Mission:
WeConservePA helps people care for, wisely use, and enjoy what nature offers. We help organizations and individuals to effectively and efficiently conserve land, protect and restore waterways, implement sustainable practices, and connect people to the outdoors. We foster understanding of conservation and advocate for pro-conservation governmental policy to promote a high quality of life for all.
History:
WeConservePA started in 1991 as an informal gathering of land trust leaders seeking to advance common interests. These leaders incorporated the “Pennsylvania Land Trust Association” in 1995 to address and focus on the broad needs of land trusts—to take on initiatives and activities that no single organization could effectively handle or wish to handle on its own.
Since the 1990s, the organization’s mission has expanded to help people protect, wisely use, and enjoy what nature offers, whether that is through land trusts, local government open space programs, environmental advisory councils, trail groups, or other organizations.
Today, WeConservePA is made up of 70 dues-paying, voting conservation organizations as well as hundreds of individuals who contribute their time, energy, and money to the organization’s endeavors. The voting organizations elect the board and set WeConservePA’s purposes. (The organizations in turn count more than 100,000 Pennsylvanians as members and contributors.)
WeConservePA is registered with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Charitable Organizations and has held 501(c)3 tax status with the Internal Revenue Service since 1996. The organization adopted its present name with a vote of the member organizations and an amendment of its articles of incorporation in 2020.
For more information about WeConservePA, see the About page of our website.