Because someone has to protect our children’s birthright
Advocates for School Trust Lands
is a non-profit advocacy organization
We hold states accountable for their fiduciary responsibilities and advocate for policies that prioritize our children’s birthright.
Why? to ensure that states adhere to the constitutional mandate to generate the maximum revenue for public schools from school trust lands.
The future of school trust lands and the funds they generate for public education is under threat from, persistent political interference, mismanagement, and escalating pressure to prioritize environmentalism over revenue generation,.
Stewardship + Revenue + Advocacy
Stewardship is the foundation of everything we do at ASTL. We apply sound management principles and long-term vision to ensure the health and productivity of school trust lands. With a focus on revenue, we help value the outcomes of responsible management in terms that directly benefit schoolchildren. This demonstrated impact is what brings our advocacy partners on board, creating a unified voice for the perpetual support of public education.
The impact an Advocate can make for public schools is . . .
$0.45M
Successfully lobbied for the full market value payment of $1.8 million annually for hunting on school trust lands.
$0M
Stopped a $5 million trust loss by obtaining an Attorney General opinion ruling that the Land Board's planned grazing lease refunds to ranchers were illegal.
$1B
A request for a professionally led independent task force to oversee the Utah School Fund resulted in the fund growing from $1B to nearly $4B in six years.
Our work
Oregon | Elliot Forest
Active
Utah | Something
Active
Montana | Water Rights
Monitoring
Acumen, News & Research
OASTL 2025 | ACUMEN
Elliott Forest: Active vs. Passive Management
August , 2025 | UTAH PTA RESOLUTION
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What Are School Trust Lands?
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What are the Origins of these Lands?
In order for states to be eligible for statehood, they agreed to be good trustees for millions of acres of land. This land is not for general public use like a national park but is a specific endowment for public education.
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How do these Lands Make Money?
States are legally required to manage these lands to generate as much revenue as possible from various activities, such as grazing, real estate, and oil and gas leases.
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Where Does the Money go from there?
Funds from these activities establish a perpetual endowment, which is then invested to provide even more money for public schools.
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How is the Money Managed?
The principal of school trust funds should remain untouched, with distributions set to provide consistent, long-term funding for current and future students. States that prioritize professional investing boards make more money for their schools.
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How Does the Money Get to the Schools?
A portion of the earnings from the Forever Fund is distributed annually to public schools. The distribution model looks different from state to state and ASTL advocates for funds going directly to every local school.
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How Does Advocacy Make a Difference
Organizations like Advocates for School Trust Lands play a crucial role in ensuring that lands are managed effectively and transparently. They hold states accountable to their fiduciary responsibility, protecting this birthright for our school children.
What our partners say . . .
NASTL
SITLA
Utah PTA
What can I do to protect the birthright of the school children in my state?
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