The Columbia Land Conservancy is a nonprofit organization and relies on the financial support of individuals to conserve the farmland, forests, wildlife habitat, and rural character of Columbia County, strengthening connections between people and the land. CLC has established 5,750 acres of public land, including the 10 Public Conservation Areas owned and managed by CLC. It has helped some 200 local families protect nearly 24,000 acres of land. CLC provides outdoor and educational activities to over 2,000 participants per year. CLC works to support and strengthen agriculture by matching landowners seeking farmers with farmers seeking land, by providing a corps of experienced farmers who mentor landowners and new farmers, and by helping facilitate the sale of important farmland to farmers or conservation minded farm buyers. CLC also assists the county and its towns in a variety of land use planning efforts. www.clctrust.org.