What Feather River Land Trust does

Feather River Land Trust (FRLT) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nationally accredited land trust founded in 2000 and headquartered in Quincy, California. It conserves ecologically and culturally important lands and waters across the Feather River Watershed in the northern Sierra Nevada, with an explicit goal to protect 120,000 acres for public benefit and a track record of more than 100,000 acres conserved to date. Its core product is the conservation easement — a permanent, recorded legal instrument limiting development while landowners retain ownership — supplemented by five publicly accessible preserves it owns and manages (Sierra Valley Preserve 2,575 ac, Heart K Ranch 903 ac, Olsen Barn Meadow 107 ac, Leonhardt Ranch Learning Landscape 46 ac, Mountain Meadows Gateway 9 ac) and a growing K-12 outdoor education program called Learning Landscapes used by 12 partner public schools.

FRLT's customer base spans private landowners granting easements, individual donors and 1,100+ dues-paying members, K-12 schools and students, indigenous communities (Mountain Maidu, Washoe), and the general public visiting preserves. Funded through a diversified mix of individual donations, membership dues, foundation grants, and government agency support (Sierra Nevada Conservancy, California Wildlife Conservation Board), FRLT executes projects in collaboration with strategic partners including PG&E, The Nature Conservancy, Northern Sierra Partnership, and the Maidu Summit Consortium. Notable transactions include protection of 43,000+ acres of PG&E headwater lands in the Lake Almanor region, the 5,530-acre Puma Robles Ranch, the 10,274-acre Wélmeltiʔ Preserve returned to Washoe ownership, and a multi-year fire recovery initiative across ~57,000 acres impacted by the Dixie and Beckwourth Complex fires.

The organization employs 11-50 staff across stewardship, education, conservation easement program management, and communications functions. Its operating model is community-led, go-to-market executed through direct landowner relationships for easements, public access to owned preserves, and school-system partnerships for outdoor education. FRLT holds Land Trust Accreditation (renewed 2015, 2020, 2025), a Candid Gold Seal of Transparency, and Audubon Important Bird Area designation for Sierra Valley. There is no external private-equity or venture ownership; control resides with the membership base and a volunteer board.

Name

Feather River Land Trust

Legal name

Feather River Land Trust

Website

https://frlt.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Feather River Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nationally accredited land trust conserving ecologically and culturally important lands across the Feather River Watershed in California's northern Sierra Nevada. It serves private landowners, 1,100+ members, 12 K-12 schools, and indigenous communities via conservation easements and five public preserves.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Land Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services (AFAMAMAH), Wildlife Interpretation & Education Centers (Visitor Centers, Museums) (THAAAFAG), Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning) (THAAAOAA), Wildlife Viewing Hides, Observation Towers & Birding Sites (Managed Access) (THAAAFAE)

Keywords

• Land conservation services
• Conservation easement management
• Watershed protection services
• Nature preserve management
• Outdoor environmental education

Headquarters

HQ city

Quincy

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible charitable donations from individuals supporting land conservation. Monthly giving, legacy giving, in-kind gifts, gifts of stock, and memorial gifts accepted.
2. Membership Dues: Grassroots relationships with 1,100+ members providing ongoing financial support to the organization.
3. Foundation and Government Grants: Funding from Sierra Nevada Conservancy, Northern Sierra Partnership, California Wildlife Conservation Board, and other foundations to support conservation transactions and land management.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Feather River Land Trust establishes permanent conservation easements on private lands in the Feather River Watershed, owns and manages five public nature preserves totaling approximately 3,647 acres, and delivers the Learning Landscapes K-12 outdoor education program connecting children to nature through outdoor classrooms within walking distance of 12 public schools. The organization is funded through individual donations, membership dues, and foundation/government grants.

