What is a Land Trust?
A land trust is an organization that works with willing landowners to permanently conserve the land they love for public benefit. In Rhode Island most land trusts are private, non-profit 501(c)3 organizations. Other land trusts are affiliated with municipal government and are created by state legislation or municipal charter or ordinance. Land trusts agree to permanently steward and defend the land and conservation easements they hold. Rhode Island has over 45 land trusts including 18 municipal land trusts.
Land Trust Trails
Go to ExploreRI.org for directions, trails maps and other information on the trails created and maintained by many of these land trusts. They are some of the best walking trails in Rhode Island, on beautiful landscapes protected by land trusts.
Land Trusts in Rhode Island
- Aquidneck Land Trust
- Audubon Society of Rhode Island
- Barrington Land Conservation Trust
- Block Island Conservancy
- Block Island Land Trust M
- Bonnet Shores Land Trust
- Borders Farm Preservation, Inc.
- Bristol Land Conservation Trust
- Burrillville Land Trust
- Charlestown Land Trust
- Conanicut Island Land Trust
- Coventry Land Trust M
- Cumberland Land Trust
- East Greenwich Land Trust M
- East Providence Land Conservation Trust
- Exeter Rural Land Preservation Trust M
- Foster Land Trust M
- Glocester Land Trust M
- Historic New England – Casey Farm
- Hopkinton Land Trust M
- Johnston Land Trust M
- Land Conservancy of North Kingstown
- Lincoln Municipal Land Trust M
- Little Compton Agricultural Conservancy Trust M
- Mount Hope Farm
- Mount Tom Land Trust
- Narragansett Land Conservancy Trust M
- Narrow River Land Trust
- Neutaconkanut Hill Conservancy
- Norman Bird Sanctuary
- North Providence Land Trust M
- North Smithfield Land Trust
- Pawtucket Land Trust
- Pocasset Pokanoket Land Trust
- Prudence Conservancy
- Richmond Rural Preservation Land Trust M
- Rhode Island Farm Bureau Land Trust
- Sakonnet Preservation Association
- Scituate Land Trust M
- Shelter Harbor Conservation Society
- Smithfield Land Trust M
- South Kingstown Land Trust
- Southside Community Land Trust
- The Nature Conservancy – RI Chapter
- Tiverton Land Trust
- Tiverton Open Space Commission M
- Warren Land Conservation Trust
- Warwick Land Trust M
- Watch Hill Conservancy
- Weekapaug Foundation for Conservation
- West Bay Land Trust
- West Greenwich Land Trust M
- The Westerly Land Trust
- Westerly Municipal Land Trust M
- Weypoyset Preserve Trust
Barrington
Block Island/New Shoreham
Bristol
- Bristol Land Conservation Trust
- Mount Hope Farm
- Weypoyset Preserve Trust
Burrillville
Charlestown
Coventry
Cranston
Cumberland
East Greenwich
East Providence
Exeter
- Exeter Rural Land Preservation Trust M
- Mount Tom Land Trust
Foster
Glocester
Hopkinton
Jamestown
Johnston
Lincoln
- Lincoln Municipal Land Trust M
Little Compton
Middletown
Narragansett
Newport
North Kingstown
North Providence
North Smithfield
Pawtucket
Portsmouth
Providence
Prudence Island
Richmond
Scituate
Smithfield
South Kingstown
Tiverton
Warren
Warwick
West Greenwich
Westerly
- Shelter Harbor Conservation Society
- Watch Hill Conservancy
- Weekapaug Foundation for Conservation
- The Westerly Land Trust
- Westerly Municipal Land Trust M
Statewide
- Audubon Society of Rhode Island
- Pocasset Pokanoket Land Trust
- RI Farm Bureau Land Trust
- The Nature Conservancy – RI Chapter
Map of Land Trusts
These land trusts are those dedicated to land preservation. There are several additional land trusts in Rhode Island (not shown in this list) which focus on the creation and retention of affordable housing.