on membership dues, individual donations, and foundation and government grants to accomplish its work.  The majority of its income is spent on direct land protection activities, including easement monitoring and land management activities.  At present it does not have a budget for land acquisition.