Standing Cedars Community Land Conservancy Inc

Standing Cedars Community Land Conservancy is a nonprofit organization led by diverse group of St. Croix Valley residents. We are rooted in the community, and committed to protecting land for the people, as well as the environment, of the Lower St. Croix River Valley.  We provide free public access to over 1500 acres of beautiful land in the St. Croix River Valley.  Our land and trails are used by hikers, birders, hunters (by permit), runners, xc skiers, snowshoers, school groups and families.

Standing Cedars provides protection and habitat for diverse natural communities of plants and animals to live and thrive, including the rare plant, kittentail, (Besseya bullii).  Our land is next to the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway park land, which creates a large, continuous corridor for the many animals which live in the area or pass through.

The incredible quality of the Lower St. Croix uplands and the urgent need to protect the land before it is lost to development have generated strong support from government programs, private foundations and individual donors. But to be truly effective, we must do more.

This year we are raising money for our general funds (donate button above) and for a Capital Campaign for a land acquisition - see "Featured Campaigns" below to donate to the Capital Campaign and for more information.

Standing Cedars was given an opportunity to purchase a significant ten acre homestead that is completely surrounded by conserved land. In January our board of trustees took a bold step and signed an agreement to purchase this critical piece of land. As we look to the future needs and conservation goals of Standing Cedars, along with projected growth for the surrounding area, this opportunity was simply too important to pass up. 

In order to secure this land from development, we are initiating a capital campaign to raise $500,000. We aim to do this through a combination of gifts from individuals, foundation grants and if necessary a bridge loan. The more money we can raise by the May 1st closing, the less money will need to borrow. If we are successful in reaching this goal we will fulfill a dream of Standing Cedars creating a hub that facilitates various future initiatives, including equipment storage, public restrooms, office space and a home base to serve as an educational center.  See Featured Campaigns below for more information.