LAND TRUST FOR TENNESSEE INC
4000 FRANKLIN PIKE, NASHVILLE, TN 37204 www.landtrusttn.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: TO CONSERVE THE UNIQUE CHARACTER OF TENNESSEE'S NATURAL AND HISTORIC LANDSCAPES AND SITES FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.

FOUNDED IN 1999, THE LAND TRUST FOR TENNESSEE PERMANENTLY PROTECTS LAND THROUGH A RANGE OF TOOLS, INCLUDING DONATED CONSERVATION EASEMENTS, PURCHASED CONSERVATION EASEMENTS, LAND DONATIONS, BARGAIN SALE ARRANGEMENTS, TRANSACTION FACILITATION, AND LAND PURCHASES. THE LAND TRUST HOLDS CONSERVATION EASEMENTS ON PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LAND, INCLUDING FARMS, FORESTLAND AND URBAN OPEN SPACES; AND WE ARE THE ONLY STATEWIDE CONSERVATION ORGANIZATION WITH AN ACTIVE FARMLAND CONSERVATION PROGRAM. WE RAISE FUNDS - OFTEN TO THE TUNE OF TRIPLE OUR OPERATING BUDGET - THAT GO DIRECTLY INTO CONSERVATION PROJECTS, WHETHER FOR TRANSACTION ASSISTANCE OR FOR DIRECT ACQUISITION. WE FACILITATE ACQUISITIONS TO ADD LAND TO STATE NATURAL AREAS, STATE PARKS, STATE FORESTS, WILDLIFE PRESERVES, AND MUNICIPAL PARKS. WE ASSIST MUNICIPALITIES AND INDIVIDUALS WITH PLANNING PROCESSES AND COALITION-BUILDING AROUND THOSE PROCESSES. WE ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN COMMUNITY CONSERVATION, FOSTERING COMMUNITY AWARENESS ABOUT THE PUBLIC BENEFITS OF LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION THROUGH WORKSHOPS, SCHOOL PROGRAMS, FIELD TRIPS, AND EVENTS ALL OVER THE STATE AND AT GLEN LEVEN FARM. AS OF MARCH 31, 2020, THE LAND TRUST FOR TENNESSEE HAS PERMANENTLY PROTECTED 129,054 ACRES OF LAND THROUGH 408 PROJECTS. IN FY20, THE LAND TRUST FOR TENNESSEE COMPLETED 18 NEW PROJECTS TOTALING 3,350 ACRES IN 12 COUNTIES ACROSS THE STATE. THIS INCLUDES 1,102 ACRES OF PRIME AGRICULTURAL SOILS, 16 MILES OF RIVERS AND STREAMS, AND OVER 11 MILES OF PUBLIC ROAD FRONTAGE. PROTECTED LAND INCLUDED WORKING FARMS AND FORESTS, RECREATIONAL LAND (BOTH PRIVATE AND PUBLIC), SCENIC VIEWSHEDS, WILDLIFE HABITAT, LAND WITH ECOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE, AND LAND CONTAINING SIGNIFICANT WATER RESOURCES. THESE PROPERTIES WERE PROTECTED THROUGH DONATED CONSERVATION EASEMENTS, PURCHASED CONSERVATION EASEMENTS, AND FACILITATED TRANSACTIONS. TRANSACTIONS WERE COMPLETED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PRIVATE LANDOWNERS, PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, METRO-NASHVILLE DAVIDSON COUNTY, THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AT FORT CAMPBELL, AND THE TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION ("TDEC") - STATE PARKS. CONSERVATION HIGHLIGHTS FROM FY20:" SEQUATCHIE CAVE STATE NATURAL AREA: THE LAND TRUST WORKED WITH THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, DIVISION OF NATURAL AREAS, TO EXPAND SEQUATCHIE CAVE STATE NATURAL AREA BY 1000%. THIS ACQUISITION ADDED 125 ACRES OF LAND TO THE ORIGINALLY 10-ACRE NATURAL AREA, PROTECTING MANY RARE AND ENDANGERED SPECIES AND FURTHER PROTECTING THE WATERSHED. " BELLS BEND: ON BEHALF OF THE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR AND METRO NASHVILLE PARKS, THE LAND TRUST FACILITATED THE PURCHASE OF 106 ACRES OF PRIME FARMLAND IN THE BELL'S BEND AREA OF THE CUMBERLAND RIVER IN WEST NASHVILLE. THIS PASTORAL LANDSCAPE WILL EVENTUALLY BE CONVERTED TO A PARK WITH GREENWAY TRAIL