FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Laura DiBetta
Program Manager, Land Trust Accreditation Commission
518-587-3143 | ldibetta@landtrustaccreditation.org

Number of Accredited Groups Reaches 135

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY -- The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, announced today the accreditation of five land trusts, bringing the total number of land conservation groups from across the country that have earned this important distinction to 135.

“This round of accreditation decisions comes at an important time as land trusts and their supporters work to save land in an uncertain economic environment,” said Commission Executive Director Tammara Van Ryn. “Accreditation provides the public with an assurance that land trusts meet high standards for quality and that their conservation work is permanent.”

Conserving land helps ensure clean air and drinking water, safe food, scenic vistas, wildlife habitat and places for people to enjoy nature. Across the country, local citizens and communities have come together to form land trusts to save the places they love. These groups have conserved over 37 million acres of land.

“Congratulations to the 135 land trusts that have been awarded accreditation,” said Rand Wentworth, president of the Land Trust Alliance. “This is a significant milestone and proves that land trusts of every size and from every region have what it takes to earn the public’s trust, as well as the confidence of Congress and the IRS who have granted land conservation special tax incentives.”

The five newly accredited land trusts are as follows:

• Chestnut Hill Historical Society (PA)
• Delaware Highlands Conservancy (PA)
• Genesee Valley Conservancy (NY)
• Summit Land Conservancy (UT)
• Winnakee Land Trust (NY)

Each land trust is filling an important niche in their community, and the accreditation program celebrates their diversity and creativity in protecting the special places people love. What they all have in common is their proven commitment to meeting national standards for excellence, upholding the public trust and ensuring that conservation efforts are permanent. These land trusts are among the 135 land trusts from across the country that have been awarded accreditation since the fall of 2008. A complete list of accredited land trusts can be found on the Commission’s website, www.landtrustaccreditation.org.

“We are delighted that accreditation has been granted by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission,” said Genesee Valley Conservancy (GVC) Board President Dr. Myrtle Merritt. “This recognition validates our mission ‘to protect the habitat, open space and farmland of the Genesee Valley Region.’”

“The Conservancy believed that we owed it to the donors, the landowners, and most importantly to the open space we protect to be as strong and as efficient as possible,” said Summit Land Conservancy Executive Director Cheryl Fox. “Achieving and maintaining accreditation demonstrates our dedication to the highest standards of nonprofit management and conservation practices in the nation.”

“The Commission provides a tremendous service to the land trust community,” said Lucy Hayden, executive director of Winnakee Land Trust (WLT). “They have developed an opportunity for land trusts to publicly show that they are operating at the highest level of public service and accountability in protecting the nation’s open space, farmlands, and parklands. Accreditation not only forces a land trust to better know itself, but to show evidence of its compliance with all the field’s best practices.”

Land trusts applying for accreditation submit extensive documentation and make a significant commitment of time and money to participate. In a rigorous review process, the Commission examines each application, interviews the land trust and evaluates multiple sources of information, including comments from the public.

All of the accredited land trusts have made significant investments in their organizations, even as they faced tough choices about how to allocate resources. “Through the accreditation process land trusts have taken the time to conduct important planning and to make their operations more efficient and strategic,” said Van Ryn. “Accredited organizations have dramatically increased the funding dedicated to stewarding and defending conservation land in perpetuity, engaged and trained board members and new citizen conservation leaders, and improved systems for managing land and ensuring that the terms of conservation easements are being upheld.”

“The rigorous accreditation process was immensely beneficial to GVC,” said Eric Grace, Executive Director. “It gave us the opportunity to dive into all areas of the organization, evaluate our procedures and make the changes necessary to be a land trust that operates with the highest ethical and legal standards.”

“The accreditation process is essentially a thorough organizational audit in which you review every file and drawer and binder against an exhaustive checklist that vets every aspect of land trust practice,” said Hayden. Your organization is submitted to a complete physical. Yes, it’s a lot of work, but the Land Trust Alliance provides all kinds of support, both before you begin and as you are working through. In the process, with the Alliance’s assistance, WLT upgraded 100 percent of its baseline documentation, revisited critical policies, and was advised on many detailed areas of best practices. That assistance goes hand-in-hand with the audit. It’s a two-way system.”

