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About CALT
Central Arizona Land Trust
CALT: A Dedicated Arizona Non-Profit Protecting Beloved Landscapes.
CALT is a nationally accredited Arizona non-profit dedicated to protecting the landscapes we all love. There are 1000 local land trusts protecting more than 61,000,000 acres of open space for future generations.
We believe that our quality of life is rooted in the love for our western landscapes. These open lands serve many purposes, from retaining farms and ranches, to providing rich resources for wildlife while supporting clean air and healthy watersheds. We work primarily with private landowners to develop conservation easements to protect these beautiful places for our enjoyment today and for future generations.
The History and Accomplishments of Central Arizona Land Trust (CALT).
In 1989, a bulldozer began carving out new home sites at the foot of Thumb Butte, a cherished scenic historic landmark overlooking the City of Prescott. Alarmed citizens contacted the Trust for Public Land, which assisted in establishing the Central Arizona Land Trust (CALT) as the first local land trust in northern Arizona. Funds were raised through the “Save the Butte” capital campaign to purchase the land as open space for the City of Prescott with CALT holding the perpetual conservation easement to ensure that the scenic vistas of Thumb Butte are protected forever.
Today, CALT holds conservation easements on over 6,000 acres that include a combination of privately owned and public lands as well working ranches.
Conservation Easements: A Crucial Tool for Protecting Land and Wildlife.
A commonly used land protection tool is a conservation easement. As a voluntary agreement between the landowner and the land trust, the conservation easement limits development and protects the documented conservation values such as riparian habitat, wildlife corridors, and agricultural uses.
A conservation easement guarantees the permanent protection of landscapes with multiple conservation values, even through changes of ownership. Conservation easements are specific to each property and are used to protect land under a broad continuum of uses, from working farms and ranches to riparian habitats and wildlife corridors.
Conservation easements may be eligible for tax benefits. In 2015, Congress voted to approve the enhanced tax incentive for the donation of a conservation easement to a qualified organization. As an accredited, 501 (c) (3) Arizona non-profit land trust, the Central Arizona Land Trust is a qualified organization as required by the tax code.
CALT’s Conservation Efforts in Central Arizona’s Diverse Landscapes and Communities
CALT works in three counties throughout Central Arizona, including Yavapai, Coconino, and Maricopa. Our efforts to protect important open lands encompass a broad range of landscapes from Arizona’s Sonoran Desert to rolling grasslands and high mountain forests. Our efforts also include the Mogollon Rim, the Central Highlands, and the Colorado Plateau region. Our service area contains some of Arizona’s greatest rivers, including the Verde, Salt, and Agua Fria. Arizona’s most productive pine forests, rangelands and agricultural areas are found here, supporting local economies in a number of vibrant towns and small cities.
Protected lands in the area
CALT monitors each of our protected properties annually to assure the conservation values on the land remain protected.
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Join Us in Our Mission
Help Us Save The Places We All Love
If you're passionate about preserving Arizona's natural and cultural heritage, then support the Central Arizona Land Trust today. Whether you're interested in making a donation, or learning more about conservation easements, we offer a range of opportunities for you to get involved.
Contact us today to learn how you can make a difference in Arizona for future generations!