Challenges & Opportunities

Conservation Use

Even as rapid growth may offer opportunities for real estate development on state trust lands, demand is also increasing for the conservation of these lands to preserve viewsheds, natural open space, environmental values and functions and recreational uses. While this demand can lead to conflicts regarding trust management decisions, it can also create opportunities to find methods that both serve conservation goals and bring revenues to the trust.

Conservation tools that can maximize conservation uses as part of a diverse portfolio trust management approach include biophysical assessment and ecosystem services.

The Whitefish Planning Process is a model project for conservation use on state trust lands, in addition to efforts that modernize trust-land management systems for improved conservation use on state trust lands.

View Other Reports: Land Conservation and Revenue Generation on Trust Land in Arizona(pdf)