Resources for Wisconsin Land Trusts

Gathering Waters offers learning opportunities, resources, and support for Wisconsin land trusts to develop core competencies and improve expertise on key conservation issues.

Land Conservation Law Program

The Land Conservation Law Program is strengthening the legal foundation of land conservation in Wisconsin. By cultivating attorneys versed in conservation law and equipping land trusts with practical tools, templates, and training, the Law Program helps ensure that the land protected today remains protected for generations.

Through workshops, model documents, and direct technical support, the Law Program reinforces the essential elements of strong conservation practice—sound easement drafting, effective governance, and lasting compliance. It serves as both a hub of professional education and a trusted source of guidance for Wisconsin’s conservation community.

The services provided by the Law Program are designed to supplement, not supplant, the valuable relationships that land trusts maintain with their own legal counsel. By offering accessible technical assistance and responsive legal guidance, the Law Program helps land trusts address emerging questions with confidence while continuing to rely on their existing professional networks.

Guided by an active Advisory Council, the Law Program blends practical support with long-term vision—building a community of legal practice that will sustain Wisconsin’s conservation movement for years to come.

Portrait of Chris Gutschenritter

If you have questions about the Land Conservation Law Program, please reach out to Chris Gutschenritter, Director of Land Conservation Law Program, at 608-251-9131 x17 or chris@gatheringwaters.org

GIS Services

Gathering Waters is proud to provide a comprehensive geodatabase of land trust protected areas in Wisconsin.

The geodatabase is only available to our land trust members. 

How to Access the Data

Available to Gathering Waters member land trusts, access the tool at this link if you access ArcGis Online through Gathering Waters. If you are a member of your own organization’s ArcGis Online space, access the tool through the “Land Trust Member Files” group hosted by Gathering Waters. Email Charlie if you need access to either space. For more information, read this blog article.

The above links may change from time to time. Check back here for updated links and new offerings.

Access to the data requires an organizational (paid) ArcGis subscription. Through your ArcGis ID, Gathering Waters can provide your land trust with access to GIS data through a password protected interface.

  • If you have an organizational (paid) ArcGis subscription, email Charlie with your user id.
  • No ArcGIS account? No problem. If you do not have an ArcGis account, get in touch with us and we can get you set up.

Are you a researcher or affiliated with a partner organization and need access to the land trust geodatabase for your work? We are able to make a version of the land trust geodatabase available to researchers and partners on a case by case basis with some restrictions on use. Please contact us for details.

Interactive Web Map

The interactive viewer provides easy access to land trust holdings as well as other data that land trusts often use including: DNR protected areas; the statewide parcel database; and Important Bird Areas. We welcome suggestions on other data to include in this viewer or other interactive tools you would like to see offered by Gathering Waters. Please note, the viewer is designed to be used on a full-screen web browser. We’re working on mobile-friendly versions.

GIS Feature Service

This provides access to the GIS data itself, which you may work with in your ESRI GIS software of choice. Please note, you'll need to be logged in to an ArcGIS account that has been granted access in order to use the data.

Using this feature service instead of static shapefiles will ensure that you are always accessing the most up-to-date version of the land trust geodatabase.

GIS Decision Support Tool

Version 3 is live! The tool is intended to aid conservation planning efforts by putting a tremendous amount of data at land trusts’ fingertips as well as robust filtering capabilities to quickly zero in on particular geographies and conservation priorities.

Please see see this help document for details on all the new features included in version 3.

Legislative Districts & Land Trust Properties App

2024 redistricting brought major changes to Wisconsin's political geography.

Use this app to compare the old and new legislative districts and to quickly see which land trust properties lie within a given senate or assembly district.

Portrait of Charlie Carlin

If you have questions about our GIS Services, please reach out to Charles Carlin, Director of Strategic Initiatives, at 608-251-9131 x15 or charles@gatheringwaters.org

Gathering Waters serves member land trusts across the state. To become a member, or for more information, please contact us.