Honoring the Past. Shaping the Future.
Our public lands should honor America’s full story and reflect its diversity. When we protect historical and cultural landmarks, we preserve the shared history that shape our sense of identity. Land is an enduring link between the past, present, and the future. Support our work.
At TPL, we place special emphasis on identifying and protecting sites of cultural and historic importance to Black Americans. We strive to reorient historical narratives in public spaces from a framework of pain and trauma to one that celebrates agency, resilience, joy, and vibrance.
For centuries, Indigenous peoples have stewarded land in a way that advances climate resilience and food sustainability, for us and for future generations. Trust for Public Land has supported Tribal and Indigenous partners in the restoration of more than 200,000 acres through agreements that honor Indigenous conservation ethics and that put land management in the hands of those who know it best.
From working forests in the Pacific Northwest to multigenerational farms in Minnesota to Indigenous aquaculture sites in Hawai’i, productive lands across this country not only provide critical resources and economic stability to rural communities, they contribute to food security, climate resilience, wildfire control, biodiversity, and local culture. Partnering with private landowners to conserve and steward these important landscapes is a key piece of TPL’s strategy and focus.
Public lands, parks, trails, and schoolyards should reflect the full breadth of our nation’s stories and the people who shaped them. When we preserve and celebrate these places, we become more connected to our shared history, treasured landscapes, and each other.
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We've Been At This for Decades
We’re not newcomers to this work. Some of our earliest projects in urban San Francisco and rural Oregon were in deep, strong partnership with Black and Indigenous communities, and we have long relationships with individual and corporate landowners across the country who are as committed as we are to preserving critical landscapes. Learn about our 50 years of steadfast commitment to preserving spaces that represent the full American story.
Program Overview: Black History & Culture
Statement of Intention: Our Work with Tribal and Indigenous Communities
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Read inspiring stories of our work to conserve spaces and landscapes that hold deep meaning and deliver myriad health, wellness, community, and climate benefits.
