From the Director’s Desk
This January, Indiana Land Protection Alliance launched its most ambitious strategic plan to date, a bold five-year roadmap to accelerate land and water conservation across Indiana. Developed over 11 months, with guidance from a national consultant and insights from key partners and stakeholders statewide, this plan affirms ILPA’s leadership role in advancing high-quality conservation, strengthening land trusts, and uniting efforts to protect the places that matter most.
Our new plan outlines four strategic priorities:
1) Build the organizational and financial capacity of land trusts throughout the state to increase their impact and long-term sustainability
2) Advocate for and advance State Leadership’s commitment to preserving the natural resources vital to quality of life, including increasing appropriations dedicated to land and water protection
3) Facilitate and accelerate landscape-scale collaborations for land and water protection and restoration projects
4) Expand ILPA’s capacity to serve land trusts throughout the state and bolster their impact
This plan leverages the success of our inaugural 2021 strategic plan, which laid the groundwork for transformational change. That foundation enabled ILPA to lead when the state announced a historic $25 million appropriation for land conservation and invited our input in shaping the one-time Next Level Conservation Trust program. We mobilized our network, engaged with state leaders, and championed land trust projects, helping to advance critical acquisitions and forge new partnerships statewide.
In 2023, we deepened public engagement with a creative postcard campaign and expanded our presence at the Statehouse: engaging our first lobbyist, hosting a legislative luncheon with land trusts, and leading outdoor excursions to showcase protected lands. These efforts, in collaboration with the advocacy work of many partners, contributed to the state’s additional $10 million appropriation to the President Benjamin Harrison Conservation Trust.
We elevated the collective impact of land trusts with collaborative publications like our Statewide Nature Preserve Guide and Annual State of the Lands Report. Our first (now annual) reception with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources united leaders from across the state. We also launched new educational efforts such as the Indiana Wetlands Challenge and expanded our digital reach.
ILPA has evolved into a vital nexus for land conservation professionals in Indiana. By fostering peer networking and providing critical professional development opportunities, we are cultivating a skilled, collaborative, and resilient conservation community. Our flagship Annual Land Trust Conference, launched in 2024, doubled in size in its second year (2025), a powerful signal of growing momentum.
Our work is deeply rooted in partnership. From October Big Days with Indiana Audubon to our bioinventory grant program with the Indiana Academy of Science, we are making meaningful connections and providing critical support. We’ve also expanded our presence in key conservation forums and coalitions across Indiana.
With a shared vision, a committed network, and renewed strategic direction, ILPA is steadfast in its resolve to advance conservation at the scale and pace Indiana needs. Thank you for your partnership. The trail ahead is clear — let’s blaze it together.
Together and in perpetuity,
Andrea Huntington
Executive Director, Indiana Land Protection Alliance