THAT WILL LINK TO BELLS BEND PARK." ROBERTSON COUNTY: THE LAND TRUST PARTNERED WITH A LOCAL FARMING FAMILY TO CONSERVE AN ADDITIONAL 1,000 ACRES OF PRIME FARMLAND IN AN AREA OF TENNESSEE WHERE AGRICULTURE IS CRITICAL TO THE COMMUNITY'S IDENTITY AND LOCAL ECONOMY. THE LAND TRUST HAS NOW PROTECTED MORE THAN 3,900 ACRES OF FARMLAND IN ROBERTSON COUNTY, CREATING AN IMPORTANT CONSERVATION BLOCK OF PROTECTED FARMLAND IN AN AREA WITH SOME OF THE BEST SOILS IN THE STATE" FT. CAMPBELL: THE LAND TRUST COMPLETED 2 ADDITIONAL PROJECTS TOTALING 235 ACRES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FT. CAMPBELL THROUGH THE ARMY COMPATIBLE USE BUFFER (ACUB) PROGRAM. THIS UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP HAS RESULTED IN THE PERMANENT PROTECTION OF 15 PROPERTIES TOTALING OVER 3,000 ACRES, PROTECTING CRITICAL HABITAT AND OPEN SPACE SURROUNDING THE FT. CAMPBELL ARMY BASE." WILLIAMSON COUNTY: THE LAND TRUST CONTINUED ITS WORK IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY, WHERE WE COMPLETED OUR FIRST PROJECT IN 1999. IN FY20, WE COMPLETED 3 ADDITIONAL PROJECTS TOTALING 125 ACRES. THE LAND TRUST HAS NOW COMPLETED 57 PROJECTS IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY, MORE THAN ANY OTHER COUNTY IN THE STATE. " SOUTHEAST: THE LAND TRUST WORKED WITH NEIGHBORS TO PROTECT 115 ACRES OF OPEN SPACE AND FARMLAND OUTSIDE OF CHATTANOOGA, CONTINUING OUR PROMISE TO PROTECT CRITICAL LANDS WITH THE SOUTHEAST REGION OF TENNESSEE. IN ADDITION TO NEW CONSERVATION PROJECTS, THE LAND TRUST, THROUGH OUR STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM, SUCCESSFULLY MONITORED, MANAGED, AND ENFORCED APPROXIMATELY 360 EXISTING CONSERVATION EASEMENTS AND MANAGED ALMOST 1,100 ACRES OF LAND OWNED IN FEE. STAFF ALSO WORKED DIRECTLY WITH APPROXIMATELY 50 LANDOWNERS ON STEWARDSHIP ISSUES INCLUDING CONDEMNATIONS, ACTIVITY REQUESTS/APPROVALS, AND QUESTIONS.THE LAND TRUST FOR TENNESSEE SPENT MUCH OF FY20 FINALIZING OUR STRATEGIC LAND CONSERVATION PLAN TO TRANSFORM OUR WORK. THIS PLAN, CALLED FOREVER TENNESSEE, IDENTIFIES 10 CONSERVATION OPPORTUNITY REGIONS (CORS) WITH SIGNIFICANT CONSERVATION OPPORTUNITIES AND OUTLINES STRATEGIES FOR OUTREACH AND CONSERVATION OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS. WE ARE THE FIRST STATEWIDE LAND TRUST TO SURVEY CONSERVATION RESOURCES ACROSS AN ENTIRE STATE-USING GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS (GIS) DATA AND PUBLIC INPUT-TO SET GOALS FOR PROTECTION OF LANDS WITH THE HIGHEST CONSERVATION VALUE. OUR INPUTS INCLUDED SOME 25+ DATASETS, REPRESENTING CRITICAL WILDLIFE HABITAT, FERTILE SOILS, CLIMATE CHANGE RESILIENCY, HISTORIC SITES, AND MORE, COMBINED WITH OVER 1,000 SURVEY RESPONSES FROM ACROSS TENNESSEE. WE ALSO INCLUDED POPULATION GROWTH PROJECTIONS TO ENSURE PRIORITIZATION OF THE MOST THREATENED LANDS. THERE WERE FOUR MAIN COMPONENTS OF THE PLAN: GIS MAPPING AND DATA ANALYSIS; GATHERING PUBLIC INPUT REGARDING CONSERVATION PRIORITIES; CREATING AN INTERNAL-FACING PLAN TO GUIDE OUR WORK; AND DRAFTING, DESIGNING, AND PRINTING AN EXTERNAL-FACING PLAN TO BE USED AS A COMMUNICATIONS TOOL FOR DONORS, LANDOWNERS, AND SUPPORTERS ACROSS TENNESSEE. SNAPSHOTS OF THE PLAN WERE REVEALED AND CELEBRATED AT THE MAY 2019 ANNUAL MEETING AND CELEBRATION. THE EXTERNAL-FACING PUBLICATION, FEATURING PHOTOGRAPHY FROM NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPHER