Answers to most questions about protecting land can be found in this section.

QUALIFYING CRITERIA outlines what we look for in determining a property's suitability for permanent protection as a wildlife sanctuary.

Meet Steve Swartz, General Counsel

Since 1999, Steve Swartz has served as general counsel of the Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust. He has been involved in virtually all aspects of managing a nonprofit organization and has assisted in nearly 100 conservation transactions, including negotiating and drafting conservation easements and supervising the Wildlife Land Trust’s pre-acceptance due diligence and internal review processes. He has also worked on conservation easement amendment and enforcement issues associated with WLT’s sanctuary portfolio.

Steve’s day-to-day responsibilities encompass other nonprofit legal issues including corporate governance, federal and state tax and regulatory issues, non-conservation real estate matters, intellectual property and marketing, estates and trusts, and philanthropy and fundraising.

He also serves as WLT’s corporate secretary and as associate general counsel of the parent organization, The Humane Society of the United States.

Recently the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, announced the addition of four new commissioners to the accreditation program including our own Steve Swartz. Read more.

CONSERVATION OPTIONS FOR LANDOWNERS outlines the various legal tools available for land protection.

PROTECTING LAND FOR WILDLIFE details the land protection process more extensively. (A printed copy of the full-length publication is available free upon request.)

STARTING THE LAND PROTECTION PROCESS is an application form to help you get started if you decide you want to pursue permanent protection for your land through the Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust.

WILDLIFE LAND TRUST AUSTRALIA is a new collaborative effort with Humane Society International Australia and the Wildlife Land Trust.