Treasured Lands

The natural beauty of Martin County offers much to marvel about.

There’s the mighty St. Lucie River. And our estuary, the most biologically diverse in all of North America.

There’re our western lands—miles and miles of wide open agricultural acreage and wildlife habitat. Our abundance of parks—from manicured playing fields to untamed wilderness getaways to the elevated overlook at Jonathan Dickson State Park.

Of course, there’s the romantic seclusion of our unspoiled beaches, several with large, jagged rock formations jutting into the Atlantic Ocean—a sight seldom seen on Florida shores.

This amazing environment is Martin County’s unique heritage—and with every passing year it grows more valuable… and more vulnerable. Preserving it is a fulltime job, and ever since forming Treasured Lands Foundation—Martin County’s only land trust—in 2008, we’ve been busy. We’ve forged lasting partnerships, protected land from development, rehabilitated neglected wildlife sanctuaries, advocated on behalf of endangered natural resources and informed and inspired future environmental stewards.

By teaming with conservationists, landowners, wildlife advocates, community leaders and people who simply understand just how great the great outdoors are, we’re making sure Martin County remains naturally beautiful.

When you officially join Treasured Lands’ growing community of core supporters, you get to interact and exchange ideas with an affiliation that shares one of your deepest convictions—a desire to protect all you love about your hometown. Sign up now to join and enter one of the most informed and importance conversations taking place in Martin County.

•  Exclusive involvement: Join the Wood Stork Society, Wood Stork Society) or Friends of Treasured Lands to enjoy a litany of activities and updates on the latest conservation efforts across Martin County.
•  Private Barley Barber tours: We also arrange private tours of Barley Barber Swamp for premier supporters of Treasured Lands Foundation. Please call (772) 597-3777.
•  Your Feedback: Enter our forum and weigh in on the best ways to conserve Martin County. Brainstorming, brokering consensus, providing ideas and well as constructive criticism are all welcome. But when you disagree with a post, please honor our commitment to keep the “civil” in civil discourse and respect the rules of etiquette you would honor in a face-to-face exchange.
• Your Photos: Share your images of Martin County’s amazing natural terrain.
• Newsletters: Access archived editions of our newsletter, “The Conservationist’s Notebook.” 

Treasure Lands Foundation works with private landowners to leave a legacy they can be proud of for their heirs and local community by putting environmentally sensitive lands into conservation while helping them realize the full tax benefits of their decision. We’re one of only a handful of nonprofit organizations in Florida that are state-qualified to enforce conservation easements.

An easement is a voluntary legal agreement by which you can protect land you own that has significant conservation value, such as important wildlife habitat or scenic open space. A conservation easement is a promise to protect the conservation value of your property by limiting future development on all or part of it. The agreement is customized to meet the landowner's objectives and, in most cases, is perpetual. A conservation donation requires not only a willing donor, but a qualified conservation organization to accept the donation.

We work with landowners throughout the conservation easement process to make sure all the necessary steps are being taken. We prepare the written easement and other documentation. We can also make sure the appraisal and any necessary engineering work are coordinated and provide the best possible result for the landowner.

Guidelines, regulations and incentives vary by size of the property in question. So for more in-depth information on conservation easements refer to Frequently Asked Questions or ask Chuck Barrowclough ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) , executive director, or Jessica Cox ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) , director of development.

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