Natural Lands history

In 1959, the organization created its first nature preserve.

Since its incorporation in 1961, Natural Lands has saved more than 125,000 acres of land from being developed.

The organization's first easement was the Upper Main Line YMCA in Chester County, Pennsylvania, in 1966, which was the first known conservation easement in Pennsylvania.

1968: Established a $20 million bond program to acquire outdoor recreation lands.

The Virginia Coast Reserve was first begun in 1969 to protect nesting shore birds in particular from a developer who wanted to continue the development in overcrowded Virginia Beach to the barrier islands.

1972: Allocated an additional $40 million for an outdoor recreation bond and established a $200 million Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL) program.

The Nature Conservancy employed a novel strategy in acquiring 35,000 acres of Mississippi swampland in 1973.

Pat Noonan became president of TNC in 1974.

In 1976 TNC sold the land to the state of Mississippi for use as a state park.

In 1978 TNC spent $2.8 million on its largest purchase at the time, buying nine-tenths of Santa Cruz, an isolated island off California whose rare native plant species had been severely threatened by feral pigs and 30,000 sheep, which TNC would have to eradicate.

1979: Established the Conservation and Recreation Lands (CARL) program.

Pat Noonan stepped down as president in 1980 but continued to serve as a consultant, as TNC required all the creativity it could muster.

1981: Developed Save Our Coast (SOC) and Save Our Rivers (SOR) programs.

Negotiations for the acquisition had begun in 1982.

By 1984 TNC had invested $25 million in the Virginia Coast Reserve, now expanded to include deepwater frontage along the eastern shore of the Virginia mainland.

TNC began a unique program, surveying 25 million acres of Department of Defense property, in 1988.

In 1989 The Nature Company, a Berkeley, California catalog merchandiser, entered a partnership with TNC whereby it processed new memberships and donated a portion of its product sales.

Florida lawmakers agreed with his proposal and in 1990 provided funding for the first year of bonds in the form of an increase in documentary stamp tax.

Corporate giving accounted for $2 million, or 16 percent, of TNC income in 1991.

Membership reached 766,000 in 1993, revenues were $280 million, and nearly eight million acres had been protected.

2000: Started the Florida Forever program.