Land Trust Alliance

Philanthropist Makes Down Payment on Oregon’s Future

Kimberly Seese — 2012-11-08T05:00:00Z

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Wendy Ninteman
Western Director
406-549-2750 | wninteman@lta.org

Boosts Land Trust Capacity to Save Farms, Forests and Watersheds

PORTLAND, OR -- The family of John Gray today announced an unprecedented gift to Oregon’s land trust community, a $4.5 million grant to build the capacity of land trusts to conserve the lands most important to their communities. The generous grant was made shortly before John’s death through the Yarg Foundation, a Gray family private foundation, and will be disbursed to members of the Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts. The money will be used exclusively for the Oregon Advancing Conservation Excellence (ACE) program through the Land Trust Alliance, which hired Oregon land trust veteran Brad Paymar to manage the program. John Gray passed away at age 93 on October 19th, 2012, leaving a legacy of philanthropy focused on supporting education, health and the environment in Oregon. Gray’s generosity will continue through the charitable endeavors of the Gray Family Foundation.

“Oregon land trusts are poised to make a big impact on the quality of life for all Oregonians,” said Nick Walrod, a Gray family member. “Land trusts have proved that they know how to conserve land for the economic, social and environmental benefit of their communities for generations to come. My grandfather’s hope was that this will be a cornerstone that brings further recognition to land trusts and the fundamental role they play in our communities and state.”

Land trusts are local, state or nationwide nonprofits whose mission is to conserve land in its natural or traditional state, including farming, ranching, and forestry, through voluntary agreements with landowners. From coastal estuaries in Nehalem to the Wallowas, Oregon land trusts work to protect the land we all depend on for our livelihoods and well-being, and are part of an extensive network of over 1,700 land trusts across the country that have collectively protected over 47 million acres according to the national census released by the Alliance. Land trusts in Oregon have permanently protected 53,000 acres – more than half of the acreage in all Oregon state parks combined.

Land Trust Alliance President Rand Wentworth praised the foresight of Mr. Gray, saying that “This is a smart investment by someone who cared deeply about Oregon’s irreplaceable landscape and Oregonians who depend on it. Land trusts have the local knowledge, tools and support of their communities to do meaningful conservation that benefits everyone.”

The grant period is for five years and the family foundation expects this initial gift to attract and leverage additional funding for the work of land trusts from organizations and individuals across the state. While the investment from the Gray family is truly remarkable in its breadth, in reality the funds are a portion of the true costs of conservation in Oregon. “This gift is meant to be a catalyst,” John Gray explained when planning the gift, “I want Oregonians to take an active role in being stewards of this land, and to join my family in committing to funding conservation and restoration.”

In fact, this gift has already leveraged an early investment from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust to advance the Land Trust Alliance work in the Pacific Northwest. “I’m thrilled to be a part of this unique venture,” said Brad Paymar, Northwest Conservation Manager for the Alliance and former Deputy Director of the Columbia Land Trust, which serves Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington. “It’s exciting to be working with the local land trusts in Washington and Oregon. I am pleased that the Alliance will launch our Pacific Northwest work in partnership with the Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts to save the lands that give meaning to our lives, and to play a role in helping to continue the legacy of John Gray.”

About the Land Trust Alliance

The Land Trust Alliance is the umbrella organization for the nation’s 1,700 land trusts. The Alliance saves land people love by increasing the pace of conservation, so more land and natural resources get protected; improving the quality of conservation, so the most important lands get protected using the best practices in the business; and ensuring the permanence of conservation by providing resources needed to defend protected land over time. The Land Trust Alliance is based in Washington, D.C., and has several regional offices, including a new Portland area office. Visit www.landtrustalliance.org.

About the Yarg Foundation

The Yarg Foundation was established in 2011 by John Gray as a private family foundation of the Gray family. The Yarg Foundation seeks to fulfill John and Betty Gray’s faith in the human spirit. The Gray family acknowledges their responsibility to give back to the systems that nurture all of us: our culture, our natural environment and our communities. The primary purpose of the Yarg Foundation is to implement and fund a 10-year, $10M initiative to support the land trust movement in Oregon. The vision of the Initiative is to instill in Oregonians that we all individually and as a collective are the stewards of our natural spaces and in so doing we strengthen our community, provide a connection to the natural world and can support a healthy economy.

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Peter Stein Receives Kingsbury Browne Conservation Leadership Award

Kimberly Seese — 2012-10-15T17:25:00Z

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Rob Aldrich
Director of Communications
202-800-2225 | raldrich@lta.org

Forest and Rural Lands Conservationist

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Peter Stein of Norwich, VT, was announced as the winner of the Land Trust Alliance’s prestigious Kingsbury Browne Conservation Leadership Award. Stein was selected for the award for his vision and dedication to land conservation, which have resulted in extraordinary gains for the land trust movement. Stein’s commitment to working closely with individual communities developing strategic and viable conservation plans has produced remarkable benefits for both people and conservation.

Stein is the seventh recipient of this honor awarded by the Land Trust Alliance to recognize outstanding leadership, innovation and creativity in land conservation.

Stein was also named to serve in the Kingsbury Browne Fellowship at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy for 2012-2013. In his role in this fellowship, named after Boston attorney Kingsbury Browne (1922-2005), Stein will engage in research, writing and mentoring with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, a Cambridge-based think-tank with a focus on land policy. He will serve in their Department of Planning and Urban Form.

Both awards were presented in Salt Lake City, Utah, at the Land Trust Alliance’s Rally 2012: The National Land Conservation Conference, the largest annual gathering of professional and volunteer conservation leaders in the U.S.

In his acceptance remarks, Stein said, “I’ve been inspired by Kingsbury over the years and I’m very pleased to join the company of past award recipients, all of whom I know quite well as personal friends and professional colleagues.”

