When you dream big, we can too
Dear Friend,
Thank you for supporting Desert Foothills Land Trust (DFLT). Your gifts help us protect open space close to home and foster appreciation for our natural surroundings.
For me, that appreciation started when I was a child. Growing up in rural Ohio, my friends and I could play in the woods without a care in the world. But whenever my family drove into the city, the clusters of trees gave way to clusters of houses. It didn’t feel right. Gazing through the backseat window, I longed for the open spaces that brought me joy.
That core value stayed with me, and led me to DFLT. Perhaps you had a similar experience in nature that inspired you to join us. These shared values are the backbone of the work we do together—protecting open space for future generations to enjoy, and offering education programs that get us off our cell phones and into the natural world.
You can be proud of what you’ve helped us accomplish so far: more than 1,000 acres protected forever, and a calendar full of guided encounters with nature for people of all ages. To build on these achievements, we must overcome two mounting pressures: the rising cost of protecting and preserving land, and the race against time to protect more of our beloved Sonoran Desert before it is developed.
That’s why I’m reaching out today to ask for a year-end gift by Dec. 31. The stronger we are at the end of 2024, the more we can accomplish in 2025. So please be as generous as you can. When you dream big, we can, too.
Your gift has the power to help us overcome the two most pressing challenges in our mission.
Rising Costs. When a parcel of land is offered as a donation or considered for acquisition, DFLT staff conducts an in-depth evaluation, asking questions like: Does the potential donation reflect our conservation values? Are there risks involved in defending this land forever? Will our community and wildlife benefit from protecting this land?
Once a conservation project meets our criteria, the real work begins. While land donations are the cornerstone of our conservation efforts, the hidden costs of protecting these lands are substantial. Title reviews, property surveys, appraisals, legal review, current conditions reports, and more are all integral steps in ensuring that each gift we accept is a forever promise.
It’s the kind of due diligence you would expect from an Accredited land trust like DFLT. Our commitment to protecting and defending property is perpetual, which comes with substantial financial and stewardship responsibilities and risks. But the biggest challenge we face is that the costs incurred for this process, in most cases, have more than doubled in just the past few years.
Encroaching Development. In the next five years, Maricopa County is expected to gain 300,000 to 450,000 new residents. More neighbors means more homes, more services, and more infrastructure. Our mission is to preserve as much natural area as possible before it is changed forever by blading and build out. It’s a goal that has broad community support.
In fact, in a recent poll by the Center for the Future of Arizona, a whopping 92% of Maricopa County residents said that it’s important to “preserve and protect Arizona’s rivers, natural areas, and wildlife.” They clearly share our view that striking a balance between growth and breathing room is not only crucial to our quality of life, it’s the only way to sustain the vitality of the desert itself and the wildlife that depend on it.
That’s why our year-end fund drive is so vital. I’m hoping you can make a gift that reflects your values. You’ll help us stay ahead of new development, keep pace with rising costs, and ensure that future generations can experience the joys of nature. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Vicki Preston
President & CEO
P.S. You’ve helped DLFT come this far, and we’re grateful. Now, we’re in a race against time to protect more open space—for wildlife, for people, forever—before it’s too late. Your gift by Dec. 31 will help ensure that DFLT can respond to every opportunity to protect more of our beloved desert in the coming year. Thank you.