STEPHEN ALVAREZ, WAS FINALIZED AND READY FOR DISTRIBUTION IN SEPTEMBER OF 2019. THE LAND TRUST FOR TENNESSEE'S GLEN LEVEN FARM - LOCATED JUST FOUR MILES FROM THE CENTER OF DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE - IS TRULY THE "FRONT DOOR" OF THE ORGANIZATION. ALL OF OUR ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS ON SITE ARE TO RAISE THE VISIBILITY OF THE LAND TRUST AND THE IMPORTANCE OF LAND CONSERVATION. IN FY20, GLEN LEVEN FARM CONTINUED TO GROW AS A CENTER FOR CONSERVATION EDUCATION. FIVE SCHOOL GROUPS, TOTALLY OVER 200 STUDENTS, PARTICIPATED IN THE ORGANIZATION'S SPRING AND FALL OUTDOOR-BASED FIELD TRIP PROGRAM, "NATURE'S CLASSROOM". IN ADDITION, THE LAND TRUST STAFF CONDUCTED NUMEROUS TOURS OF THE PROPERTY FOR ADULTS AND DEVELOPED PARTNERSHIPS WITH SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES. WE ALSO HOSTED 12 VOLUNTEER GROUPS, INCLUDING SCOUT TROOPS, CORPORATE GROUPS, AND SCHOOL GROUPS- TO WORK ONSITE TO ASSIST US IN MAINTAINING AND IMPROVING GLEN LEVEN FARM. COMMUNITY OUTREACH ALSO INCLUDED MISSION-RELATED PUBLIC PROGRAMS AND EVENTS ON THE FARM, INCLUDING ONCE IN A BLUE MOON, THE ORGANIZATION'S LARGEST EVENT WHICH ATTRACTED OVER 700 GUESTS TO THE FARM IN OCTOBER 2019. DURING FY20, THE LAND TRUST FOR TENNESSEE CELEBRATED THE ORGANIZATIONS 20TH ANNIVERSARY. TO CELEBRATE THIS MILESTONE YEAR, THE ORGANIZATION HELD A SPECIAL CELEBRATION OF SUPPORTERS, UNVEILED A NEW LOGO AND WEBSITE, COMPLETED THE STRATEGIC CONSERVATION PLAN, AND RECOGNIZED LANDOWNERS AND LEADERS WHO HAVE HELPED THEM ACHIEVE SUCCESS. AS PART OF THIS CELEBRATION, THE LAND TRUST CONVEYED THE HONOR OF BOARD MEMBER EMERITUS TO 6 FORMER BOARD MEMBERS, INCLUDING FORMER GOVERNOR PHIL BREDESEN, TO RECOGNIZE THEM FOR THEIR EXTRAORDINARY GIFTS OF SERVICE, CONSERVATION EASEMENTS, LAND, OR FINANCIAL COMMITMENTS TO THE ORGANIZATION. DURING FY20, THE LAND TRUST ALSO REVIEWED AND REVISED ALL PERTINENT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES. THE ORGANIZATION COMPLETED REVISIONS OF THE EMPLOYEE MANUAL, EMERGENCY SUCCESSION PLAN, FINANCIAL PROCEDURES MANUAL, CONFLICTS OF INTEREST POLICY, WHISTLEBLOWER POLICY, RECORDS POLICY, GIFT ACCEPTANCE POLICY, AND THE STANDARDS AND PRACTICES MANUAL, AND CREATED A NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS MANUAL. THESE REVISIONS SET THE STAGE FOR THE ORGANIZATION TO APPLY FOR ACCREDITATION RENEWAL THROUGH THE LAND TRUST ALLIANCE ACCREDITATION COMMISSION. THE LAND TRUST BEGAN THE RENEWAL PROCESS IN SUMMER OF 2019 AND SUBMITTED OUR FULL APPLICATION IN FEBRUARY OF 2020. THROUGHOUT FY20, THE LAND TRUST PARTICIPATED IN OVER 50 PUBLIC EVENTS, INCLUDING SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS, BOOTH DISPLAYS, FIELD DAYS, FESTIVALS, AND CONFERENCES. THROUGH THESE EVENTS, WE ESTIMATE THAT WE HAVE REACHED OVER 3,000 LANDOWNERS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, ADVISORS, AND LOCAL OFFICIALS. WE ALSO PROVIDED INDIVIDUALIZED CONSERVATION INFORMATION TO HUNDREDS OF LANDOWNERS INTERESTED IN LEARNING ABOUT CONSERVATION OPTIONS THROUGH ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATIONS AND ON-SITE MEETINGS. THE LAND TRUST'S OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT HAVE RESULTED IN A PIPELINE OF OVER 50 ACTIVE PROJECTS FOR FY21.

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