2016 Annual Report

 

Thanks to you

Will Rogers

No doubt about it: 2016 was an eventful year for public lands. But with the help of friends and supporters like you, we're standing up for parks and open space, and helping communities across the country protect the places that matter most to them.

Thanks to you, we saved threatened land for national parks including Yosemite, Rocky Mountain, and Saguaro. In small towns like Sand Point, Idaho, and Milan, New Hampshire, we empowered neighbors to protect the forests, streams, and trails that sustain local economies. And in cities from New York to San Francisco, we built parks and playgrounds that help people stay happier and healthier—while meeting the challenges of climate change head-on.

This is what conservation means to us—and we couldn’t do any of it without you. In the report below, we’re proud to share some of the many ways your support made a difference in 2016.

As we look ahead to a pivotal year to come, we are so grateful to have you standing with us. Thank you for all you do for parks and conservation in your community—and for your ongoing support of The Trust for Public Land.

Will Rogers signature

Will Rogers
President and CEO

Your impact

Our successes together are best measured in human happiness, health, and inspiration. And by those standards, it was a very good year. Click the images below to explore the impact of your support.

Fields of lupine at sunsetThe wet soils in the meadow provide plenty of water for wildflowers.Photo credit: Robb Hirsch
Yosemite National Park, CA

Ackerson Meadow is the largest addition to Yosemite National Park in 60 years—and it’s thriving. The sunny, peaceful mountain meadow is a haven for birds, wildlife, and rare plants… and now it belongs to all of us thanks to you.

Take me there
Mill Creek, a part of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail project near Salt Lake City, UT.Mill Creek, a part of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail project near Salt Lake City.Photo credit: Mike Schirf
Mill Creek Canyon, UT

Just a 20-minute drive from downtown Salt Lake City, the trails through Mill Creek Canyon offer an easy escape to the wild Wasatch Foothills. The Trust for Public Land added more than 800 acres of once-private land to the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, ensuring public access forever.

Learn more
A new day at Hilltop Park, San FranciscoPhoto credit: DLX Skateshop
Hilltop Park, CA

Hilltop is home to the first dedicated skateboarding park in San Francisco. Residents of the city’s Bayview neighborhood helped us completely redesign their park, and it recently reopened with a much-improved skateboarding area, a Fitness Zone® exercise area, and benches to take in the panoramic views of San Francisco Bay.

Drop in
Astoria Hot Springs park in Teton County, Wyoming. Photo credit: David Stubbs
Astoria Hot Springs Park, WY

The natural mineral spring near Jackson, Wyoming was once a favorite spot to relax in pools of hot, soothing water. But the springs have been off-limits since the resort there closed in the 1990s. With your help, we protected the springs this year and are working to design and build a 100-acre park with public soaking pools and a trail along the Snake River.

Learn more
Visitors enjoy a walk along the Big Lake Trail in City Park, New OrleansVisitors enjoy a walk along the Big Lake Trail in City Park, New OrleansPhoto credit: Andy Isaacson
Climate-Smart New Orleans

Our GIS experts are partnering with the City of New Orleans to determine which neighborhoods can benefit most from green infrastructure, which can help reduce flooding in this low-lying city.

Learn more
Paddling along the shoreline on Hayden IslandPaddling along the shoreline on Hayden IslandPhoto credit: Stickeen, Inc.
Gail Achterman Wildlife Area, OR

This still-wild piece of Hayden Island in Oregon’s Willamette River was once slated to be logged and mined for gravel. Instead, we helped set it aside as a nature park, a fitting legacy to the memory of conservationist Gail Achterman.

More
Newark Riverfront Park, NJNewark Riverfront ParkPhoto credit: Colin Cooke
Newark Riverfront Park, NJ

Shovels in hand, we broke ground on the expansion of Newark Riverfront Park. The next phase of this ambitious project will feature the Horizon Wellness Trail, a Trust for Public Land Fitness Zone® area, chess tables, a dedicated bike lane, and four more acres of parkland along the Passaic River--increasing park access and opportunities for health and wellness.

