Our waters are only as healthy as the lands that surround them. 

As a nationally accredited land trust, Potomac Conservancy works one-on-one with landowners to conserve family-owned forests, farms, freshwater streams, and natural areas in the headwaters region of the Potomac River. We place lands into permanent protection and connect landowners to critical resources and cost-share programs to ensure working lands are productive and river-friendly.

Our Impact

Acres Protected: 15,300+ | Number of Properties Placed into Easement: 83 | Miles of Forested Streams Conserved: 65 | Trees planted in acres: 50+

Protecting Your Land

Conservation easements are a powerful legal tool that families can use to permanently protect their forests, streams, and working lands for future generations. Learn about the benefits of private land conservation from local landowners and get answers to common questions about the easement process. Our team is ready to work with you!

Conservation Easements >

We're Moving Mountains for Clean Water

Potomac Conservancy purchased White Horse Mountain in 2015, halting development plans on a 1,700-acre forest in West Virginia. 

Saving White Horse is a huge conservation win for clean water, healthy habitats, and rural heritage. Now, White Horse Mountain has been returned to the public as a haven for recreation!

Explore White Horse Mountain >

Enhancing Lands, Building Relationships

Learn how you can enhance your land to ensure it's both productive and river-friendly. Cost-share programs in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia help local landowners utilize Best Management Practices to better protect stream health and wildlife habitat. 

Best Management Practices & Cost Share Programs > 

Potomac Conservancy is a nationally accredited land trust recognized by
The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance. In 2021, Potomac Conservancy’s accreditation was renewed
for a third term of 5 years.

Accreditation publicly validates the high caliber of the Conservancy's land protection work and demonstrates that it meets the industry’s best practices related to governance and management. The Conservancy is one of just 238 land trusts nationwide to be approved since 2008.