We’re in this together.

As temperatures drop and daylight dwindles, reflecting on the past year fills us with gratitude for the incredible strides made by the Blue Mountain Land Trust community in 2023.

This dedicated group of staff, board, volunteers, partners, and supporters, created positive change for communities across the Blue Mountain region.

Our Impact Report shares stories and lessons learned from our community engagement, conservation efforts, and stewardship journey. Amidst the trees and scenic meadows, we’ve connected people of all ages to the wonders of the outdoors. From educational visits to protected properties and bug-filled Saturdays in the park to trail expansions at Horseshoe Prairie Nordic Ski Area, our impact has been remarkable.

Our commitment to equitable outdoor access continued with instructional ski days at Horseshoe Prairie, with free gear use, instruction, snow celebrations, and creating new friendships. Volunteers planted native plants at Sacajawea State Park, a place that honors the Indigenous history of the Tribes that have stewarded this region since time immemorial. We conserved two more incredible places and began restoration work at Phipps Meadow.

Blue Mountain Land Trust turns 25 next year.

With your support, we have conserved over 23,300 acres of land in nearly 25 years. Over 40 miles of rivers and streams flow through our 21 protected properties, spread across the Blue Mountain ecoregion from Dayton, Washington, to the Painted Hills in Eastern Oregon. These lands are habitat for thousands of different species of plants, animals, and macroinvertebrates. Our landowners grow crops, raise livestock, and safeguard native plants, critical habitat, and clean water. They steward these lands with care, intention, and respect, and we promise always to do the same.

Despite these incredible achievements, there is still so much work to be done. It is more important now than ever to take decisive action to conserve our region’s natural resources. The changing climate and impacts of development continue to threaten our region’s biodiversity and the livability of our planet. As we look to the next 25 years, we know we need to work faster and harder than ever before. There is no time to waste.

Our goal is to conserve another 25,000 acres of land over the next ten years. We strive to double our conserved lands in half the time.

This is a bold goal. An ambitious endeavor to double the pace and increase the scale of our conservation impact. We have the resolve to work with partners, landowners, and community members to grow our efforts to meet the challenge. With partner and community support, we are confident that we can accomplish this important work together.

We are committed to a future Blue Mountain region where all of its inhabitants can thrive — communities, agriculture, and resilient, diverse ecosystems. We invite you to invest in the future with us.

-Amanda Martino, BMLT Executive Director