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RENSSELAER LAND TRUST INC
AVERILL PARK, NY · EIN 141708890 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE C340 · Environment · Micro (<$100K) · renstrust.org
revenue
$0
expenses
$1.3M
net assets
$0
employees
0
program ratio
100%
mission · from form 990

THE MISSION OF THE RENSSELAER LAND TRUST IS TO CONSERVE THE OPEN SPACES, WATERSHEDS AND NATURAL HABITATS OF RENSSELAER COUNTY FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR COMMUNITIES AND FUTURE GENERATIONS.

profile · synthesized from sources

Rensselaer Land Trust Inc. is a nonprofit land conservation organization focused on preserving open spaces, watersheds, and natural habitats in Rensselaer County, New York. The organization works with private landowners and municipalities to protect forests and wetlands through conservation easements and fee-owned nature preserves. It prioritizes watershed protection, working forests, and public access to natural areas for recreation and education.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2023

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $0
    WETLANDS AND FOREST PROTECTION - RLT WORKS TOGETHER WITH PRIVATE LANDOWNERS AND MUNICIPALITIES ON WETLANDS AND FOREST PROTECTION INITIATIVES. WE ALSO HOLD IN FEE NATURE PERSERVES COMPOSED OF FORESTS AND WETLANDS. ONE OF OUR PRIORITIES IS WATERSHED PROTECTION. OUR WORK IN PROTECTING DRINKING WATER QUALITY AND QUANTITY FOCUSES ON PROTECTING AND CONSERVING WETLANDS AND FOREST AREAS THAT FILTER AND BUFFER DRINKING WATER SOURCES, INSULATE THE LARGER LANDSCAPE FROM FLOODING, PROVIDE PUBLIC RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, AND PROTECT WILDLIFE HABITATS AND WILDLIFE DIVERSITY. ADDITIONALLY, WE WORK TO PROTECT FORESTLAND AS WORKING FORESTS. QUALITY DRINKING WATER, WETLANDS AND FOREST LANDS ARE VITAL TO THE HEALTH AND WELFARE OF RENSSELAER COUNTY.
  2. #2 $0
    AS OF JANUARY 1, 2024, THE MERGER BETWEEN RLT AND RENSSELAER PLATEAU ALLIANCE IS EFFECTIVE AND APPROVED BY THE NEW YORK STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE AND THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE.
named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

Land Stewardship
Manages and maintains conservation lands, including monitoring of easements and preserves across approximately 1,963 acres in Rensselaer County.
Poesten Kill Bends Land Conservation Project
Co-ownership and protection of a 76-acre urban riparian and woodland habitat along Poesten Kill Creek in Troy and Brunswick, acquired through community fundraising and partnership with Rensselaer Plateau Alliance.
Rensselaer County Conservation Plan
Comprehensive "greenprint" identifying priority areas for land and water conservation across Rensselaer County; guides strategic conservation efforts through data-driven analysis and community input.
Wetlands and Forest Protection
Collaborates with private landowners and municipalities to protect wetlands, forests, and watersheds; holds conservation easements and fee-owned nature preserves to ensure long-term protection of critical habitats and drinking water sources.
activities · 10 groups