Watch the video
Getting fit at Garvey Park Fitness ZoneGetting fit at Garvey Park Fitness ZonePhoto credit: Kevin Scanlon
Chattanooga Fitness Zone areas, TN

Fitness Zone® exercise areas are a free, fun, social way for people to get in shape. In Chattanooga, we’re using computer mapping software and public health data to determine which neighborhoods can benefit most from free workouts—we’ve built six Fitness Zone areas in the city in the past two years.

Pump it up
A saguaro forest Photo credit: Flickr user Paul Frankenstein
Saguaro National Park, AZ

The rugged mountains of Saguaro National Park are the scenic backdrop for everyday life in fast-growing Tucson, Arizona. In August, we donated 280 acres to the National Park Service, ensuring thousands of giant saguaro cacti—and the wildlife that depend on them—will continue to thrive.

Cacti trivia
Flyfishing at the Dosewallips River.Flyfishing at the Dosewallips River.Photo credit: The Trust for Public Land
Dosewallips and Duckabush Rivers, WA

The Hood Canal in Washington State is a magnet for boaters, hikers, birdwatchers, and anglers. You helped us add more than 300 acres to Dosewallips State Park, creating new access to the Dosewallips River and space for a new trail into Olympic National Park.

Learn more
The Kashia Coastal ReservePhoto credit: TPL Archives
Kashia Coastal Reserve, CA

After more than 150 years on a small, inland reservation, the Kashia band of Pomo Indians has at last returned to the California coast. Just a few hours north of San Francisco, the Kashia Coastal Reserve is 700 acres of redwood groves, wave-battered bluffs, and fog-swept prairie. Thanks to your support, it’s now permanently protected for the Kashia—whose ancestors lived here for thousands of years before the arrival of European settlers.

Watch the video
Photo Credit: Jenna Stamm
William Cramp Elementary School, PA

We transformed a once-barren yard at this Philadelphia school into a colorful playground with a turf field, a rain garden, a running track, and musical instruments—all designed by the students themselves.

See more
Two guys and a dog jog along the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway in Chattanooga, TNJogging along South Chickamauga Creek Greenway in Chattanooga, TNPhoto credit: Darcy Kiefel
South Chickamauga Greenway, TN

In Chattanooga, we built a bridge and trail connecting the Tennessee Riverwalk to the South Chickamauga Greenway, a big step towards our goal of a 23-mile car-free corridor linking the city proper with outlying neighborhoods and parks.

More
Northfield Forest, MAPhoto credit: Jennifer Howard
Northfield Forest, MA

Residents of picturesque Northfield, Massachusetts banded together to save the pristine forested mountainside that overlooks their town, safeguarding their clean drinking water and access to a miles-long network of trails built by community members.

Learn more
Sunrise on Little Berry Pond at Cold Stream watershedSunrise on Little Berry Pond at Cold Stream watershedPhoto credit: Jerry and Marcy Monkman
Cold Stream Forest, ME
More
River rafting on the Rio Grande near Pilar, NMRiver rafting on the Rio Grande near Pilar, NMPhoto credit: Rich Reid
Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, NM

With your support, we added 2,500 acres to the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument near Taos, New Mexico. This dramatic landscape, nestled between massive peaks and near the sheer Rio Grande Gorge, is now protected from development, and open for everyone to explore.

More
Fishing at Coney IslandPhoto credit: Andy Richter
Coney Island of the West, MN

Together we protected the last piece of private land within Rocky Mountain National Park—a small resort of rustic cottages clustered on the banks of the Fall River. The Park Service plans to restore the land to its natural state, to welcome wildlife back to this stretch of river.