He added, “The most durable and major accomplishment in the environmental movement in this country over the last 20 years has been the land trust movement. We have engaged communities who care about places, and it is land trusts that translate those engaged communities into both land conservation action and political action.”

When presenting the award, Michael Dowling, Land Trust Alliance chairman of the board, said, “Peter has dedicated his professional career and a great deal of his personal time to thoughtful, intelligent land stewardship. His leadership has contributed to both the nonprofit and the corporate worlds and, through honorable work on both sides of the fence, Peter has helped demonstrate that development can be both profitable and sustainable.”

About Mr. Stein

Peter joined The Lyme Timber Company in 1990 and provides leadership in the development and structuring of conservation-oriented forestland and rural land purchases and dispositions. Peter also manages the Company’s conservation advisory business.

Prior to joining The Lyme Timber Company, Peter was senior vice president of The Trust for Public Land. Peter lectures extensively at graduate schools and professional conferences on conservation investment schemes and strategies. He is a member of the boards of the National Alliance of Forestland Owners, the Forest History Society and the Hubbard Brook Research Foundation. In addition, he is a former board chair of the Land Trust Alliance, served as a founding commissioner of the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, and serves as a member of the Advisory Board of Rose Smart Growth Real Estate Fund No. 1. Peter earned a B.A. with Highest Honors from the University of California at Santa Cruz in 1975, was a Loeb Fellow and received a Certificate in Advanced Environmental Studies from Harvard University in 1981.

The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy began the Kingsbury Browne Fellowship in association with the Land Trust Alliance, offering its first Kingsbury Browne Conservation Leadership Award in 2006. Winners are chosen from a group of their peers, honoring lifetime contributions to the field of land conservation and work reflecting the values that Kingsbury Browne brought to his own seminal achievements.

The fellowship has previously been awarded to Audrey C. Rust, President Emeritus, Peninsula Open Space Trust, Jay Espy, former president of Maine Coast Heritage Trust and current executive director of the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation; Jamie Williams, former director of The Nature Conservancy’s Northern Rockies Initiative and current president and CEO of The Wilderness Society; Laurie A. Wayburn, co-founder of the Pacific Forest Trust; Mark Ackelson, president of the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation; and Darby Bradley, former president of the Vermont Land Trust and current special assistant for donor and government relations.

About The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy is a leading resource for key issues concerning the use, regulation and taxation of land. Providing high quality education and research, the Institute strives to improve public dialogue and decisions about land policy. Visit www.lincolninst.edu.

About The Land Trust Alliance

The Alliance is a national conservation organization that works in three ways to save the places people love. First, we increase the pace of conservation, so more land and natural resources get protected. Second, we enhance the quality of conservation, so the most important lands get protected using the best practices in the business. And third, we ensure the permanence of conservation by creating the laws and resources needed to defend protected land over time. The Land Trust Alliance is based in Washington, D.C., and has several regional offices. Visit www.landtrustalliance.org.

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Photo caption: Land Trust Alliance Board Chairman Michael Dowling (L) with Peter Stein (R) receiving the Kingsbury Browne Conservation Leadership Award at Rally 2012.

Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy and Leelanau Conservancy Receive National Recognition

Kimberly Seese — 2012-10-12T00:45:00Z

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Rob Aldrich
Director of Communications
202-431-8848 | raldrich@lta.org

Pioneered New Approaches to Farmland and Working Forest Preservation in Their Five-County Region.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Two Michigan land trusts received Land Trust Excellence Awards for collaborative leadership in land conservation and promoting the work of land trusts in Congress. Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy and Leelanau Conservancy were selected by the Land Trust Alliance of Washington, D.C. from more than 1,700 land trusts across the country to receive its National Land Trust Excellence Award, which was presented at Rally 2012: The National Land Conservation Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, on September 30, 2012.

“Leelanau Conservancy and Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy have done amazing work demonstrating to Congress the critical importance of land conservation to the economic, cultural and environmental health of communities nationwide,” said Rand Wentworth, president of the Land Trust Alliance. “We presented this award to these two conservancies for their heroic work providing their communities with clean water, and protecting the farmland and other natural resources that make their part of the country so special.”

Farmland preservation is a key strategy for economic development in Northwest Lower Michigan, where the two conservancies operate. Agriculture contributes as much as $97.7 million annually to the local economy in the form of agricultural products sold. It employs more than 2,000 farm proprietors with net farm earnings of $6.6 million and more than 3,000 workers with a total payroll of $12.8 million.

Working closely together, the Leelanau Conservancy and the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy have pioneered new approaches to farmland preservation and working forest conservation in their five-county region.

“This award from the Alliance is particularly meaningful to both of our land conservancies, in large part because it honors the close collaboration, sharing, and flow of ideas that has allowed us to be innovators in protecting what matters most to our members, the nurturing of a regional economy that is based on sustainable farming, forestry, and tourism. We are proving what Teddy Roosevelt observed so long ago- ‘There is nothing more practical than the preservation of beauty,’” said Brian Price, executive director of Leelanau Conservancy.

Glen Chown, executive director of Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, said “This honor recognizes the significance of the innovative land protection work of our two conservancies – including and perhaps especially our joint farmland preservation efforts. Sharing the impact that farmland preservation has on our land-based economy helped to inform and increase bi-partisan Congressional support for the permanent protection of working lands. I am proud of the role our two organizations have played in helping to achieve that positive outcome - one that bodes well for our future.”

Bills to make permanent enhanced incentives that make saving land more affordable for landowners who are working the land now have an impressive 310 co-sponsors in the House, including majorities of both Democrats and Republicans – more co-sponsors than for any other tax bill in Congress.

