These purpose statements form the foundation of our work. They are part of the CCFT Strategic Action Plan, approved by our Board of Trustees in 2024.
Preserve
Life needs land. Farmland, wetland, woodland, and scenic landscapes sustain life and spirit. We preserve privately owned working lands and undeveloped property in Centre and neighboring counties. We partner with landowners to preserve their land and assist them in stewardship of their land.
Protect
Land needs protection if it is to benefit life. Development pressure, climate change, economic fluctuations, population shifts—all can impair land’s vitality. We follow and enforce Land Trust Alliance Standards and Practices to maintain land’s capacity to support clean air and water, fresh food, wildlife habitat, and scenic beauty.
Engage
Communities of allies and supporters who care for land are essential to our work. We communicate to raise public awareness of and support for land’s importance. We collaborate with landscape artists to appreciate land’s forms as well as its functions. We actively engage farmers and their families, other private landowners, business owners, civic organizations, government agencies, financial donors, our members, staff, and volunteers in shared efforts to assure land’s future viability.
Benefit
Everybody benefits from land preservation and conservation. Individuals and families owning preserved land protect their land and might receive federal income tax credits. By placing a conservation easement on their property, owners protect its soils, waters, and woods. Owners set objectives for maintaining those irreplaceable assets. Preserving and protecting working land and open land is critical if present and future generations are to have the benefits of local food, family farms, treasured landscapes, regional ecologies, and economies.
