What is the Columbia Land Trust?

Following articles related to a dike breaching project on the Grays River by the Columbia Land Trust, readers asked, “What is the Columbia Land Trust?” To provide an objective answer to the question, I requested an interview with the corporation’s public relations officer. In response, the Trust’s Executive Director, Dr. Meg Rutledge, agreed, and the interview lasted an hour. The transcript of the interview was subsequently provided to Dr. Rutledge with the opportunity to amend or add to the information it contained. Except where noted otherwise, the following description came from the information provided by Dr. Rutledge:

Columbia Land Trust (CLT) was founded in 1990 by a group of volunteers, formally receiving a designation as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 1991. The purpose of the CLT is found in its mission statement, “Conserve and care for the vital lands, waters, and wildlife of the Columbia River region through sound science and strong relationships.” CLT is an accredited member of the Land Trust Alliance and has adopted its standards and practices. CLT is also a member of the Washington State Association of Land Trusts as well as the Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts.

The CLT is made up of a Board of Directors that, while currently consisting of 11 members, can fluctuate between nine and 22. There are seven team directors, each of which has their own functional expertise. Staffing levels can vary but, currently, there are 43 staff members. The CLT is assisted by some 200 volunteers and 2,000 supporters. In Washington, the CLT maintains an office at 850 Officer’s Row in Vancouver with field offices in White Salmon and Astoria. The members of the Board of Directors represent a variety of skills and talent. Some have experience in relevant fields and some do not. Their task is to make sure that the work done by CLT year to year is aligned with its mission and that CLT is staying on target and achieving its goals. It is not a working board. It is a governing board.

The corporation’s typical annual budget is $7 million. Approximately 20 percent of the budget is spent on staffing costs. Funding comes from a combination of private and public funding. Private funding comes from what Dr. Rutledge describes as generous philanthropists. On average, CLT receives $1.7 to $2 million each year from philanthropic donations. Public funding is a combination of local, state, and federal funding sources. Those named are US Fish and Wildlife Service (North American Wetland Conservation Act, Coastal Wetlands, Endangered Species Act Section 6 Funding, Partners Funding), Bonneville Power Administration, Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board grants, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

Over the past five years, Bonneville Power Administration has provided $7 million in support for CLT projects. For a more in-depth description on CLT’s funding, it was noted the corporation’s annual 990 submittals are publicly available on both Washington and Oregon States’ websites.

CLT has conserved about 60,000 acres in total. This includes sites that were conserved and then transferred to other landowners such as the Forest Service, Clark County Parks, etc. Currently, CLT manages about 38,900 acres, including 2,996 acres within Wahkiakum County. In Washington, CLT holds 4,700 acres in conservation easement, most of which is farmland or working forest.

As a 501(c)(3) corporation, CLT is not required to pay property tax on property it owns, however, it does so on a voluntary basis. According to Dr. Rutledge, CLT has paid some $200,000 in taxes and fees to Wahkiakum County over the past five years.

Property acquisition can be both opportunistic and planned. If a property comes on the market and it has potential as a restoration or preservation site, CLT may enter into negotiations with the seller. In other instances, neighboring properties may already be under the ownership of CLT with plans to purchase the connecting property if it should become available. In response to concerns that CLT is a “deep pocket” and other potential buyers can’t afford to outbid the corporation, Dr. Rutledge said, “We use grants to fund property acquisitions, which require that we pay only the appraised value of a property. The appraisals are third-party reviewed. If the appraised value doesn’t meet landowner’s needs or expectations, they can decline the sale. Because the price we can pay is limited by the appraisal, we can't outbid other would-be buyers, if those buyers are willing to bid over the appraised value.”

Hopefully, this has answered some of the questions regarding the Columbia Land Trust. A special thanks goes to Dr. Rutledge for her participation in the interview and follow-up.