About The Organizations

Since 1991 the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, an accredited land conservation organization, has protected and cared for the region’s natural, scenic, farm and forest lands. Their supporters and partnerships have enabled the Conservancy to protect over 35,000 acres of land and more than 113 miles of shoreline along the region’s exceptional rivers, lakes and streams. www.gtrlc.org

Since 1988 the Leelanau Conservancy, an accredited land conservation organization, has worked to conserve the land, water, and scenic character of the Leelanau Peninsula, one of the most cherished landscapes in the Great Lakes region. The Conservancy has preserved over 9,600 acres and over 35 miles of shoreline, stream, and river frontage. Developing a broad base of community support, the Leelanau Conservancy has worked with 143 families on land protection projects, and received support from over 3,400 donors in 2011, from a county with a permanent population of roughly 20,000. www.leelanauconservancy.org

The Land Trust Alliance is a national land conservation organization that works in three ways to save the places people love. First, we increase the pace of conservation, so more land and natural resources get protected. Second, we enhance the quality of conservation, so the most important lands get protected using the best practices in the business. And third, we ensure the permanence of conservation by creating the laws and resources needed to defend protected land over time. The Land Trust Alliance is based in Washington, D.C., and has several regional offices. www.landtrustalliance.org

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Image: Glenn Chown, executive director of Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy (left) and Brian
Price, executive director of Leelanau Conservancy.

Mr. Wade Martin Honored with National Conservation Service Award

Kimberly Seese — 2012-10-11T19:40:00Z

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Rob Aldrich
Director of Communications
202-800-2225 | raldrich@lta.org

Community Engagement Advances Conservation

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Every year, one land conservation leader is selected to receive the Land Trust Alliance’s prestigious National Conservation Service Award for making a significant contribution to the advancement of land conservation. Mr. Wade Martin, a tireless volunteer who has provided land trusts and landwoners across New Jersey with countless professional hours providing financial advice, estate planning and building collaborative relationships for the benefit of land conservation, was presented with the award this year at Rally: The National Land Conservation Conference in Salt Lake City Utah, on September 30, 2012.

When Mr. Martin accepted the award, he said, “Growing up in a small town in New Jersey and watching the farmland disappear motivated me to find out how this development could be slowed. I grew up with farms, horses and cows around me; now there are cars, houses and bigger schools. I graduated from high school with 111 kids in my class and now my three children attend the same school with 500 kids per class.”

Mr. Martin’s first introduction to land preservation was in 1994, when he met Linda Mead from the D&R Greenway Land Trust in Princeton, NJ., at an educational seminar that D&R hosted for local financial advisors and which featured attorney Steve Small as the speaker. That meeting opened Mr. Martin’s eyes to how beneficial land preservation can be for everyone involved. As part of the Martin-Rizzo Group at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management (MSWM), Mr. Martin has worked to make their clients aware of the benefits of land preservation. Mr. Martin, along with MSWM, has now taken the land preservation model nationwide to help other financial advisors and their land-owning clients explore various options in preserving their land and their families’ legacies.

Ms. Mead and Mr. Martin had a vision to train and educate land trusts and financial advisors across the country about working together to increase the pace of land conservation. This vision came to fruition in June 2012 at the Johnson Education Center, which is D&R Greenway’s base inNJ. In partnership with the Land Trust Alliance and D&R Greenway, MSWM hosted the National Pilot Training Program for land trust executives, attorneys and financial advisors. Eight land trusts, coupled with eight MSWM financial advisors and eight attorneys from each of the land trusts’ regions, were brought into Princeton for a two-day seminar. The participants left the training with a collective exclamation: “This is groundbreaking stuff.” The states represented were Colorado, Michigan, Connecticut, Alabama, New York, Virginia, Massachusetts and Florida.

Mr. Martin has assisted in preserving land ranging from 1 acre to 2,000 acres. One of his most memorable land preservation projects was bridging the gap between an offer of $23m from a developer to build 143 houses on a large parcel of farmland and a land preservation offer of $14m to preserve the property. After working with the town, the landowner and their advisors, Mr. Martin was able to help the township bridge the financial gap and preserve the property in such a way that everyone came out a winner.

Mr. Martin has most recently been working with the Land Trust Alliance and its Corporate Council, of which MSWM is a founding member, on helping corporations be great partners in preserving land. Additionally, Mr. Martin is also involved in the Montgomery Township Education Foundation (MTEF), which supports expenses for children in town that the school budget does not cover. And he also works extensively with the disabled community, helping people with conditions such as cerebral palsy, autism and other physical handicaps to live their lives to the fullest.

Still residing in the town he grew up in with his wife and three children, Mr. Martin’s current home is just around the corner from the house he grew up in, where his parents still live. The most rewarding experiences for Mr. Martin in working on behalf of land preservation are when his children see a sign that says preserved land and, when they ask, he can tell them that he had a part in preserving that land.

About the D&R Greenway Land Trust

D&R Greenway Land Trust is central New Jersey's nonprofit land preservation organization, founded in 1989 through the collaboration and vision of four organizations: the Stony Brook - Millstone Watershed Association, Friends of Princeton Open Space, Regional Planning Partnership, and the Delaware & Raritan Canal Commission. Founders, including Jim Amon, Rosemary Blair, Dennis Davidson, Sam Hamill, and Bob Johnston, realized that our region's open space was threatened with extinction. Their vision of an organization dedicated to the preservation of our remaining natural areas led to the creation of this small grassroots organization that completed the first nonprofit acquisition using Green Acres funds in 1992.