What they do

  • Land Acquisition and Conservation Easements 2 activities
    • Acquires land for conservation and public benefit
      Acquires ecologically significant lands through purchase or donation to establish new nature preserves, including riparian habitats along Poesten Kill Creek, wetlands in Nassau, and farmland in Schodack, expanding protected acreage and enhancing biodiversity.
    • Holds and monitors conservation easements
      Acquires and stewards conservation easements on private land to protect natural resources, water quality, agricultural viability, and wildlife habitat. The organization maintains over a dozen easements, including those at Sluyter Preserve and Colehamer Road, totaling thousands of acres under protection.
  • Nature Preserve Management and Public Access 2 activities
    • Develops and implements public access improvements
      Improves public access to nature preserves through infrastructure development, including constructing parking areas, kiosks, trails, bridges, and boat launches at sites such as Kinderhook Creek, Hoosic River, and Robert Ingalls Preserve, often funded by grants.
    • Owns and manages nature preserves and conservation properties
      Owns 16 fee-held conservation properties, including nature preserves open to the public for recreation, and manages long-term stewardship of these lands across Rensselaer County. Examples include the Robert Ingalls Preserve, Kinderhook Creek Nature Preserve, and John B. Staalesen Vanderheyden Preserve.
  • Watershed Conservation & Stewardship 2 activities
    • Protects watershed and drinking water quality
      Implements land protection and water quality improvement programs focused on the Tomhannock Reservoir and other key watersheds, including acquiring land and easements, conducting outreach to landowners, and protecting over 120 acres in critical source water areas to safeguard drinking water quality and reduce contamination risks.
    • Publishes guides and maps for public use
      Published a 175-page guide to natural areas in Rensselaer County and developed an online interactive map of county watersheds and water sources to increase public awareness and support informed conservation decisions.
  • Outdoor Recreation Access Promotion 1 activity
    • Advocates for expanded public access to natural resources
      Leads regional planning initiatives such as the Rensselaer County Trail Vision Plan and the Hudson River Access Plan to improve connectivity and public access to trails and the Hudson River shoreline.
  • Lake and Watershed Monitoring & Assessment 1 activity
    • Conducts citizen science water quality monitoring
      Runs a citizen scientist program that collects water samples from streams and tributaries in western Rensselaer County and the Hudson River watershed, testing for fecal contamination and emerging contaminants, with data used to support environmental remediation efforts such as sewage leak citations.
  • Local Land Conservation Advocacy 1 activity
    • Develops comprehensive conservation planning tools
      Created the Rensselaer County Conservation Plan ("greenprint") through natural resource inventories, spatial analysis, and stakeholder engagement, identifying high-priority conservation areas and recommending strategies for land and water protection across the county.
  • Onsite & Outreach Environmental Education Programs 1 activity
    • Hosts educational programs and public events
      Offers workshops, guided hikes, snowshoeing, skiing, and public presentations on topics such as wetland conservation, foraging, and safe fish consumption to engage the community in environmental education and stewardship.
  • Nonprofit Organizational Mergers and Integrations 1 activity
    • Merges with allied conservation organizations
      Completed a merger with the Rensselaer Plateau Alliance effective January 1, 2024, forming a new entity named Hudson Taconic Lands, approved by state authorities to expand conservation impact.
  • Community Stewardship Volunteer Programs 1 activity
    • Organizes volunteer trail maintenance and stewardship events
      Coordinates regular volunteer efforts including trail crew workdays, shoreline cleanups, invasive species removal (e.g., water chestnut), and trail construction to maintain and enhance conservation lands across the county.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Funds and supports organizational capacity building
      Uses state grants and strategic planning to strengthen internal operations, including hiring staff (e.g., Executive Director, AmeriCorps/VISTA member), training joint trail crews, and implementing fundraising and outreach plans to support long-term sustainability.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$0
Contributions & grants$0—
Program service revenue$0—
Investment income$0—
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$1.34M
Program expenses100%
Admin / overhead0%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$0
Cash$159K
Investments$150K
Liabilities$0
Net assets$0
Liquid reserves2.8 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -100.0%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

board members · 1
  • DEB BALLIET — FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
relationships · 47