“We are pleased to expand the list of accredited land trusts with the addition of these 17 land trusts from across the country,” said Van Ryn. “The accreditation seal is a mark of distinction in land conservation, signifying that the accredited group meets national standards for excellence, upholds the public trust and ensures that conservation efforts are permanent.”

About The Land Trust Accreditation Commission

The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, awards the accreditation seal to community institutions that meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. The Commission is governed by a volunteer board of diverse land conservation and nonprofit management experts from around the country. More information is available on the Commission’s website, www.landtrustaccreditation.org.

About The Land Trust Alliance

The Land Trust Alliance is a national conservation group that works to save the places people love by strengthening conservation throughout America. It works to increase the pace and quality of conservation by advocating favorable tax policies, training land trusts in best practices and working to ensure the permanence of conservation in the face of continuing threats. 2007 marked the 25th anniversary of the Alliance. The Alliance publishes Land Trust Standards and Practices and provides financial and administrative support to the Commission. It has established an endowment to help ensure the success of the accreditation program and keep it affordable for land trusts of all sizes to participate in accreditation. More information can be found at www.landtrustalliance.org.

Learn more about the five newly accredited land trusts >>

See a list of all 135 accredited land trusts that have been accredited since the fall of 2008 >>

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Rob Aldrich
Director of Communications, Land Trust Alliance
202-638-4725 | raldrich@lta.org

Growing Number Reaches 130

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Congratulations to the 17 newly accredited land trusts that have just been awarded accreditation! This brings the total number of land conservation groups from across the country having earned this important distinction to 130, demonstrating to landowners, the conservation community and others that the land they protect today will remain protected tomorrow.

The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, made the announcement February 9, 2011.

Each land trust in this newly accredited group fills an important niche in their community and represents the diversity and creativity in protecting the places that give meaning to our lives. This group ranges from three all-volunteer land trusts working in New England to an organization working nationally to protect and restore wetland habitats. Each made a significant commitment of time and money to demonstrate the importance of meeting national standards for excellence, upholding the public’s trust and ensuring that conservation efforts are permanent— the common threads among all accredited groups.

“Congratulations to the 130 land trusts that have been awarded accreditation,” said Rand Wentworth, president of the Land Trust Alliance. “This is a significant milestone and proves that land trusts of every size and from every region have what it takes to earn the public’s trust, as well as the confidence of Congress and the IRS who have granted land conservation special tax incentives.”

Read the press release from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission >>

Learn more about the 17 newly accredited land trusts >>

See a list of all 130 accredited land trusts that have been accredited since the fall of 2008 >>

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Rob Aldrich
Director of Communications, Land Trust Alliance
202-638-4725 | raldrich@lta.org

Number of Accredited Groups Reaches 113

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Congratulations to the seven newly accredited land trusts that have just been awarded accreditation! This brings the total number of land conservation groups from across the country that have earned this important distinction to 113. All are members of the Land Trust Alliance.

The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, made the announcement December 15, 2010.

Each land trust in this newly accredited group fills an important niche in their community and represent the diversity of the land trust community. The newly accredited land conservation groups range from a group working to conserve vast working ranchlands in the West, to a land trust that protects the bays, beaches and barrier islands of the Gulf Coast, to a group preserving unique desert landscapes.

The Alliance congratulates its members who have been awarded accreditation. “Just about every land trust that goes through accreditation tells us that the process isn’t easy.  But they agree that accreditation has made them stronger and more effective organizations,” said Rand Wentworth, president of the Land Trust Alliance.

Read the press release from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission >>

Learn more about the seven newly accredited land trusts >>

See a list of all 113 accredited land trusts that have been accredited since the fall of 2008 >>

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SAHC earned accreditation this March along with 11 other land trusts across the nation. Of the 1,700 land conservation groups in the country, a total of 93 have received this important distinction since the Commission was established in 2006.

“Becoming accredited is a crucial step for SAHC in order to assure our members, the landowners with whom we work, and the public that we follow rigorous ethical and professional standards,” said SAHC Executive Director, Carl Silverstein. “SAHC has always held itself to the highest possible standards, and this is our opportunity to be recognized formally for doing so.”

Accreditation is awarded to land trusts that meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. Land trusts that are given this distinction are able to display the official accreditation seal in association with their name, indicating that they meet standards for excellence in their policies and practices, uphold the public trust and ensure that their conservation efforts are permanent.