D&R Greenway Land Trust permanently preserves watershed lands and large-scale landscapes, thereby preventing the loss of open space to development. Our operating region consists of over 1,500 square miles, encompassing portions of the Delaware, Raritan and Millstone River watersheds and the Delaware & Raritan Canal. This includes Mercer, Hunterdon, Somerset, Middlesex, Burlington and Monmouth counties. We have broadened our work to include preservation of farmland in Salem County in the area of Mannington Meadows. Visit http://drgreenway.org.

About The Land Trust Alliance

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Photo: Wade Martin/ ©Ed Lefkowicz, photographer

Public-Private Partnership Strengthens Land Stewardship

Kimberly Seese — 2012-09-25T04:00:00Z

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Rob Aldrich
Director of Communications
202.800.2225 | raldrich@lta.org

Training and Other Resources Provided to Enhance Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program Projects

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is partnering with the Land Trust Alliance to ensure the success of the public’s investment in conservation easements under the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP). This formal agreement will make the Alliance’s integrated suite of online and in-person information and training resources available to all NRCS partners through the FRPP, building their capacity and ensuring the long-term stewardship of conservation easements.

“I welcome this partnership as a way to share the collective wisdom of the private land conservation community gained over the past 30 years,” said Land Trust Alliance President Rand Wentworth. “We offer efficient and effective delivery of authoritative information and training that is the best in the land conservation community.”

With the collaboration of the land trust community, the Alliance first created Land Trust Standards and Practices in 1989. These are the guidelines for the responsible operation of a land trust which is run legally, ethically and in the public interest, and which conducts a sound program of land transactions and stewardship. It also created the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, to recognize land trusts that meet national quality standards, uphold the public trust and ensure that conservation efforts are permanent.

A key aspect of the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program is the public-private partnership. The NRCS and Land Trust Alliance partnership provides training and other resources to entities applying for FRPP funding, which will foster stronger conservation partnerships on individual FRPP projects.

The Alliance will provide NRCS\FRPP partners with two services: 1) a voucher worth $250 to be used for training opportunities, and 2) access to its online Learning Center.

The online Learning Center provides authoritative, current and accurate information for and about land conservation; the Standards and Practices Curriculum; forums to ask questions of experts; a searchable library; and the Conservation Defense Clearinghouse, a collection of legal information on voluntary land conservation.

Training opportunities include on-line training through webinars, while in-person training will be delivered at the National Land Conservation Conference – Rally and regional workshops.

To request these services, NRCS/FRPP partners should complete an application form and submit that to the Alliance. The form can be found on the Alliance website or USDA website or contact Bart Zerfas at bzerfas@lta.org or 202-800-2211.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service's (NRCS) Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP) is a voluntary easement program that protects productive agricultural land by providing funds for the purchase of conservation easements to limit conversion of farm and ranch lands to non-agricultural uses. NRCS partners with state, tribal or local governments, and non-governmental organizations to fund the acquisition of conservation easements or other interests in land from private landowners.

The Land Trust Alliance is a national conservation organization that leads a national network of 1,700 land trusts – local, nonprofit organizations working to protect clean water, local food, and places to play in their communities. We increase the pace of conservation, so more land and natural resources get protected. We enhance the quality of conservation, so the most important lands get protected using best practices. And we ensure the permanence of conservation by creating the laws and resources needed to defend protected land over time.

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Salt Lake City to Host Largest U.S. Gathering of Land Conservation Leaders

Kimberly Seese — 2012-09-06T04:00:00Z

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Rob Aldrich
Director of Communications
202-431-8848 (C)
raldrich@lta.org | www.lta.org/rally

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Land Trust Alliance today announced that the nation’s largest annual gathering of land conservation leaders will meet this fall in Salt Lake City, UT, September 29 – October 2, to plan the future of private land conservation in America. Rally 2012: The National Land Conservation Conference is expected to draw more than 1,600 conservation leaders, government officials and academics.

“People in the West have a great appreciation for the land and the gifts it can offer. This has spurred an active tradition of conserving farms, ranches, mountains, rivers, as well as the culture of preserving and honoring the natural environment,” said Land Trust Alliance President Rand Wentworth. “This commitment prioritizes the protection of clean air, clean water, wildlife, and a way of living with the land.”

Land trusts are local, state or nationwide nonprofits whose mission is to conserve land in its natural or traditional state, including farming and ranching, through voluntary agreements with landowners. According to a national census released by the Alliance, land trusts in Utah have protected a total of 65,718 acres. (Visit www.lta.org/census.)

“We selected Salt Lake City this year to honor the strong conservation ethic in this region, and also to give our supporters a chance to enjoy the state’s diverse beauty,” said Wentworth.

This year’s Rally will be celebrating many accomplishments including the launch of Terrafirma, a charitable risk pool owned by participating land trusts that insures it members against the legal costs of defending conservation and 46 land trusts earning accreditation this year through the Land Trust Accreditation Commission – an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance. This group brings the total to 181 land trusts nationally who are accredited – including Summit Land Conservancy in Utah. This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the Alliance.

The first keynote speaker at Rally will be M. Sanjayan, the lead scientist for The Nature Conservancy with a faculty research appointment at the University of Montana. He is a frequent speaker at TED Global, and the International Women’s Forum, among other groups. He is a Catto Fellow with the Aspen Institute, and is often a guest on MSNBC, CNN, and other stations. He is currently studying the nexus between conservation efforts and poverty alleviation.

Rally will also feature a keynote address from Heidi Redd, President of the Indian Creek Cattle Company. Ms. Redd is a prominent ranching and conservation leader, and she has run a cow-calf operation at the Dugout Ranch in Utah’s canyon country for more than 46 years. She and her family entered in to a unique partnership with The Nature Conservancy to ensure the Dugout Ranch will not be chopped up for development.

