As I close out my second year as the Foundation’s inaugural CEO, I am struck by how much possibility has become progress. I am energized by what is possible when we invest early, listen deeply, and stand alongside the communities that care for America’s public lands. The Foundation began with the ambition to bring partnerships and charitable support to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)’s mission — and that is now taking visible shape on the ground. Today, we are seeing community leaders step forward — bringing their local expertise, pride, and commitment to the work of caring for America’s public lands and helping create healthier, more welcoming landscapes.
As the BLM’s official charitable partner, we are working hard to make an outsized impact for our partners who care for our nation’s hardest-working lands. In collaboration with the BLM and with support from donors, community members, and local leaders, the Foundation helped fund 23 new projects that advance recreation access, improve habitat health, and encourage stewardship across BLM-managed lands and waters. This work is continuing.
These investments carry real weight. When completed, these initiatives will:
- Enable land managers and ranchers to bring virtual fencing to more than 70,000 acres, which will improve grazing efficiency and the health of the land;
- Help improve 100 miles of trails — the distance equivalent of walking 250 times around a track (and these trails are far more picturesque than the local high school football field!); and,
- Fund seven recreation sites that power local recreation economy and create new recreation access for locals and visitors to enjoy.
From helping an estimated 6,000 volunteers get outside on National Public Lands Day to equipping wildland firefighters with critical tools to help ensure they have what’s needed to return home safely, we are proud of the work we’ve accomplished in 2025.
Through all of this work, I’m reminded why our work is so important to so many:
We remain grounded in the belief that the people who live, work, and raise families in the communities surrounded by public lands should help shape their future. How can we set the biggest table possible for that to happen?
And second, our public lands need our help now more than ever!
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America has an incredible portfolio of public lands to enjoy. We need the private sector’s support to take care of what we have, and more Americans to help in their stewardship.
This task ahead is huge and one we cannot do alone. I hope you will join the Foundation on our journey to grow a nation of stewards and ensure that the lands and waters that define us remain healthy and strong for future generations.
I Ling Thompson
Chief Executive Officer and President
The Foundation for America’s Public Lands