“The accreditation seal is a mark of distinction in land conservation,” said the Commission’s Executive Director, Tammara Van Ryn. “The seal lets the public know that the accredited land trust has undergone an extensive, external review of the governance and management of its organization and the systems and policies it uses to protect land.”

Land trusts applying for accreditation submit extensive documentation and make a significant commitment of time and money to participate. In a rigorous review process, the Commission examines each application, interviews the land trust and evaluates multiple sources of information, including comments from the public.

Strong, well-managed land trusts provide local communities with effective champions and caretakers of their critical land resources, and safeguard the land through the generations. Conserving land helps ensure clean air and drinking water, food security, scenic vistas, wildlife habitat and places for people to enjoy. Across the country, local citizens and communities have come together to form land trusts to save the places they love, and have collectively conserved over 37 million acres of land.

Founded in 1974 to protect the Highlands of Roan and the Appalachian region, SAHC is one of the country’s oldest land trusts. Its mission is to conserve the unique plant and animal habitat, clean water, local farmland and scenic beauty of the mountains of North Carolina and east Tennessee for the benefit of present and future generations.

This year, with the help of its partners and members, SAHC will reach the milestone of protecting 50,000 acres throughout the mountain region, including key sites adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, in the Sandy Mush Farming community and along the Appalachian Trail and the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The Land Trust Alliance, of which the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy is a member, is a national conservation group based in Washington, D.C. that works to save the places people love by strengthening conservation throughout America. The Land Trust Accreditation Commission is an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance. More information on the accreditation program is available on the Commission’s website, www.landtrustaccreditation.org. Learn more about the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and how to become a member at www.appalachian.org.  

Only select land trusts can enter the rigorous accreditation process each year after successfully implementing guidelines in stewarding and defending conservation lands in perpetuity, as well as implementing accredited systems and standards in record keeping and administration.  These guidelines are outlined in the Land Trust Alliance’s Land Trust Standards and Practices, the ethical and technical guidelines for the responsible operation of a land trust. According to Commission Executive Director Tammara Van Ryn “accreditation provides the public with an assurance that their land trust meets high standards for quality and that their conservation work is permanent.”

Conserving land helps ensure clean air and drinking water, safe food, scenic vistas, wildlife habitat and places for people to enjoy nature.  The Orange County Land Trust has helped preserve almost 4,000 acres of land in nearly every community in Orange County, and one in Sullivan County.  Founded in 1993 by Former County Executive Louis V. Mills and a group of conservation leaders, the Land Trust was formed to provide a balance to the anticipated growth and development of our region.

The Orange County Land Trust will join The Nature Conservancy and 13 other land trusts throughout the country in the extensive accreditation review process, which culminates in the awarding of the Accreditation Seal of the Land Trust Accreditation Commission.

“We are delighted to be accepted into this program of accreditation, “said Deanna Prisco, president of the Board of Directors of the Orange County Land Trust. “The accreditation process has allowed us to really look at everything we do, and has made us more efficient as an organization.  We are very proud of our staff and volunteer board members who have worked diligently to implement these best practice guidelines into our daily operations.

It is especially important now,” she added “during such uncertain economic times, as we and our many supporters and volunteers continue to work to save important lands and working farms.  Accreditation will provide the public with the assurance that we are operating efficiently and are meeting high standards for quality, and that these lands will be protected permanently for future generations”.

The Land Trust Alliance is a national conservation group that works to save the places people love by strengthening conservation throughout America.  It works to increase the pace and quality of conservation by advocating for favorable tax policies, training land trusts in best practices, and working to ensure the permanence of conservation.

The Orange County Land Trust is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the fields, forests, wetlands, ridgelines, and river corridors in and around Orange County through voluntary land conservation for the benefit of people.  The Trust owns and manages nine nature preserves that are free and open to the public every day for passive recreation such as hiking, birding and nature study.  The Land Trust partners with other conservation groups as well as community and government organizations to preserve Orange County’s natural and agricultural heritage.  For more information and for volunteer opportunities, ways of giving, and upcoming events, visit the website at www.oclt.org or call (845) 343-0840.

The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, made the announcement March 17.

This group of newly accredited land trusts ranges from a land trust protecting and restoring natural areas in the Pacific Northwest, to a land trust conserving the scenic mountain beauty of the southern Appalachian Mountains, to a land trust protecting desert canyons in the West. Though diverse in location and landscape, they all share a proven commitment to meeting national standards for excellence, upholding the public trust and ensuring that conservation efforts are permanent.

