The Door County Land Trust takes in many considerations when it comes to managing and procuring properties in the area.  Executive Director Tom Clay says the organization works with many landowners to protect more than 8,500 acres of fields, wetlands, farmlands, and shoreline.  He shares how the Door County Land Trust evaluates each property differently, depending on where it’s located.

Clay says the Door County Land Trust assesses the conservation value and determines the needs.  From there a formula is calculated for the conservation stewardship going into the future.  Each year, 12 months are given from the time of purchase to actually fund the endowments and legal defense to make sure properties can be financed long-term.  The Door County Land Trust owns about 60 percent of the properties outright while the other 40 percent are conservation easements.