Bear River Land Conservancy
Bear River Land Conservancy is a nonprofit organization that offers waste management strategies, land and habitat conservation services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersLogan, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Bear River Land Conservancy does
Bear River Land Conservancy (BRLC) is a Utah-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit land trust headquartered in Logan that protects working agricultural lands, wildlife habitat, and open space in Northern Utah through voluntary, perpetual conservation easements held on private property. Founded in 2011, the organization has completed seven easement transactions with three additional projects in active negotiation, accumulating 8,417 acres under permanent protection across Cache Valley and adjacent Northern Utah landscapes.
BRLC operates a lean three-person paid staff supported by an eight-member governing board and a 19-member board emeriti roster, with each completed easement averaging roughly 1,000 staff hours. Its revenue and program model is anchored in a $7.85M federal Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) award under the Bear River Watershed Initiative — a multi-state coalition spanning Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming — which has leveraged approximately $12.5M in partner contributions for a 64:1 ratio of federal funding to additional in-kind and partner support. Documented collaborators include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, Utah State University, and multiple state and federal agencies.
The organization's largest single transaction to date — the 2,700-acre South Wellsville Ranch easement — closed on March 24, 2025, signaling continued deal scale. BRLC is currently pursuing Land Trust Alliance Accreditation, the national industry standard for land trust governance and stewardship practice, and its board approved a 2026–2030 strategic plan to formalize the next phase of programmatic and geographic priorities. Under Executive Director Gabriel Murray (appointed 2020), the organization transitioned from an all-volunteer operating model to its current paid-staff structure, enabling the multi-state programmatic capacity reflected in the Bear River Watershed Initiative.
Bear River Land Conservancy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bear River Land Conservancy
- Legal name
- Bear River Land Conservancy
- Website
- https://www.bearriverlandconservancy.org/
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Bear River Land Conservancy is a nonprofit organization that offers waste management strategies, land and habitat conservation services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Bear River Land Conservancy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Land Conservation Services
- NAICS
- Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)
- SIC
- Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Conservation & Protected Land Brokerage (Easements, Land Trust Sales) (BPAJADAH), Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration (BPAIAMAH), Wildlife, Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation Administration (BPAIAMAG)
Keywords
Where Bear River Land Conservancy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Logan
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Bear River Land Conservancy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations help provide financial support to leverage grants and other resources to maximize conservation efforts. The organization states that donations help them leverage 64:1 in restricted project funding.
- Federal and State Grants: BRLC secures major federal grants including a $7,850,000 grant through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) as part of the Bear River Watershed Initiative. Additional funding comes from NRCS ACEP/ALE program, Utah Department of Agriculture and Food's LeRay McAllister Working Farm & Ranch Fund.
- Foundation and Private Funding: The organization receives support from private foundations including the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and private funders. The Bear River Watershed Initiative brought over $12.5 million in partner contributions, including more than $5 million in private funding.
- Conservation Easement Transactions: When conservation easements are purchased, landowners receive monetary compensation for their development rights. Landowners usually donate part of the project value which may result in a tax deduction, reducing the total amount BRLC needs to raise.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Bear River Land Conservancy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BRLC helps private landowners in Northern Utah permanently protect agricultural and natural lands by negotiating and holding conservation easements—voluntary, willing-buyer, willing-seller agreements that permanently retire development rights while the landowner retains ownership. The organization also directly owns and stewards select preserves (e.g., Mendon Meadow Preserve, Bear River Bottoms) and coordinates watershed-scale initiatives with public agencies, tribes, and NGOs. Each project typically requires about 1,000 staff hours and produces permanent legal protection backed by federal law.
Product overview
Bear River Land Conservancy operates as a single unified land conservation service offering centered on conservation easements and preserve management. The organization primarily provides conservation easement services—voluntary legal agreements that permanently limit development rights on private lands—while directly owning and stewarding select preserves. Their product portfolio includes seven completed conservation projects (Bear River Bottoms, Mendon Meadow Preserve, Bear Lake Preserve, Schiess Ranch Easement, Bear River Wetlands Easement, Evans Ranch Easement, and South Wellsville Ranch) totaling over 8,400 acres of protected land. The core service involves partnering with landowners to conserve agricultural lands, wildlife habitat, wetlands, and open space through permanent easements or direct ownership, with ongoing stewardship and monitoring as an integral component.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Conservation Easements Voluntary, willing-buyer, willing-seller real estate transactions in which development rights on private land are either purchased or donated to BRLC and held permanently. Landowners retain ownership and management of the property while the development rights are legally retired in perpetuity, protecting open space, agricultural lands, wildlife habitat, historic sites, and—when appropriate—providing public access. Each easement is tailored to the landowner and the public benefits being protected, and future owners of the property must continue to adhere to the easement terms.
- Mendon Meadow Preserve A 30-acre preserve directly owned and managed by BRLC that balances ranching, farming, and conservation. It protects critical habitat for the rare Ute ladies'-tresses orchid (Spiranthes diluvialis), a threatened species discovered in 2008.