Rally seminars, workshops and speakers will address national conservation trends, cutting-edge practices of land conservation, and best professional standards for land trusts. More than 100 workshops and 25 seminars are scheduled, including a seminar on Native American land trusts and eco-cultural conservation, presented by prominent leaders of the local Native American community.

Additionally, the Land Trust Alliance conservation awards will be presented at the Welcoming Dinner, Sunday, September 30, at 7:00pm. They will feature the Kingsbury Browne Conservation Leadership Award, National Conservation Service Award, and the National Land Trust Excellence Award. Visit www.lta.org/awards for more information.

MEDIA INVITED: Keynote speeches are open to representatives of the media. To attend other workshops, trainings, field trips or seminars, registration is required. Inquire at the registration desk, or contact Rob Aldrich, Director of Communications, raldrich@lta.org | 202-431-8848 (C).

About the Land Trust Alliance

The Land Trust Alliance is a national conservation organization that works in three ways to save the places people love. First, we increase the pace of conservation, so more land and natural resources get protected. Second, we enhance the quality of conservation, so the most important lands get protected using the best practices in the business. And third, we ensure the permanence of conservation by providing resources needed to defend protected land over time. The Land Trust Alliance is based in Washington, D.C., and has several regional offices. Visit www.landtrustalliance.org.

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Land Trust Alliance Names New Vice President

Kimberly Seese — 2012-07-16T14:10:00Z

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Peshie Chaifetz
Communications & Marketing Manager
202-800-2227 | pchaifetz@lta.org

Photo available.

David Cooper Appointed to Lead the National Organization’s Development Team

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- David R. Cooper, a seasoned nonprofit executive, today was appointed Vice President, the Land Trust Alliance announced. Cooper will lead the development team in its work to provide vital resources to advance the Alliance’s mission of increasing the pace, improving the quality and ensuring the permanence of land conservation.

Cooper was most recently chief development officer for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, where since 2004, he provided oversight and strategic direction for development efforts. His work included the $175 million “People Saving Places” campaign. He entered the field of fundraising in 1996 with Ketchum, Inc. and has held leadership positions in the development offices of Loyola College, the Kennedy Krieger Institute, Peace College, the University of Maryland University College and George Mason University.

“We are delighted to welcome David to the Land Trust Alliance,” said Rand Wentworth, Alliance president. “We have a great deal of land conservation work that needs to be done – of scenic vistas, farms, ranches and other special places, and David’s deep expertise in building and managing all aspects of development for nonprofit organizations, will help make our work possible.” Wentworth added, “He is a dynamic, highly capable professional with a passion for conservation issues.”

Cooper, a native of North Carolina, said “All my adult life I’ve done things outdoors, such as biking and backpacking. I feel strongly that if we don’t act today to save natural places, the next generation isn’t going to be able to discover those same joys. In fundraising, we are fond of saying that our cause is urgent. Protecting land really is urgent. Land that’s lost today is gone forever. I am thrilled to be part of this national effort to protect the places we all love.”

A graduate of Campbell University and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Cooper has volunteered his time on the boards of organizations in both Virginia and Maryland.

About The Land Trust Alliance

The Alliance is a national conservation organization that works in three ways to save the places people love. First, we increase the pace of conservation, so more land and natural resources are protected. Second, we improve the quality of conservation, so the most important lands are protected using the best practices in the business. And third, we ensure the permanence of conservation by creating the laws and resources needed to defend protected land over time. The Land Trust Alliance is based in Washington, D.C., and has several regional offices. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Alliance. www.landtrustalliance.org

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Land Trust Alliance Celebrates 30 Years of Service-Leadership to the Land Trust Community

Kimberly Seese — 2012-07-02T04:00:00Z

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Peshie Chaifetz
Communications & Marketing Manager
202-800-2227 | pchaifetz@lta.org

Organization’s Roots Shape the Path Ahead

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Land Trust Alliance (Alliance), the national conservation organization whose members are land trusts, turns 30 today. Formed by the land conservation community in 1982 to coordinate communication among land trusts and to act as a clearinghouse of information on land conservation, the Alliance today strengthens conservation through service-leadership to the 1,700 land trusts in local communities across America.

To set the stage for a national network of conservation knowledge-sharing, a meeting of 40 conservation leaders took place in 1981 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, organized by the late Kingsbury Browne. “Participants avidly endorsed Browne’s notion of better communications,” says Jean Hocker, former president of the Alliance. “They saw the need for collective action—in marketing and building public support, in influencing public policies, and in refining land-saving techniques and strategies.”

A land trust is a nonprofit organization that actively works to conserve land through land or conservation easement acquisition, or by its stewardship of such land or easements. The Alliance helps its land trust members in meeting national quality standards, offers training on operational and programmatic topics, and unifies the political voice of the land trust movement. According to the Alliance’s 2010 National Land Trust Census, local, state and national land trusts have protected 47 million acres through private, voluntary conservation.

Initially called the Land Trust Exchange, the Alliance launched with a three-person staff. Thirty years later, it has more than 50 staff members and several regional offices. The group’s accomplishments include championing federal tax incentives for landowners who wish to conserve their land, formation of an independent accreditation program for land trusts to ensure public trust, and creation of a charitable risk pool owned by participating land trusts that insures its members against the legal costs of defending conservation.

“With our mission being ‘To save the places people love by strengthening land conservation across America,’ the Alliance benefits all Americans,” says President Rand Wentworth. “We increase the pace of conservation, so more land and natural resources are protected; we enhance the quality of conservation, so the most important lands are protected using the best practices in the business; and we ensure the permanence of conservation by creating the laws and resources needed to defend protected land over time."

