Orange County Land Trust

The mission of the Orange County Land Trust is to preserve the fields, forests, wetlands, ridgelines and river corridors in and around Orange County for the benefit of the public.  Orange County Land Trust was formed in 1993 by a group of conservation minded visionaries led by Louis V. Mills, OCLT’s founder and Orange County’s first county executive. From the beginning, the group had a clear set of goals: to protect and preserve scenic and environmentally sensitive areas of the county for future generations before they became lost to anticipated growth and development.  Since its inception, Orange County Land Trust has helped protect nearly 5,000 acres of land through the negotiation of conservation agreements with private land owners, property donations, and the acquisition of private property. The acreage is comprised of unique meadows, fertile farmlands, stream corridors, wetlands, forests and recreational acres. Many of the properties are open to the public, while others remain private properties with agreements that preclude future development. Of the properties and preserves open to the public, the land trust organizes frequent hiking and birding activities and has partnered with children and youth organizations in providing educational, conservation-based nature programs.