Stewardship of our land and water means caring for these precious resources in ways that ensure their long-term sustainability for the benefit of future generations.

Recognizing the importance of public-private partnerships for long-term stewardship success, the Indian River Land Trust has enhanced its stewardship outreach using an array of approaches. The common thread is a desire to strengthen the relationships among landowners, local government, land trusts, and other organizations while achieving the best level of land stewardship possible. This is the case on both private conservation easement properties, such as the Padgett Creek Ranches and public conservation areas such as the South Prong Preserve of the St. Sebastian River Greenway.

Providing public access on public preserves requires careful planning to strike a balance between recreational uses of a property and protection of its natural, archeological or historic resources. IRLT helps to identify the significant resource features on a property, and considers how much impact from public use is acceptable. Good research, site design and ongoing monitoring and planning by managing partners can allow users to enjoy a property with fragile resources.

Once a framework is set, partners can decide what kind of management is appropriate and establish a preserve accordingly. This is the primary goal of the Indian River Land Trust in its stewardship outreach.