The Trust for Public Land is a left-of-center nonprofit organization that acquires private land and transfers it to public agencies, tribes, or other entities for use as parks, trails, and open spaces, with emphasis on urban areas, racial equity, and climate-related initiatives. The group assists local governments and communities in drafting and campaigning for ballot measures that have generated more than $112 billion in voter-approved public funding for parks and conservation since the 1990s. It operates an affiliated 501(c)(4) entity, the Trust for Public Land Action Fund, for advocacy and lobbying. The organization receives substantial support from left-of-center foundations and prioritizes partnerships with indigenous groups and communities in racial-minority neighborhoods. 12345
The Trust for Public Land was founded in 1972 in San Francisco by Huey Johnson, formerly the Secretary of Resources for the State of California and the western regional director for The Nature Conservancy. It initially focused on real estate acquisitions to protect land near urban centers and later expanded nationwide. In the 1990s, it established a Conservation Finance program to assist localities in placing conservation funding measures on ballots. Such ballot measures had generated more than $112 billion in voter-approved public funding for parks and conservation from the 1990s through 2026. 25
The group later began initiatives such as the Equitable Communities Fund and advisory councils on African American history, culture, and indigenous land issues. 63
Activities
The Trust for Public Land purchases land parcels and conveys them to public entities, tribes, or nonprofits. As of 2026, it claimed to be protecting over four million acres and to be providing access to more than 5,000 parks, trails, and schoolyards. Another function of the group is providing technical assistance for ballot measures aimed at land conservation. As of 2026, it claimed to have helped pass nearly 700 initiatives since its inception. 72
The Trust for Public Land frames its land protection efforts around left-of-center environmental justice, equitable access to green spaces, and opposition to proposals to sell or transfer federal public lands. It advocates for increased federal funding through programs such as the Land and Water Conservation Fund and aligns with broader left-wing environmental networks through shared donors and policy objectives. 87
The Trust for Public Land lobbies on federal conservation funding and public lands policy. It reported $95,000 in federal lobbying expenditures in 2024. The affiliated Trust for Public Land Action Fund conducts additional advocacy. 144
Individuals affiliated with the organization contributed $318,336 during the 2024 election cycle, predominantly to Democratic candidates, the Democratic National Committee, and Democratic Party-aligned PACs. 14
Develop and deploy an evidence-based approach to identifying, testing, and sharing cutting-edge policies and practices that can be scaled and replicated to reduce park access inequities and increase the number of people in U.S. Cities within a 10-minute walk of a quality park.
For a cooperative project with California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) and the Ventura Land Trust to acquire in fee approximately 29 acres of riparian and floodplain habitat along the Ventura River and to provide the potential for wildlife-oriented, public-use opportunities near Ventura in Ventura County
KNOWLEDGE INTO ACTION: IMPROVE ACCESS AND EQUITY, INNOVATE POLICY, LEVERAGE FUNDING, BUILD LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS AND CAPACITY, AND STRENGTHEN LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE POWER OF NATURE AND THE OUTDOORS.
KNOWLEDGE INTO ACTION: IMPROVE ACCESS AND EQUITY, INNOVATE POLICY, LEVERAGE FUNDING, BUILD LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS AND CAPACITY, AND STRENGTHEN LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE POWER OF NATURE AND THE OUTDOORS
$4,430,000
2021
Wildlife Conservation Network, Inc.
GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT
$3,500,000
2021
Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Inc
To renew support for the Conservation Finance Initiative, a joint effort of The Trust for Public Land and The Nature Conservancy, which aims to create new public funding for land conservation, parks, and climate resilience in the United States
To support the Conservation Finance Initiative, a joint effort of Trust for Public Land and The Nature Conservancy, which aims to create new funding for land conservation, parks, and climate