See timeline >>

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Hundreds of Organizations Ask Congress to “Hold the Line” on Conservation Programs in the Farm Bill

Kimberly Seese — 2012-06-12T04:00:00Z

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Media Contacts:
American Farmland Trust: John Stierna, jstierna@farmland.org, 202-378-1241
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies: Jen Mock Schaeffer, jenmock@fishwildlife.org, 202-624-7890
Ducks Unlimited: Dan Wrinn, dwrinn@ducks.org, 202-347-1530
Environmental Defense Fund: Sara Hopper, shopper@edf.org, 202-422-1823 (cell)
Land Trust Alliance: Russ Shay, rshay@lta.org, 202-800-2230
National Association of Conservation Districts: Laura Wood or Bethany Shively, laura-wood@nacdnet.org, 202-547-6223
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition: Ferd Hoefner, fhoefner@sustainableagriculture.net, 202-547-5754
National Wildlife Federation: Aislinn Maestas, Maestas@nwf.org, 202-797-6624
The Nature Conservancy: Heather Layman, hlayman@tnc.org, 703-841-3929
Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership: Katie McKalip, kmckalip@trcp.org, 406-240-9262
Trout Unlimited: Steve Moyer, smoyer@tu.org, 703-284-9406

Signatories Represent Tens of Millions of Americans

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, more than 500 organizations, businesses and individuals signed a letter asking congressional leaders not to further cut funding to the Conservation Title of the Farm Bill. Noting that conservation programs already have been significantly cut in recent years and will bear more than their fair share of deficit reduction in the Farm Bill as currently drafted, the letter asks Congress to “hold the line” on conservation funding at the amounts provided in the bill approved by the Senate Agriculture Committee.

The 523 signatories comprise large and small organizations, businesses and landowners from all across America, collectively representing tens of millions of Americans.

The letter notes that conservation programs are essential to the sustainability of agriculture and forestry in the United States and to meeting the growing demand for food and fiber at home and abroad. These programs are “high-leverage investments in rural America,” protecting natural resources by funding a variety of voluntary partnerships and cooperative conservation efforts between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and private landowners.

“Since the 2008 farm bill was enacted, Conservation Title programs have already been cut significantly through the annual appropriations process, particularly in the last two agriculture appropriations bills, and these cuts have had real and unfortunate impacts on the ground. The additional significant cuts to conservation funding included in the bill advanced by the Senate Agriculture Committee, if enacted, mean that the Conservation Title is already contributing more than its fair share to budget deficit reduction. While policy improvements can help reduce the impact of these additional cuts, they will, nevertheless have a negative impact on the ground. Further cuts would jeopardize this country’s entire system of successful agricultural and forestry conservation programs. And so we urge you to hold the line on Conservation Title funding at the amounts provided in the bill approved by the Senate Agriculture Committee on April 26th, 2012,” states the letter.

Conservation Title programs “are both popular and highly effective,” state the groups in the letter. These programs “recognize that the health of America’s soil, water, wildlife, and other natural resources is essential to the long term productivity and economic viability of agriculture and forestry, that protecting and managing our natural resources is critical to the future of American communities, and that most of our nation’s opportunities for hunting, fishing, and observing nature depend upon privately owned habitat on working farms, ranches and forest land.”

The letter concludes, “Maintaining, strengthening, and providing sufficient funding for the Conservation
Title programs will deliver multiple benefits for every region of America. Not the least of these is helping America’s farmers, ranchers, and private forest land owners to stay on the land as stewards of America’s natural resources.”

The letter was coordinated and distributed by 11 agricultural, forestry, and conservation organizations. They are American Farmland Trust, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Ducks Unlimited, Environmental Defense Fund, Land Trust Alliance, National Association of Conservation Districts, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, National Wildlife Federation, The Nature Conservancy, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and Trout Unlimited.

View the full text of the letter to the leaders of the Agriculture Committees, including the complete list of signers.

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$1.4 Million in Conservation Grants Awarded to Land Trusts Statewide

Kimberly Seese — 2012-04-23T04:00:00Z

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:

Emily DeSantis
NYS DEC
(518) 402-8000

Ethan Winter
Land Trust Alliance
(518) 587-0774

Grants Leverage an Additional $1.2 Million in Private Money

Public-Private Partnerships to Boost Local Land Conservation

ROCHESTER, NY -- Conservation Partnership Program grants totaling $1.4 million were awarded to 53 nonprofit land trusts across the state, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Land Trust Alliance announced today at the Saint Paul Pocket Park in the City of Rochester. The grants, funded through New York State’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF), will be matched by $1.2 million in private and local funding.

The purpose of the grants is to increase the pace, improve the quality and ensure the permanence of voluntary conservation of private lands, which will result in significant environmental and economic benefits for communities throughout New York.

“Through the hard work of New York’s many land trusts, the Conservation Partnership Program continues its important role in improving quality of life by enabling environmental, social and economic improvement projects in urban, rural and suburban settings,” said DEC Commissioner Joe Martens. “Land conservation benefits New York’s residents, visitors, environment and economy.”

The grants announced today will help local land trusts sustain and expand community and landowner outreach, land conservation, stewardship and education programs. The grants will advance regional economic development goals, create land trust jobs and strengthen partnerships with local and state governments while advancing locally supported efforts to preserve farmland, municipal watersheds and green infrastructure around the state. Land trusts will also apply grant funds to prepare for national accreditation, supporting New York land trust commitments to rigorous standards for organizational excellence.

“The Conservation Partnership Program grants of $1.4 million demonstrate New York State’s continued commitment to the local land trusts who are dedicated to providing clean air, water , food and places of recreation to the communities they serve. Not only will these investments in land conservation boost property values and protect public health but they will also support local businesses thus saving tax dollars,” said Senator Mark Grisanti (R-Buffalo), Chairman of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee. “I am especially pleased that today’s announcement that 53 nonprofit organizations will receive funds includes both the Western New York Land Conservancy and the Grassroots Gardens of Buffalo.”

