The Plan to Conserve Columbia County

The Plan to Conserve Columbia County was developed between July 2024 and October 2025. CLC worked with consultants Thread Collective to create a public participation process and engage members of the advisory committee and Upstate GIS to analyze dozens of existing data sets. Members of the public weighed in on conservation priorities and values through a survey. Initial results were shared for feedback at a series of four public workshops. Public input defined key concerns, including housing, equity, and energy siting. CLC then used the Plan to develop this Campaign and its implementation strategies.

How will CLC use the Plan?

CLC relied on the Plan to create Common Ground: The Campaign to Conserve Columbia County, which outlines three ambitious strategies to pursue:

Conserving priority landscapes: The Plan calls for CLC and partners to conserve 30% of Columbia County’s critical landscapes by 2035. A critical landscape is defined as one that was ranked as Higher or Highest Priority in the GIS analysis. Currently, 26% of these lands have already been permanently protected by CLC or conservation partners. CLC aims to protect an additional 10,000 acres by 2035.
Supporting conservation partners: CLC is a leader in land conservation, and many voices and perspectives are needed to ensure conservation efforts reflect community needs. CLC will share data from the Plan, convene regular meetings of partners implementing the Plan, and offer technical assistance and support for partners pursuing implementation strategies.
Caring for land together: One theme surfaced repeatedly in public feedback: legal protection of land with voluntary conservation easements is essential, and it is also one of a suite of strategies. CLC aims to engage people in caring for the land together – facilitating 2,500 acts of caring for land each year.

Learn more about how CLC is putting The Plan into action here.

I’m a landowner or land steward who wants to use the Plan

I’m a County or municipal partner who wants to use the Plan

The data sets that were used to create the Plan are available for your use. Email Sam Calhoun at [email protected] to discuss your needs.

Plan documents

Have a question that’s not answered here? Email [email protected]!

The Plan to Conserve Columbia County was funded in part by a grant from the New York State Environmental Protection Fund through the Hudson River Estuary Program of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The opinions, results, findings, and/or interpretations of data contained therein are the responsibility of the Columbia Land Conservancy and do not necessarily represent the opinions, interpretations, or policy of the State.