About Us

Here in the Methow Valley, the land tugs on each of us in different ways. A rancher or farmer gazing across a rich cultivated field might see a lifestyle that has connected his family to the land for generations. A naturalist might scan the vast mountains and meadows, awed by the diversity of plant and animal life hidden in the landscape before her. A recreationalist might itch to explore one of nature's grandest playgrounds by foot, horse, bike or ski. For others, the power and beauty of the Valley prompts aesthetic or spiritual stirrings. The Methow Conservancy is here to serve the people and the land of the Methow Valley, and to protect this land that means so much to so many for generations to come.

Conservation easement on the Methow River with agricultural land and riparian habitat.

Our Mission:
To inspire people to care for and conserve the land of the Methow Valley, ensuring it will remain a place where future generations can enjoy the rural character and natural beauty we cherish today.

Our Vision:
We envision the Methow Valley as a place where people care for the land and know that the vibrancy and sustainability of the economy is based on the natural beauty of the surroundings.

Our Values:
The Methow Conservancy:
      DEDICATES itself to preserving the Methow Valley
      ACTS with integrity
      ENCOURAGES private, voluntary participation in land conservation
      PROVIDES careful, ongoing stewardship of protected lands
      OFFERS opportunities for community education

The Methow Conservancy formed from a 1996 merger between the Methow Valley Land Trust and the Methow Valley Environmental Center. What started as an energetic vision to protect land in the Valley has grown into a well-respected mainstay of the Methow Valley community. Now ten years old, the Methow Conservancy now has a staff of 10, an active board of 13 Valley landowners, and a membership base of more than 500 households.

The Need for Conservation in the Methow Valley:
The Methow Valley, just east of the North Cascades and west of the Columbia River, contains some of the most diverse and productive habitat of the entire Columbia Basin. It is home to hundreds of wildlife species, including over 40 Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife priority habitats and species, 11 of which are state or federally listed as threatened or endangered. The Methow Watershed is the only basin in the state (and one of the few in the country) that is over one million acres in size and is still home to relatively unfragmented connections between low elevation riparian and shrub-steppe communities into montane and alpine zones.

The very characteristics that make the Methow Valley such diverse and biologically rich land, however, are also the traits that have made it a popular destination for an increasing number of people. As more people come to the Valley on a full- or part-time basis, the more precarious the ecological balance of this unique place becomes.

The Methow Conservancy exists to help people care for this beautiful Valley and its vibrant community.

Conservation easement along the Methow River.