Assemblyman Robert Sweeney (D-Lindenhurst), Chair of the Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee, remarked, “This is a challenging time for homeowners, charities, and businesses across New York State. Empowering local communities through the Conservation Partnership Program is one proven way to give New York's citizens a voice in their future. It is also an effective way for New York to get the most out of the Environmental Protection Fund. We applaud the work land trusts do on Long Island and across the state and look forward to supporting the program in the coming years.”

“From Buffalo and Rochester to the Hudson River Valley and Long Island, the State of New York is partnering with strong, local private organizations to protect the natural places New Yorkers cherish and depend on for clean air and water, food, and recreation,” said Rand Wentworth, president of the Land Trust Alliance. “I commend Governor Cuomo, Commissioner Martens, Senator Grisanti, Assemblyman Sweeney and their colleagues in the Legislature for supporting this initiative. At a time when states are watching their budgets carefully, the EPF and the Conservation Partnership Program are proven, cost-effective investments that pay vital dividends for public health and New York’s economy.”

Grant awards ranged from $5,000 to $75,000. Land trusts awarded grants include the North Shore Land Alliance, Hudson Highlands Land Trust, Columbia Land Conservancy, Finger Lakes Land Trust, Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust, Genesee Land Trust and Western New York Land Conservancy. Grant funds are intended to assist land trusts in advancing goals set in the New York State’s Open Space Plan and state wildlife action plan.

The EPF-funded grants will also support urban open space programs administered by the Manhattan, Bronx and Brooklyn-Queens Land Trusts, Capital District Community Gardens and Grassroots Gardens of Buffalo.

The $1.4 million was awarded by region as follows:

Western New York /Finger Lakes/Southern Tier: 10 awards totaling $232,650
Central New York/Mohawk Valley: 5 awards totaling $80,300
Northern New York/Adirondacks: 14 awards totaling $257,200
Capital Region: 14 awards totaling $246,262
Hudson Valley: 22 awards totaling $456,088
New York City: 2 awards totaling $100,000
Long Island: 3 awards totaling $45,000

View a complete listing of the 2012 grant recipients.

Since the program’s inception in 2002, the Conservation Partnership Program has awarded $6,677,500 in grants for 434 projects benefiting 79 different land trust organizations across the state and leveraged more than $13 million in additional funding. These funds have helped create employment and advancement opportunities in the conservation field and helped local communities permanently conserve 15,500 acres of farmland, wildlife habitat, recreation areas and urban open space. The Alliance administers the Conservation Partnership Program in coordination with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Recent research underscores how investments in land conservation and open space boost property values, support local businesses, save taxpayer dollars, and protect public health. A study released in February by the Trust for Public Land found that every dollar of investment from New York’s Environmental Protection Fund generates seven dollars in additional economic benefits from tourism, reduced government costs and public health.

A 2010 report on the economic benefits of open space from the New York State Comptroller recommended the Conservation Partnership Program as a model for public-private collaboration because it leverages substantial resources for local efforts to preserve clean air and water resources, agriculture, and outdoor recreational opportunities close to home.

“The Conservation Partnership Program has demonstrated impressive statewide success by supporting land trusts in our local communities,” said Becky Thornton, chair of Land Trust Alliance’s New York Advisory Board and president of the Dutchess Land Conservancy. “This program is a model for the EPF because it unites the goals of New York’s Open Space Plan, the needs and desires of local municipalities, and the energy and enthusiasm of private landowners and land trust partners to protect and care for the land. When we work and invest together, we can make a huge difference for communities across New York State.”

“The New York State Conservation Partnership Program has been a singular success in advancing private land conservation across the state, especially in the greater Rochester region,” said Gay Mills, Executive Director of the Genesee Land Trust. “Genesee Land Trust’s recent projects, including protection of prime farmland and wildlife habitat near Sodus Bay as well as the El Camino Trail and Conkey Corner Park in downtown Rochester, have benefited greatly from the vision and investment of New York State.”

“Thanks to New York’s Environmental Protection Fund and the Land Trust Alliance-NYS DEC partnership, Rochester residents are enjoying clean drinking water from Hemlock and Canadice Lakes; sustainably grown food from local farms; and outdoor recreational opportunities in the City of Rochester, Lake Ontario and the Finger Lakes,” said Jim Howe, Executive Director of the Central & Western NY Chapter of The Nature Conservancy.

“Kodak is delighted to see the Conservation Partnership Program and the Environmental Protection Fund supporting the creation of a new rails-to-trails project along the Genesee River,” Charles Ruffing, Director, Health, Safety and Environment, Eastman Kodak Company. “We were early supporters of this effort, and we thank Governor Cuomo and Commissioner Martens for their leadership, and also the Genesee Land Trust, City of Rochester, The Nature Conservancy and the Land Trust Alliance for their hard work in making this happen.”

“Thanks to the Environmental Protection Fund and the Conservation Partnership Program, the Genesee Land Trust is working in the local neighborhood, creating a new corner park and the El Camino trail,” said Miguel A. Melendez Jr., Project HOPE Coordinator, Ibero-American Development Corporation (IADC). “This investment has helped Project HOPE and neighborhood residents take back public spaces and enhance our opportunities for healthy living.”

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About the Land Trust Alliance

The Land Trust Alliance is the national leader of America’s land trust movement, serving 1,700 non-profit land trusts nationwide, including 90 organizations in New York. The Alliance works to accelerate the pace, increase the quality, and ensure the permanence of land conservation in New York and across the country.
The Alliance administers the Conservation Partnership Program in coordination with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

For information about the Land Trust Alliance and the Conservation Partnership Program, please visit www.landtrustalliance.org or contact Ethan Winter in the Alliance’s Northeast office at (518) 587-0774 (ext. 207) or at ewinter@lta.org.

