Our Plan
Mission and Vision
Our Mission
Protecting the rural nature of Wallowa County by working cooperatively with private landowners, Indigenous people, local communities and governmental entities to conserve land.
Our Vision
Wallowa Land Trust works with our community to preserve our unique landscape, which is intrinsic to our values and way of life. Together we create a future where:
- Our diverse communities respect and honor one another and are united over a shared land ethic
- Natural ecosystems together with farms, ranches, and working forests flourish and support a healthy population of humans, plants, fish, and wildlife
- Our lands and organization are healthy, resilient, and managed to meet diverse needs
Guiding Principles
Integrity
In all interactions, both inside and outside the Land Trust, we are honest, trustworthy, principled, and kind. We hold ourselves accountable to our organization, our constituents, and the people of our region. Our internal and external communications are transparent.
Excellence in All We Do
We expect high standards in managing our organization and in the partnerships we maintain to conserve and steward land.
Commitment
We persevere through challenges with our mission and vision in mind.
Collaboration
We work cooperatively with partners to achieve common goals that contribute to the environmental and economic vitality of our community.
Respect the Past, Plan For the Future
We work with past and future generations in mind. We respect and honor those who came before us while seeking to ensure a legacy of conserved lands for those who come after.
Our Past
Wallowa County is remarkable, filled with a diversity of landscapes, people and wildlife. From the peaks of the Wallowa Mountains to the depths of Hells Canyon and all the ridgetops and watersheds in between, this dynamic, beautiful landscape has sustained human populations for at least 16,000 years.
Since our founding in 2004, Wallowa Land Trust has permanently protected over 3,000 acres through ten conservation projects, including more than 80% of the iconic East Moraine of Wallowa Lake.
3,204
Acres Completed in Conservation Projects
2,480
East Moraine Acres Protected
Our Future
As we chart our future, our board and staff have grappled with many complex questions, including:
- What legacy do we want Wallowa Land Trust to leave and what are the concrete steps we can take to make that legacy a reality?
- Who are the members of our community, not just today but throughout time, and what do they value?
- What values do we all share and how are these values shaped by our connection to the lands and waters of Wallowa County?
- What is equity in Wallowa County, and how does our work help realize it?
- How do we work with our partners to preserve what is unique about Wallowa County while also being adaptive to the change we know is coming?
Strategic Goals
Collaborate
Our diverse communities respect and honor one another and are united over a shared land ethic.
Strategies:
Build a shared vision for conservation within our community
Continue to work with Nez Perce disbursed descendants and Indian tribes
Support landowners in improving management practices and overcoming challenges
Conserve
Natural ecosystems together with farms, ranches and working forests flourish and support a healthy population of humans, plants, fish and wildlife.
Strategies:
Pursue relevant conservation transactions and projects that meet our priorities
Work with the community to create a mosaic of connected habitats across Wallowa County
Sustain
Our lands and organization are healthy, resilient, and managed to meet diverse needs.
Strategies:
Increase organizational capacity to accomplish goals and withstand disruptions
Steward land for long-term sustainability
Manage conserved land to meet community needs