Protecting Healthy Land and Water

We protect healthy land and vital soils in the Methow Valley through conservation easements, land ownership, and other conservation tools. Formed in 1996 and accredited by the Land Trust Alliance since 2013, we have protected nearly 12,000 acres in the Methow Valley, including 33 miles of shoreline and more than 2,400 acres of irrigated farmland, plus additional rangeland acres. We also help provide public access, where appropriate, like on Sunny M Ranch, the Meadowlark Natural Area, and Mill Hill. We steward properties owned by entities and organizations that don’t have the capacity to care for them themselves.

Connecting People to the Land

Forging connections between the community and the land is core to our mission; we achieve this through education and volunteer programming. We offer numerous free, large community presentations on a broad spectrum of topics relevant to conservation, smaller-scale naturalist field experiences, stewardship and restoration projects on the land, and digital newsletters focused on understanding the wild nearby. We also provide free monthly programs focused on scientific inquiry to 4th graders at Methow Valley Elementary School.

Supporting Local Agriculture

We recognize that farming and ranching are critical components of the Methow Valley’s rural character. We support local agriculture by protecting prime agricultural land, supporting the launch of a regional USDA meat processing unit, promoting local food to consumers, and leasing farmland to local farmers. We host and maintain www.methowgrown.org and the Methow Grown Guide, which each offer a directory of farms in the Methow Valley and give the public an avenue for learning about the vast array of agriculturalists that make our community unique. We also administer Farms to Neighbors--a food access program that benefits both local producers and households in need of extra support accessing food.

Land Conservation Projects

Conservation Easements

Our primary conservation tool is the conservation easement. Easements are written legal agreements between a willing landowner and a land trust or other qualified entity regarding how that land can be used into the future. The agreement is tied to the land, not the owner, ensuring that critical wildlife habitat remains intact, agricultural land remains farmable, and scenic and open vistas remain breathtaking forever. We hold 120 conservation easements on privately-owned land, working with landowners to support them in caring for their land, as well as tracking changes over time.

Sunny M Ranch

Purchased by the Conservancy in 2023, this 1200 acre property is essential to our valley in so many ways. It holds 400+ acres of critical wildlife habitat serving as a keystone for habitat continuity, the largest irrigated farm field in the Methow Valley, and 10+ miles of trails for skiing, biking, running, walking, horseback riding, snowshoeing, and other human-powered activities. The vision for the property also includes a small parcel designated for an affordable neighborhood near town, enabling local workers to live full lives in the Methow Valley.

Meadowlark Natural Area

In 2018, the Methow Conservancy, thanks to a generous donation from Tina and Eliot Scull, purchased 139 acres of rolling hillsides, shrub-steppe benches, and ravines used as wildlife corridors near Winthrop. This Natural Area, now owned by the town of Winthrop and stewarded by the Methow Conservancy, offers trail access right from town and preserves key habitat for the Methow Valley deer population and other local critters.

Mill Hill

In 2023, the Methow Conservancy purchased the 144 acres of shrub-steppe hillside known as Mill Hill just outside of Twisp to secure continued public access to the informal trails that we know so many Twisp residents enjoy. We hope to be temporary "bridge" owners until we can achieve the long-term vision of having the land owned as a park by the Town of Twisp. Now that the property is secured, we are committed to working with the Town of Twisp to support their application for an RCO Recreation Grant from the State of Washington that would facilitate the transfer of the property to the Town of Twisp as a park.

x̌ʷnámx̌ʷnam/Hummingbird

In 2021-2022, the Methow Conservancy, supported by fundraising from the Methow Valley community, purchased and then facilitated the return of 320+ acres of ancestral land on the Chewuch River to the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in honor of the mətx̌ʷu/Methow Descendants. The x̌ʷnámx̌ʷnam/Hummingbird property (formerly Wagner Ranch) offers an important place for the mətx̌ʷu/Methow Descendants to preserve and sustain their knowledge, skills, and traditions and to steward the property.

Community Programs

First Tuesdays

We offer a free monthly First Tuesday educational program. This event series is all about connecting people with one another, and forging a stronger connection to the Methow Valley through knowledge. Topics range from natural history, to agriculture, to astronomy, to rural changes, and beyond! You may have guessed, but these events take place on the First Tuesday of the month.

Schoolyard Science

The Methow Conservancy partners with Methow Valley Elementary to offer inspiring science curriculum to every fourth grader. This program includes a year-long series of experience-based science lessons. The lessons take place in the outdoors, and they teach students about their home ecosystem while simultaneously building a foundational understanding of scientific principles.

Farms to Neighbors

The Farms to Neighbors program is based on two simple truths: 1) everyone should have access to high quality, locally produced food and 2) farmers deserve to be paid full price for the fruits of their labor. With the support of generous community members, we can support local farmers by purchasing quality, local food at market rate. Then, farmers drop that food directly to the Cove Food Bank. It's a win for farms and for food access!

Affordable Housing Support

In support of the local economy and the local workforce we:

1) gave Larkspur Flats, six acres of land in the Heckendorn neighborhood of Winthrop, to the Methow Housing Trust, which plans to build a neighborhood of homes that are permanently affordable for those who live and work in the Methow Valley;

2) are committed to creating a place on Sunny M close to town for a future affordable neighborhood; and

3) developed and maintain our dynamic State of the Methow report, which includes a section on the status and trends in real estate and housing availability, demand, and affordability.

We also participate regularly in the Methow Housing Solutions Network, which is focused on addressing the shortage of affordable housing in the Methow Valley.

Backyard Bulletin

This monthly newsletter is filled with plant and animal photos, alongside fun commentary and some facts for your back pocket. The Bulletin is the perfect way to stay connected to the changing of the seasons, see what's blooming, and know which wild things are being seen throughout the year. Join our mailing list to get new editions in your inbox, or view the archive at this link.

Community Support

We use our trusted position in the community to help elevate other non-profit organizations. We offer our conference space and organizational expertise to support other local non-profits, and we take a leading role in collaborative fundraising and outreach programs. We lead and/or participate in long-term recovery and resiliency efforts in the valley, including fire/flood recovery and restoration, the Methow Housing Solutions Network, the Methow Valley Trails Collaborative, food access/equity efforts, and other programs that promote a healthy community.