To pay tribute to those who have created an enduring legacy of conservation, The Montana Land Reliance has established the Forever Montana Society.
The Forever Montana Society exists to honor those who have left a lasting legacy of conservation, and to inspire others to do the same. With perpetuity in mind, the Forever Montana Society consists of all of MLR’s easement donors and those who have provided for conservation in their overall financial and estate plans, sustaining agricultural lands, fish and wildlife habitat, and open space for generations to come.
Your legacy is MLR’s legacy and your help is needed now more than ever. MLR’s commitment to Montana is a lasting one. For every acre MLR protects by perpetual conservation easement, it commits itself to standing shoulder-to-shoulder with responsible private landowners forever. While other conservation-minded groups can move on to the next battle or make way for the next organization, MLR must endure long into the future, forever ready to fulfill its promise of perpetuity.
As MLR turns the page on its first million acres, it is mindful that it carries weighty obligations going forward for each of these acres, while still taking a proactive, entrepreneurial, forward-facing approach to protecting the next million acres of agricultural lands, fish and wildlife habitat, and open space.
MLR’s twin guiding principles—the perpetual stewardship of the one million acres already under conservation easement, and the critical need to continue a relentless and effective pursuit of land conservation—require ever-increasing financial resources, even as MLR continues to achieve conservation goals at a fraction of the cost of other means.
Joining the Forever Montana Society is as easy as contacting MLR’s staff to inform us of your intentions. If you have included MLR in your plans, you have our profound gratitude. MLR would love to hear from you to thank you and to ensure we honor your vision for your gift.
Your willingness to be recognized as a member of the Forever Montana Society inspires others to follow your example. MLR will always respect your wishes should you want to remain anonymous, but encourages you to contact MLR to inform us of your plans in any case. MLR wants to thank you personally, offer our confidential assistance should you have any questions about gift and estate planning, and ensure your wishes are properly documented and understood.
There is no minimum gift or requirement to sign a legally binding pledge agreement. The most common pathway to membership is to leave MLR a bequest in your will or trust, and to inform MLR’s gift planning staff that you have done so.
A variety of other types of gifts during life and as part of your overall estate planning also qualify you for membership. These gift plans include, but are not limited to: