The Barrington Area Conservation Trust (BACTrust) was founded in 2001.  Several years earlier, Mary Bradford-White had moved to the Village of Barrington Hills from Pennsylvania where she was familiar with the Willistown Conservation Trust in Newtown Square and its work preserving open space through conservation easements.  Having been attracted to the semi-rural character of Barrington Hills and aware of encroaching development surrounding the Village, she saw the need for a similar type organization.  Working with the top land trust organizations and knowledgeable attorneys, she organized the BACTrust to meet the best practices and standards of a land trust and comply with related statutes.  This process has been aided by a mentoring grant from the Land Trust Alliance and a grant for community outreach from the Northeast Illinois Land Trust Matching Grants Program.  The Barrington Area Conservation Trust is a charter member of the Chicago Region Land Conservation Coalition, an alliance of non-profit organizations in the region (NE Illinois and SE Wisconsin) working with private landowners to protect critical lands in emerging growth areas within the region.

In May 2004 BACTrust was awarded the prestigious "Garfield Farm Award" for accomplishments in preserving agricultural lands.  In October 2004 Robert McGinley, whose family donated the easement on Horizon Farms, was awarded an "Open Space Award" by the Conservation Foundation. 

President Mary Bradford-White was appointed to the Land Trust Alliance's National Steering Committee on Standards and Practices Program Design in October 2004.

As its mission, the BACTrust is dedicated to preserving the open land, the rural character, the scenic views, the historic value, the recreational quality, and the ecologically significant resources of Barrington Hills, Illinois, and nearby communities.

Its objectives include working with area landowners to acquaint them with the options available to them in planning for the future of their lands, and assisting them in the implementation of those plans.  BACTrust conservation projects with landowners will include the option of conservation easements.

            Additionally, BACTrust will work closely with the village government and developers to shape and direct development in Barrington Hills in such a way as to protect and preserve the unique qualities of the community.

BACTrust is registered in the State of Illinois as a nonprofit civic and charitable organization and is registered with the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.