A family hikes on the Dowsville Headwaters property in Duxbury, VT.A family hikes on the Dowsville Headwaters property in Duxbury, VT.Photo credit: Jerry and Marcy Monkman
Dowsville Headwaters, VT

You helped add more than 2,000 acres to Camel’s Hump Sate Park in Vermont. The headwaters of Dowsville Brook contain seven miles of trails for hiking, biking, and snow sports, and habitat for wildlife like black bears, bobcats, and grouse.

More
Kauleoli, a part of the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail.Kauleoli, a part of the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail.Photo credit: The Trust for Public Land
Kauleoli Fishing Village—Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail, HI

The National Park Service now protects this Hawaiian fishing village on the Big Island’s Kona Coast, the newest addition to the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail. Kauleoli is home to ancient cultural sites, traditional farming areas, and an intact section of the trail that once circled the island’s entire coastline.

Read more
Girls planting at Creekside Experience event in Littleton, Colorado.Photo credit: Cara Colson
Creekside Experience Park, CO

Littleton, Colorado, residents used to hurry past the auto salvage lot along the Big Dry Creek Trail. Now, the car parts are gone, and we’ve transformed the land into a nature park complete with a treehouse, climbing boulders and logs, and a water play area.

Learn more
Stonewall Inn, New York CityPhoto credit: Flickr User John Wisniewski
Stonewall National Monument, NY

A new national monument in New York's Greenwich Village honors the history and accomplishments of the LGBT rights movement. The Trust for Public Land helped the City of New York transfer the property to the National Park Service.

Learn more
Leaping into the Chattahoochee River Leaping into the Chattahoochee River
Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, GA

More than 3 million people a year visit the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area outside of Atlanta. This year, you helped the National Park Service protect 47 acres along one of the most pristine reaches of the river, opening the possibility of a new public greenway trail.

Jump in
Smart growth for DallasPhoto credit: Wikipedia
Smart Growth for Dallas, TX

As its population grows, Dallas is working to make sure its parks can keep up. This year we launched Smart Growth for Dallas—an ambitious data collection and analysis plan using computer modeling and conversations with park users to help decision makers prioritize investments in parks.

More
Pend d'Oreille Bay Trail in Bonner County Idaho.Photo credit: Annie Kuster
Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail, ID

In northern Idaho, you helped protect a key stretch of a waterfront biking and walking trail linking the communities of Sandpoint, Ponderay, and Kootenai.

Learn more
Walk with Light on the 606Photo credit: Adam Alexander Photography
The 606, IL

Chicago is loving The 606! More than 10,000 people joined our outdoor community events this year—from block parties to scavenger hunts to free live music to a festive parade of holiday lights, Chicago’s elevated park and trail is connecting neighbors to nature—and each other.

Take me to The 606
Photo credit: Jose Azel / Aurora Photos
Milan Community Forest, NH

Milan, New Hampshire, is a small town with close ties to its surrounding woods and waters. This year, you helped Milan residents protect the first pieces of what will eventually become a 1,300-acre community forest, supporting sustainable forestry and close-to-home nature.

Read more

2016 by the numbers

2016 Year in Review infographic

Grow

Your Legacy

Protect the places you love by making a gift to The Trust for Public Land in your estate plans. By naming The Trust for Public Land as a beneficiary of your will, living trust, or retirement account, you can make a visionary gift that will conserve land for generations to come.

