TLTC serves as an advocate for land trusts in Texas, to promote the many benefits of land conservation in our great state. Land trusts work to conserve Texas’ special lands and waters by permanently protecting them from development for the benefit of people, wildlife and our economy. By protecting these lands, land trusts help to ensure a high quality of life for all Texans. Land conservation by land trusts is an effective and financially-efficient way to protect water quality and quantity, mitigate and prevent flood damage, and support rural economies.

TLTC also works to coordinate land trust advocacy at the federal and state level, developing a robust coalition with a unified voice to build strong, sustained support for land conservation in Texas. To this end, each year we also host an annual land trust leaders retreat, the Texas Land Trust Assembly, where our members gather to build our shared advocacy agenda, strengthen relationships, and engage with each other on issues that impact our collective work.

TLTC advocates to enhance funding tools and policies that support land and water conservation.  Each spring, TLTC leads our Texas delegation to Washington  D.C. for the annual Land Trust Advocacy Days. Together, with hundreds of land trust advocates from across the country, we met with our congressional delegation and their staff to advocate for conservation related legislation. We also coordinate and engage in advocacy at the state legislature, coordinating outreach to our state elected officials and working with our land trust members to advance bills and programs that can enhance conservation opportunities in Texas. Advocacy is essential to building support among our elected officials for the vital federal and state programs and funding that help us to undertake this important work.