Who they work with

  • Agricultural Stewardship Association Partner — Collaborates with Rensselaer Land Trust on a land protection initiative to safeguard the Tomhannock Reservoir watershed.
  • Agricultural Stewardship Association Partner — Collaborates with Rensselaer Land Trust on the Water Quality Improvement Program grant initiative.
  • Agricultural Stewardship Association Partner — Partner on Rensselaer County Conservation Plan.
  • Capital Roots Partner — Granted community garden space at Staalesen Nature Preserve to Capital Roots for public use.
  • Ecological Intuition & Medicine Partner — Partner on Rensselaer County Conservation Plan.
  • Environmental Clearinghouse of Schenectady Partner — Co-published "Natural Areas of Rensselaer County New York" in 2002.
  • Friends of the Dyken Pond Center Partner — Assisted Friends of the Dyken Pond Center in fundraising efforts to acquire a 40-acre parcel adjacent to their center.
  • Hudson River Estuary Program Partner — Partner on water quality monitoring and Rensselaer County Conservation Plan projects.
  • Hudson River Valley Greenway Funder — Provided grant funding for the development of the Rensselaer County Conservation Plan.
  • Hudson River Valley Greenway Partner — Partner on Rensselaer County Conservation Plan.
  • Hudson River Watershed Alliance Network — Organization that awarded RLT the 2018 Watershed WaveMaker Award.
  • Land Trust Accreditation Commission Government — Accredited Rensselaer Land Trust, recognizing adherence to national standards for land trust excellence.
  • Land Trust Accreditation Commission Government — Independent commission that granted and renewed accreditation to Rensselaer Land Trust, validating its conservation and management practices.
  • Land Trust Alliance Government — Administers New York State Conservation Partnership Program grants in coordination with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
  • Land Trust Alliance Government — Administers the NYS Conservation Partnership Program grant funding received by RLT.
  • Land Trust Alliance Government — Highlighted by Land Trust Alliance as a Conservation Community and participated in national accreditation program.
  • Land Trust Alliance Network — Parent organization of the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, with which Rensselaer Land Trust is affiliated through accreditation.
  • Land Trust Alliance Partner — Partnered through the NYS Conservation Partnership Program to develop the Rensselaer County Conservation Plan.
  • Louis & Hortense Rubin Community Fellowship Program Partner — Partner on Rensselaer County Conservation Plan.
  • Louis and Hortense Rubin Foundation Funder — Provided foundation support for the preparation of the Rensselaer County Conservation Plan.
  • NYSDEC Government — Completed fishing right easement with NYSDEC for Hoosic River Nature Preserve.
  • National Audubon Society Partner — Transferred ownership of 54 acres of wetlands in the Town of Nassau to Rensselaer Land Trust for conservation.
  • New York State Audubon Society Partner — Co-sponsored a public presentation on wetland conservation.
  • New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Government — Co-administers New York State Conservation Partnership Program grants with the Land Trust Alliance.
  • New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Government — Collaborated with NYSDEC through the NYS Conservation Partnership Program and the Hudson River Estuary Program to support development of the Conservation Plan.
  • New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Government — Coordinates the NYS Conservation Partnership Program that funded RLT grants.
  • New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Government — Partnered with Rensselaer Land Trust through the Water Quality Improvement Program and awarded a $1.5 million grant.
  • New York State Museum Government — Houses vouchered plant specimens from the Rensselaer Land Trust's botanical surveys in its Herbarium.
  • Office of State Senator Joseph Bruno Government — Provided legislative initiative funding to support detailed botanical studies at three natural areas in Rensselaer County.
  • Open Space Institute Partner — Partner on Rensselaer County Conservation Plan.
+ 17 more
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Access Fosters Stewardship Through Personal Connection
    methodology: access-fosters-stewardship
    By increasing public access to nature through trails and neighborhood preserves, we cultivate stewardship because personal experience with natural areas builds emotional connection and motivates long-term conservation behavior.
  • Community-Engaged Conservation Planning
    methodology: community-engaged conservation
    By integrating community input through workshops, surveys, and collaboration, we ensure conservation reflects local values and builds broad support because inclusive planning increases legitimacy, trust, and long-term sustainability of protected areas.
  • Conservation as Public Health Infrastructure
    methodology: conservation-for-public-health
    By conserving open spaces, forests, and wetlands—particularly within watersheds—we protect drinking water quality, reduce flooding, and improve public health and community well-being, because land acts as natural infrastructure that filters water, sequesters carbon, and supports ecological resilience.
  • Data-Driven Prioritization for Maximum Ecological and Community Impact
    methodology: data-driven prioritization
    By using spatial analysis and ecological assessment to prioritize conservation projects, we maximize environmental health and community quality of life because targeting high-value lands ensures efficient use of resources and long-term systemic benefits.
  • Natural Areas as Climate Resilience Infrastructure
    methodology: climate-resiliency-conservation
    By protecting ecologically significant natural areas, we enhance local and global climate resiliency because intact ecosystems sequester carbon, buffer extreme weather, and maintain biodiversity essential for adaptive capacity.