Create my legacy

Leadership team


Adrian Benepe

Adrian Benepe

Senior Vice President and Director of City Park Development

D. Malcolm Carson

D. Malcolm Carson

Senior Vice President and General Counsel

Ray Christman

Ray Christman

Senior Vice President, Mid South Division Director

Ernest Cook

Ernest Cook

Senior Vice President, Conservation Director

Jeff Danter

Jeff Danter

Senior Vice President, Atlantic Seaboard Division Director

Kathy DeCoster

Kathy DeCoster

Vice President and Director of Federal Affairs

Margie Kim

Margie Kim

Senior Vice President and Chief Philanthropy Officer

Ann Morgan

Ann Morgan

Senior Vice President, West Division Director

Will Rogers

Will Rogers

President and Chief Executive Officer

Cindy Scherer

Cindy Scherer

Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Brenda J. Schick

Brenda J. Schick

Vice President and Director of Land Protection

Barbara Smith

Barbara Smith

Vice President and Senior Director of Human Resources

Tim Wohlgenant

Tim Wohlgenant

Senior Vice President, Chief of Staff

National board of directors


Stephen W. Baird

Stephen W. Baird

George D. Bell

George D. Bell

Page Knudsen Cowles

Page Knudsen Cowles

William J. Cronon

William J. Cronon

Douglas Durst

Douglas Durst

Whitney Hatch

Whitney Hatch

Ignacia S. Moreno

Ignacia S. Moreno

Caroline Niemczyk

Caroline Niemczyk

Michael E. Patterson

Michael E. Patterson

Thomas S. Reeve

Thomas S. Reeve

Chair

Jeff Resnick

Jeff Resnick

Laura Richards

Laura Richards

Roy Richards, Jr.

Roy Richards, Jr.

Lex Sant

Lex Sant

Sheryl Crockett Tishman

Sheryl Crockett Tishman

F. Jerome Tone

F. Jerome Tone

Ana Valdez

Ana Valdez

Susan D. Whiting

Susan D. Whiting

Financials

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Financial Position
Fiscal year ended March 31, 2016 with comparative information as of March 31, 2015 (dollars in thousands)
  2016 2015
Assets
Cash & Investments 90,139 105,400
Receivables & deposits 54,935 34,655
Land holdings 85,870 66,461
Charitable trust assets 54,525 60,995
Other assets 1,340 1,480
TOTAL ASSETS $286,809 $268,991
Liabilities and Net Assets
Liabilities
Notes Payable* 26,518 23,087
Liabilities to beneficiaries of charitable trusts 34,997 40,534
Other liabilities 35,259 26,876
TOTAL LIABILITIES $96,774 $90,497
Net Assets
Unrestricted amounts 27,769 27,143
Temporarily restricted amounts 144,631 134,975
Permanently restricted amounts 17,635 16,376
TOTAL NET ASSETS $190,035 $178,494
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS $286,809 $268,991

* *Including $23,725 (FY16) and $17,854 (FY15) due within one year.

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Activities and Changes in Net Assets
Fiscal year ended March 31, 2016 with comparative information as of March 31, 2015 (dollars in thousands)
  2016 2015
Revenues and additions to net assets
Contributions of land and easements:
Fair market value acquired 169,811 162,311
Less consideration paid (155,052) (123,743)
Contributions of land and easement values received $14,759 $38,568
Contributions and grants - other:
Restricted 62,844 46,907
Unrestricted 36,354 28,038
Future interests in charitable trusts 1,346 90
Change in value of interests in charitable trusts (2,269) 307
Total contributions and grants-other 98,275 75,342
Project fees, interest, and other income (losses) 21,381 21,232
TOTAL REVENUES AND ADDITIONS $134,415 $135,142
EXPENSES AND REDUCTIONS TO NET ASSETS
Program Services:
Contributions of land and easements to public agencies and other nonprofit organizations:
Fair market value conveyed $146,761 $189,726
Less consideration received (117,305) (123,075)
Contributions of land and easement values made 29,456 66,651
Open space conservation programs 65,470 60,047
TOTAL PROGRAM SERVICES 94,926 126,698
Support services:
Development 12,725 11,024
Management and support 15,223 15,250
TOTAL SUPPORT SERVICES 27,948 26,274
TOTAL EXPENSES AND REDUCTIONS 122,874 152,972
Net Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets 11,541 (17,830)

The condensed consolidated financial information as of and for the years ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 has been derived from The Trust for Public Land's 2016 consolidated financial statements, audited by Hood & Strong, LLP. The condensed consolidated financial information should be read in conjunction with the 2016 audited consolidated financial statements and related notes. To obtain copies of our complete 2016 audited consolidated financial statements, please contact us.