About Us

Building on more than 20 years of trust in the community, our mission is clear: to inspire people to care for the land of the Methow Valley.

The Methow Conservancy is using innovative and powerful approaches to:

Protect healthy land, clean water and fresh air
Connect people to the land 
Support local agriculture
Be a role model for the rural mountain West

A Delicate Balance:

What does it mean to be a role model for the rural mountain West? Like any ecosystem, it's a delicate balance. It's enough healthy habitat protected so wildlife can thrive and enough thoughtful development to embrace people, too. It's fertile soils that still support agriculture and a community that values that heritage. It's a resilient economy vibrant with visitors and cutting-edge opportunities and yet still "undiscovered" enough to allow for solitude and quiet. It's diverse people who care for each other and for the land.

DSC05527 parade — Our float in a local parade by Mary Kiesau

Our Beginnings:

The Methow Conservancy formed from a 1996 merger between the Methow Valley Land Trust and the Methow Valley Environmental Center. What started as an energetic vision to protect land in the Valley has grown into a well-respected mainstay of the Methow Valley community. Now, the Methow Conservancy now has a staff of 10, an active board of 13 Valley landowners, and a membership base of almost 1000 households and businesses. After more than two decades of conservation, we've come to understand that our land protection work does not, and cannot happen independent from all other aspects of life in the Methow Valley.

Bear Creek Birders View Kiesau 2 — Bear Creek Birders photo by Mary Kiesau

Our Mission:

To inspire people to care for the land of the Methow Valley.

Jeanne And Mary Heckendorn 2 — Spring hike by Jason Paulsen

Our Vision:

 We envision the Methow Valley as a place where people care for the land and know that the vibrancy and sustainability of the economy is based on the natural beauty of the surroundings.

The Methow Conservancy:

Dedicates itself to preserving the Methow Valley 
Acts with integrity 
Encourages private, voluntary participation in land conservation 
Provides careful, ongoing stewardship of protected lands 
Offers opportunities for community education and engagement
Recognizes and Honors that this landscape has been loved by many diverse people for generations and generations and that all of these voices matter in conversations about the future of the Valley

Bluebird With Box Kiesau — Bluebird with box by Mary Kiesau

Tell Me More:

I’d like to learn more about your efforts to protect healthy land and water.
I’d like to learn more about your efforts to connect people to the land.
I’d like to learn more about your efforts to support local farms and farmers.
I’d like to support your work.

“We believe that a love of the land is the common denominator in the Methow Valley and we believe that when people share that common ground, amazing things can happen.”
— Jason Paulsen, Executive Director 2006-2022

The Methow Conservancy does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and firing of staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, and provision of services. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, clients, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, and clients.

Join us and choose a future for the Methow Valley that includes healthy wildlife habitat, thriving agriculture, and a connected community.

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