Product overview

Feather River Land Trust operates as a nationally accredited land trust offering land conservation services, primarily through conservation easements that permanently protect private lands. The organization owns and manages five public preserves totaling approximately 3,647 acres including Sierra Valley Preserve (2,575 acres), Heart K Ranch (903 acres), Olsen Barn Meadow (107 acres), Leonhardt Ranch Learning Landscape (46 acres), and Mountain Meadows Gateway (9 acres). The portfolio also includes the Learning Landscapes K-12 outdoor education program connecting children to nature through school-based outdoor classrooms. The Sierra Valley Preserve Nature Center provides visitor facilities and educational programming. The organization maintains a web-based platform for donation processing, volunteer coordination, event registration, and email newsletter communications via Constant Contact.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Learning Landscapes: K-12 conservation and education program that connects kids to nature through outdoor classrooms, place-based learning, and hands-on stewardship experiences. The program facilitates nature-kid connections throughout the school year and has become a national model adopted by land trusts across the country.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100,000+ acres conserved since 2000
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• The Nature ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Key conservation partner in Sierra Valley/Long Valley region. Collaborated on Puma Robles Ranch conservation (5,530 acres) and broader 35,000-acre, 10-year conservation effort for wildlife migration corridors.
• PG&E (Pacific Gas and Electric)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000Major partnership to protect PG&E headwater lands for public benefit. Protected 43,000+ acres of Maidu homelands, headwaters, and habitat in Lake Almanor region through conservation easements with PG&E and Maidu Summit Consortium.
• Northern Sierra PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000Founding collaborative initiative to conserve, restore, and enhance natural landscapes in the northern Sierra Nevada while sustaining rural prosperity. Key partner in Sierra Valley conservation efforts.
• Sierra Buttes Trail StewardshipmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrail building and maintenance partner working with local schools on Learning Landscapes outdoor classrooms. Partners on Trail Tuesdays program for student trail work and stewardship education.
• Point Blue Conservation SciencemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSierra Nevada Group Leader Ryan Burnett serves on FRLT's Land Protection Committee advising on strategic conservation priorities and projects.
• Feather River CollegemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to hire seasonal interns for land stewardship activities. Intern program provides hands-on experience in property management and conservation work.
• US Forest Service (Beckwourth Ranger District)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Kids Creek Forest trail project adjacent to C. Roy Carmichael Elementary School. Joint trail design and maintenance on public lands.
• California Department of Fish and Wildlife / Wildlife Conservation BoardmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFacilitated transactions for Wildlife Conservation Board to expand Smithneck Creek and Crocker Meadows Wildlife Areas by 1,207 acres for wildlife habitat and public access.
• Maidu Summit ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to return Maidu homelands to indigenous ownership. Protected 43,000+ acres including Maidu Trail property returned to Mountain Maidu ownership.
• Jefferson Center for Holistic ManagementmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners on regenerative agriculture planning at Heart K Ranch. Established long-term soil monitoring to inform land management for regenerative grazing, soil health, and biodiversity.
• Little Traverse ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational K-12 Community of Practice participant sharing Learning Landscapes outdoor education model.
• Sierra Institute for Community EnvironmentmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSierra Institute's youth P-CREW program engages young people in hands-on stewardship projects as part of next generation conservation efforts.
• Land Trust AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProud member organization providing national advocacy and resources for land trusts.
• California Council of Land TrustsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level member organization supporting California land trusts.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pacific Forest Trust: Conservation organization focused on forest conservation easements and sustainable forest management across California and the West. Direct peer in the conservation-easement service line that FRLT relies on.
• Save the Redwoods League: California-focused nonprofit land trust acquiring and stewarding redwood forestland and other ecologically significant landscapes. Comparable mission, accredited land trust structure, and donor-driven conservation transactions.
• Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST): Accredited Bay Area land trust protecting open space through acquisitions and easements. Closely comparable operating model and donor base, though serving a different California region.
• Sierra Foothill Conservancy: California-accredited regional land trust protecting foothill and Sierra Nevada landscapes through easements and fee-owned preserves. Directly comparable business model, region overlap, and member-driven fundraising approach.
• Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit land trust that works with willing landowners and communities to conserve land for public access, parks, and conservation easements. Directly comparable mission, model, and donor base as a fellow accredited land trust.

Others

• Land Trust Alliance: National membership association that supports and accredits land trusts across the US. Not a direct competitor but FRLT is a member; provides industry standards and the accreditation framework FRLT operates under.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy: Largest global conservation nonprofit, operating across all 50 US states and dozens of countries. FRLT partners with TNC on Sierra Valley transactions, and TNC is the closest "incumbent" peer working on land and easement conservation at scale in the same regions.
• American Farmland Trust: National nonprofit focused on protecting farmland, ranchland, and working landscapes. Comparable because FRLT explicitly conserves working ranches and ag land in Sierra Valley; AFT addresses the same theme at national scale.

Regional players

• Bear Yuba Land Trust: Nevada County, California-accredited land trust conserving the Bear and Yuba river watersheds. Direct comparable in operating model and Northern Sierra geography, but distinct service territory.
• Sequoia Riverlands Trust: California-accredited land trust conserving the Kaweah, Tule, and Kern river watersheds in the southern Sierra Nevada. Same operating model and accredited status, but serves a different regional market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/frlt_org
• Facebookfacebook.com/FeatherRiverLandTrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/feather-river-land-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Feather River Land Trust