Community Land Trusts

Community Land Trusts (CLT) when applied to the protection of land are one of the most wonderful models of stewardship design. The land is owned through an affiliate organization of ORLT which manages it under a conservation land use plan. The CLT land use plan can provide for some limited residential use of the land. Residents own their own houses and lease a small part of the land for their own use. Leases are for life and the lease fees are used to protect the land and pay the mortgage. Leases can be transferred if the lessee wants to sell their house. Leaseholders who live on and enjoy the land also manage and protect it.

CLT’s are an excellent way for ORLT to partner with other stewards of land. The CLT is an affiliate of ORLT and has its own board of directors. The members of the CLT have conservation goals as a primary purpose. CLT’s can also serve other secondary goals such as preserving family land, preserving producing farmland or provide environmentally planned and designed community housing. Under a CLT, people can come, stay or leave but the land use plan and intention for the land remain the same since is never sold.

As a regional land trust we have helped form several community land trusts. Here are examples of CLT’s we have established: