DEI Statement

MLT’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Approved by the Board of Trustees 24 July 2025

We at Mendocino Land Trust acknowledge that the land conservation movement has historically excluded Indigenous and other non-white people from public and natural lands. And we are aware that conservation organizations continue to primarily serve already advantaged groups, inadvertently contributing to racism, sexism, ableism, and other forms of systemic oppression. Consequently, natural public spaces do not always feel safe or accessible for everyone, and underrepresented communities are too often left out of decision-making about the land we all care so deeply about. We pledge to focus our efforts to better serve these communities by increasing access to our natural environment for those who are excluded and by returning land to local Northern Pomo, Coastal Pomo, Cahto, and Yuki tribes.

In order to achieve greater diversity, equity, inclusion, and access in land conservation, here are some of the issues we discuss with each project we take on:

• How does our work improve problems with equity and exclusion in our community that are related to ownership, protection, stewardship, and public use of land?
• How can we better work to undo the systematic exclusion of individuals and communities from natural areas and land ownership based on racism, ableism, and other factors, and how can we better serve the interests of these groups?
• How do we support our local food system by protecting agricultural lands such as generational farms, providing land access to disadvantaged and underrepresented farmers, and creating Tribal access to traditional foods and gathering?
• How will we attract, recruit, develop, and retain a diverse, multi-culturally sensitive staff and Board who reflect Mendocino County’s diverse communities?
• What does a culture of recognition, respect, and celebration for diversity, equity, and inclusion look and feel like, and how will we know when we are making progress toward such a culture?
• What can we do to deepen our partnerships with local Indigenous Tribes whose lands continue to be colonized, and how can we continue to work with those tribes to return land to Tribal ownership, stewardship, use, and management? 
• How are we striving to make our public spaces accessible, enjoyable, and welcoming for people of color, people with disabilities, and others who do not have access and are not welcomed currently?
• What ongoing changes need to be made to our mission, policies, practices, or daily work to integrate the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion into both our organizational culture and our conservation work?

We encourage you to contact us to raise additional questions for us to address in our work, or to open or continue a dialogue on these challenging but crucial issues.