Read the press release from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission >>

Learn more about the 11 newly accredited land trusts >>

See a list of all 93 accredited land trusts that have been accredited since the fall of 2008

Tri-Valley Conservancy (TVC) has been certified by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance. This would be no small achievement even for a large conservation organization, and for the Tri-Valley Conservancy it is a real feather in its cap, according to Sharon Burnham, executive Director of the Tri-Valley Conservancy.

Thus far, only 78 of the nations nearly 1,700 land trusts have been accredited since the program started in 2007.

The voluntary accreditation is not administered by the IRS, but by the Land Trust Alliance as a self-regulatory mechanism to recognize land trusts that meet the highest standards in the industry. This is a milestone for the only Alameda County Land trust.

At a time when the public is demanding increasing accountability from nonprofit organizations and government, including land trusts, the new independent accreditation program provides the assurance of quality and permanence of land protection the public is looking for, said Commission Executive Director Tammara Van Ryn. Today land trusts can join museums, hospitals, universities and other nonprofit institutions that demonstrate that they deserve the publics trust through rigorous accreditation programs.

Land trusts applying for accreditation submit extensive documentation and make a significant commitment of time and money to participate. In a rigorous review process, the Commission examines each application, interviews the land trust and evaluates multiple sources of information, including comments from the public.

When we first started the accreditation process I was told by an associate 'to enjoy the journey',' stated Sharon Burnham, Executive Director of Tri-Valley Conservancy. 'Every step of the way our board and staff gained knowledge and benefited from the research necessary to complete the application. Every minute spent on the process added to TVCs competence and proficiency. We have become a strong organization because of the process. What an incredible journey it has been for us. We are looking forward with pride to displaying the accreditation seal on all of our materials.

The accreditation seal is a mark of distinction in land conservation signifying that the accredited group meets national standards for excellence, upholds the public trust and ensures that conservation efforts are permanent. remarked Van Ryn.

TVC will be recognized for their awarded accreditation at a ceremony at the Land Trust Rally, the National Land Conservation Conference in Portland, Oregon in October 2009. The rally, hosted by The Land Trust Alliance, is the largest annual gathering of land conservationists in the country.

Based in Livermore, TVC works to preserve agriculture, working farms and ranch land, habitat and scenic open space. Since its founding in 1994, the organization has brought more than 4,100 acres under permanent protection. More information is available on the conservancys website www.trivalleyconservancy.org.

The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, made the announcement August 5.

The group of newly accredited land trusts includes small land trusts working in New England, regional land trusts protecting vast open spaces in the West, and land trusts protecting the watersheds of the Southeast.

“As a small land trust, the accreditation process helped us to reconfirm and build on our most important priorities and at the same time reinforce with supporters our strong commitment to the long-term protection of our community,” explains Jim Engel, executive director of the Tinicum Conservancy.

These land trusts are part of a group of 78 land trusts across the country that have been awarded accreditation since the fall of 2008.

The Alliance congratulates its members who have been awarded accreditation. “We are thrilled that they are more effective at saving land because they’ve gone through this process for improvement,” said Rand Wentworth, president of the Land Trust Alliance.

Read the press release from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission >>

Learn more about the 19 newly accredited land trusts >>

See a list of all 78 accredited land trusts that have been accredited since the fall of 2008 >>

Photo by Maureen Santina

The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, made the announcement May 27.

The group of newly accredited land trusts includes land trusts protecting vast forests in Maine, wind-swept prairies in South Dakota and Nebraska, coastal bluffs and ranches in southern California, pristine watersheds in Washington and Wisconsin, and rolling Ohio farms. What they all have in common is their proven commitment to meeting national standards for excellence, upholding the public trust and ensuring that conservation efforts are permanent.

“The success of these land trusts directly depends on retaining the public’s trust, as well as the confidence of Congress and the IRS who have granted land conservation special tax incentives,” said Rand Wentworth, president of the Land Trust Alliance. “Accreditation is one way to demonstrate to the public that land trusts are operating at the highest standards.”

Read the press release from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission >>

Learn more about the six newly accredited land trusts >>

See a list of all 59 accredited land trusts that have been accredited since the fall of 2008 >>