Though there are some slight differences, land conservancies and land trusts will be discussed interchangeably.

A land trust is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that works to conserve land and protect open space by undertaking or assisting in conservation easement acquisition and monitoring. Land trusts are NOT government agencies, but are independent organizations. Some land trusts work cooperatively with government agencies by acquiring or managing land, researching open space needs and priorities, or assisting in the development of open space plans.