Foothills Land Trust (“FLT”) was established in 2003 in response to a growing interest in land conservation within the then Municipal District of Foothills No. 31 (now Foothills County) and was a result of the recognition by local residents of the need to form a conservation land trust dedicated to the Foothills region. Due to its proximity to the City of Calgary, Foothills County is under increasing developmental pressure and is vulnerable to considerable landscape fragmentation. FLT’s mission is to conserve and connect natural landscapes within Foothills County, mainly through the use of Conservation Easements. FLT currently protects 962 acres of ecologically significant land. FLT is virtually unique amongst Albertan land trusts in that we often protect small, yet ecologically significant, land parcels, thereby creating natural wildlife and riparian corridors. FLT is an entirely volunteer run, community-based land trust.

Conservation Easements can be a powerful tool for Albertans looking to fulfill long-term conservation goals on their property. The Miistakis Institute has created the Conservation Easements in Alberta web site to help landowners answer their conservation easement questions.

As of February 2020, 1,503 ecological gifts valued at $928 million have been donated across Canada, protecting almost 497,000 hectares of wildlife habitat. Many of these ecological gifts contain areas designated as being of national or provincial significance, and many are home to some of Canada's species at risk.