- Bear River Bottoms A 455-acre property along the Bear River in Cache Valley featuring marshes, floodplains, and fields. Open to the public for nature appreciation, fishing, and hunting. BRLC has created 7.5 acres of new wetlands on the site to mitigate 2.5 acres lost along SR252 in Logan, in partnership with PacifiCorp, UDOT, and Bio-WEST.
- Bear Lake Preserve A lakeshore property protected through a conservation easement to preserve natural habitat and open space at Bear Lake, established in partnership with a private landowner.
- Schiess Ranch Easement A voluntary conservation easement on 25.5 acres in Nibley, Utah with landowners Boyd and Sheri Schiess, protecting working agricultural land and scenic views in Cache Valley.
- Bear River Wetlands Easement An easement protecting over 4,000 acres of wetlands, working lands, open space, and critical migratory bird habitat near the Great Salt Lake.
- Evans Ranch Easement A voluntary conservation easement with the Evans Ranch landowners protecting over 1,000 acres of ranchland, open space, and wildlife habitat in Cache County, including Sagwitch Basin and crucial winter range for mule deer and elk. Funded in part by the Heart of the Rockies Initiative's Keep It Connected Program.
- South Wellsville Ranch Easement A conservation easement protecting over 2,700 acres in the southern Wellsville Mountain range, safeguarding agricultural lands, water resources, and critical wildlife habitat including Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse lek. Developed in partnership with NRCS, Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, The Nature Conservancy of Utah, and Summit Land Conservancy.
- Bear River Watershed Initiative Multi-stakeholder watershed-scale conservation coordination program through which BRLC partners with more than 15 land trusts, agencies, tribes, and foundations across Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming to protect working lands, wildlife habitat, and open space in the 7,500-square-mile Bear River Watershed. The initiative secured a $7,850,000 federal grant through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) and has brought over $12.5 million in partner contributions, protecting more than 10,000 acres in four years. Activities include stream restoration, irrigation diversion improvements for native trout species, and habitat connectivity projects with partners such as Trout Unlimited, Western Native Trout Initiative, and Sagebrush Steppe Land Trust.
- Land Stewardship and Monitoring Ongoing annual monitoring and stewardship of BRLC's conservation easements and directly owned preserves, including baseline documentation, compliance monitoring, landowner support, and habitat management to ensure that conservation values protected at closing are maintained in perpetuity.
Quantifiable outcome
- 8,417 acres protected across 7 completed projects
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Bear River Land Conservancy
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Bear River Land Conservancy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Bear River Land Conservancy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
21 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.
- Stokes Nature CenterminorCo-hosting the Mendon BBQ and Volunteer Appreciation Party with BRLC, combining community engagement and conservation awareness.
- White Pine LonesomeminorLocal folk/bluegrass quartet providing entertainment at BRLC's Mendon BBQ and Volunteer Appreciation Party.
- Hobbled Dog CideryminorHost venue for Flight Night event celebrating local bird habitat with cider tastings and Wingspan board game. Located in Logan, UT.
- Slide Ridge Honey and WineryminorEvent sponsor for the Mendon BBQ, providing support for community conservation events.
- The Nature Conservancy of UtahcoreThe Nature Conservancy of Utah's ongoing support has been critical to the closing of the South Wellsville Ranch easement and several other BRLC projects. Active collaboration partner.
- Summit Land ConservancycoreSummit Land Conservancy provided technical support and professional guidance throughout the South Wellsville Ranch easement process and other BRLC projects. Long-term strategic partner.
- Heart of the Rockies Initiative - Keep It Connected ProgrammajorFunding partner for the Evans Ranch easement project, supporting wildlife connectivity and migration corridor protection.
- PacifiCorp EnergycoreOwner of the Morton Section of Bear River Bottoms (455 acres), partnered with BRLC for conservation and public recreation access. Provided technical advice and fine-tuned legal documents for wetland projects.
- Utah Department of TransportationmajorUDOT needed wetland mitigation for 2.5 acres lost along SR252 in Logan. Worked with BRLC and Bio-West to create 7.5 acres of new wetlands at Bear River Bottoms.
- Bio-WEST, Inc.majorLocal environmental consulting firm that approached BRLC about wetland mitigation needs. Coordinated the Bear River Bottoms wetland creation project with UDOT and BRLC.
- Bridgerland Audubon SocietycorePartner in Bear River Bottoms conservation. The property was originally placed under a land preservation agreement by Bridgerland Audubon Society in 2009 before BRLC was established.
- Utah Division of Wildlife ResourcesmajorState agency partner supporting wildlife conservation and habitat management at Bear River Bottoms and other BRLC properties.
- Intermountain West Joint VentureminorRegional bird conservation partnership supporting migratory bird habitat protection in the Intermountain West.
- Utah Conservation CorpsminorAmeriCorps program at Utah State University providing volunteer support for conservation projects including orchid surveys at Mendon Meadow Preserve.
- Cirrus Ecological Solutions, LCminorEcological consulting firm listed as a partner in Bear River Bottoms conservation efforts.
- Sagebrush Steppe Land TrustcoreBRLC worked with Sagebrush Steppe Land Trust and other partners to develop and implement the Bear River Watershed Initiative, scaling conservation efforts across the watershed.
- Trout UnlimitedmajorPartner in the Bear River Watershed Initiative, working on stream restoration and irrigation diversion improvements to benefit Bonneville Cutthroat Trout and water efficiency for farmers.
- Western Native Trout InitiativemajorPartner in Bear River Watershed Initiative focused on restoring stream banks and improving fish passage for native trout species.
- Sageland CollaborativemajorCollaborating on fence mapping initiatives and wildlife-friendly fencing projects to enhance safe wildlife movement in migration corridors.
- Caffe IbisminorLocal coffee roaster that donates a portion of every Logan Canyon blend purchase to BRLC, creating ongoing awareness and revenue.
- Native American TribesmajorBRLC works with Native American tribes as part of the Bear River Watershed Initiative, recognizing tribal interests in land and water management. Tribes are explicitly included in the cooperative effort.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights5 records
Bear River Land Conservancy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Summit Land Conservancy: A Utah-based land trust that has provided technical support and strategic guidance to BRLC on multiple conservation easement projects, including South Wellsville Ranch. Operates in adjacent Utah geographies with a similar voluntary easement and preserve management model.
- The Nature Conservancy of Utah: A core BRLC partner and one of the largest conservation organizations operating in Utah. Conducts conservation easement transactions and direct land ownership across the same geographies, providing funding and co-development support on BRLC projects.
- Sagebrush Steppe Land Trust: A regional land trust focused on sagebrush steppe habitat that co-developed the Bear River Watershed Initiative with BRLC. Directly comparable as a small-staffed land trust operating conservation easements in the Intermountain West.
- Heart of the Rockies Initiative: A regional conservation collaborative that provided funding for BRLC's Evans Ranch easement through its Keep It Connected wildlife corridor program. Comparable as a multi-state partnership organization focused on landscape connectivity in the same Intermountain West region.
- Sageland Collaborative: A regional collaborative partnering with BRLC on wildlife-friendly fencing and migration corridor projects. Operates with a similar small-staff, partnership-driven model focused on habitat connectivity in Utah.
- Vermont Land Trust: A long-established state-level land trust protecting working farms, forests, and natural lands through conservation easements. Closely comparable in operating model—small staff, easement-led, watershed/state focus—and a useful benchmark for what a mature regional land trust can scale to.
Broad incumbents
- Trust for Public Land: A national land conservation organization that works through conservation easements, land acquisition, and ballot measures across all 50 states. Comparable as a much larger incumbent in the same land trust / conservation easement space.
- The Conservation Fund: A national nonprofit that works with federal agencies, corporations, and communities to protect land through conservation easements and direct acquisition. Comparable mission with substantially broader geographic and capital reach than BRLC.
- Ducks Unlimited: A national habitat conservation organization focused on wetlands and waterfowl habitat. Directly comparable to BRLC's wetland and migratory bird habitat work, particularly its Bear River Wetlands Easement protecting 4,000+ acres near the Great Salt Lake.
- Open Space Institute: A regional conservation organization protecting land in the eastern U.S. through conservation easements and land acquisition. Comparable as a land trust operating at scale across multiple states with a focus on landscape-level conservation outcomes.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Bear River Land Conservancy social profiles
Digital presenceBear River Land Conservancy compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Bear River Land Conservancy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bear River Land Conservancy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Bear River Land Conservancy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bear River Land Conservancy M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Bear River Land Conservancy
What does Bear River Land Conservancy do?
BRLC helps private landowners in Northern Utah permanently protect agricultural and natural lands by negotiating and holding conservation easements—voluntary, willing-buyer, willing-seller agreements that permanently retire development rights while the landowner retains ownership. The organization also directly owns and stewards select preserves (e.g., Mendon Meadow Preserve, Bear River Bottoms) and coordinates watershed-scale initiatives with public agencies, tribes, and NGOs. Each project typically requires about 1,000 staff hours and produces permanent legal protection backed by federal law.
Is Bear River Land Conservancy a public or private company?
Bear River Land Conservancy is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Bear River Land Conservancy founded?
Bear River Land Conservancy was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Bear River Land Conservancy based?
Bear River Land Conservancy is headquartered in Logan, United States, in the North America region.
How does Bear River Land Conservancy make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are federal and State Grants, foundation and Private Funding and conservation Easement Transactions.
Who are Bear River Land Conservancy's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Summit Land Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy of Utah, Sagebrush Steppe Land Trust, Heart of the Rockies Initiative, Sageland Collaborative and Vermont Land Trust. Broad incumbents are Trust for Public Land, The Conservation Fund, Ducks Unlimited and Open Space Institute.
Does Bear River Land Conservancy have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bear River Land Conservancy.
What industry is Bear River Land Conservancy in?
Bear River Land Conservancy's product category is Land Conservation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAC, Land Trusts & Protected Areas, with a secondary code of BPAJADAH, Conservation & Protected Land Brokerage (Easements, Land Trust Sales). Its NAICS code is 71219 and its SIC code is 6531.