Land Conservation Organizations Meet with Key Lawmakers

Kimberly Seese — 2012-04-18T04:00:00Z

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Russ Shay
Director of Public Policy
202-800-2230 | rshay@lta.org

Urge House Passage of Conservation Tax Bill and Support for Farm Bill Programs

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, land trusts are descending on Capitol Hill for 118 meetings with key members of the Agriculture, Appropriations and tax-writing committees that could decide the fate of billions of dollars for land conservation. The Land Trust Alliance arranged these meetings to demonstrate the widespread support for land conservation programs throughout the country. Land trust practitioners are promoting the economic, social and natural impact their work has on rural, suburban and urban communities alike.

“There is strong bipartisan support for land conservation in Congress because everyone can agree on the need for what land trusts provide: clean water, land to grow food, urban parks and gardens, and places to connect with nature,” said Land Trust Alliance President Rand Wentworth.

Land trusts are community-based conservation organizations formed by local citizens that acquire and protect land for the benefit of their community. Strong land trusts provide local communities with effective champions and caretakers of their critical land resources.

“It’s important to come to Washington and explain how voluntary land conservation helps to allow people to keep working the land the way they have been for decades,” said Glen Chown, executive director of Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy (MI). “People support our organization because we protect the land that gives meaning to our community.”

Landowners can retire the development rights on their land by donating a conservation easement to a land trust in their community – keeping their lands in productive use, protecting important fish and wildlife habitat, and conserving our scenic and historic heritage.

The Conservation Easement Tax Incentive, H.R. 1964, with 303 House co-sponsors and majorities of both Republicans and Democrats, will help thousands of family farmers, ranchers, and forest owners afford to conserve their land, while certain Farm Bill programs will provide cost-effective funding that leverages private dollars to conserve productive farm and ranch lands.

The Land Trust Alliance is a national conservation organization that leads a national network of 1,700 land trusts – local, nonprofit organizations working to protect clean water, safe food, and places to connect with nature. We increase the pace of conservation, so more land and natural resources get protected. We enhance the quality of conservation, so the most important lands get protected using best practices. And we ensure the permanence of conservation by creating the laws and resources needed to defend protected land over time. Details at www.lta.org/policy.

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Land Conservation Groups Join Growing Number Accredited by Commission

Kimberly Seese — 2012-02-21T05:00:00Z

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jennifer Brady-Connor
Program Manager, Land Trust Accreditation Commission
518-587-3143 | jbconnor@landtrustaccreditation.org

Number of Accredited Groups Reaches 158

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY -- The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, announced today the accreditation of twenty-three land trusts, bringing the total number of land conservation groups from across the country that have earned this important distinction to 158.

“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 47 million acres of land.

“Congratulations to the 158 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 twenty-three newly accredited land trusts are as follows:

Bayfield Regional Conservancy (WI)
Caledonia Conservancy (WI)
ClearWater Conservancy (PA)
Congaree Land Trust (SC)
Conservation Trust for Florida, Inc. (FL)
Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico (PR)
D&R Greenway Land Trust, Inc. (NJ)
Great Land Trust (AK)
Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation (IL)
Mississippi Valley Conservancy (WI)
North Carolina Coastal Land Trust (NC)
North Olympic Land Trust (WA)
Pee Dee Land Trust (SC)
Prickly Pear Land Trust (MT)
San Juan Preservation Trust (WA)
Taos Land Trust (NM)
The Wetlands Conservancy (OR)
Three Valley Conservation Trust (OH)
Upper Valley Land Trust (NH)
Vinalhaven Land Trust (ME)
Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (PA)
Whidbey Camano Land Trust (WA)
Wyoming Stock Growers Agricultural Land Trust (WY)

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 158 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.

“The process of applying for accreditation made us take the time and effort to spell out how we do things; in other words, we documented our staff’s institutional memory. We are here for the long term and our approach to our work now seems more predictable and transparent to our community. I believe that will be very reassuring to folks. Another benefit of accreditation is that there is more consistency from one land trust to another, and, collectively, we can raise the reputation and effectiveness of the land conservation community”, stated Jennie Pezé, executive director of Pee Dee Land Trust.

Fernando Lloveras San Miguel, executive director of the Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico, said, “The accreditation process motivated the Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico (the Trust) to take a ‘deeper look’ at its organizational capacity, infrastructure, and land transaction processes…This accreditation recognizes the Trust’s ability to protect important natural and historical places for perpetuity, providing a significant reference of credibility and respect with our land conservation donors, partners, members, and others. This achievement is an important milestone for the Trust, it means an important mark of distinction in land conservation not only in Puerto Rico, but also in the United States, the Caribbean, and Latin America.”

“Being accredited is an exciting affirmation of the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust record of accomplishments—enriching coastal communities through conservation of almost 50,000 acres of open space and natural areas, conservation education, good land stewardship, and operating in a fiscally sound and ethically responsible way”, stated Linda Murchison, president of the land trust’s board of directors.

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 Land Trust knew accreditation was an important mark of distinction that would move it to the next level of professionalism. What we didn’t expect was the innovations that came out of the process and how exciting and rewarding the work was when it finally all came together”, stated Patricia Powell, Whidbey Camano Land Trust Executive Director.

“This has been a goal of mine for several years”, remarked Ernie Atencio, Taos Land Trust executive director. “During my tenure at the land trust we have worked to bring the highest ethical, fiscal and operational practices into our organization. Earning this seal of approval is something we are very proud of. But most importantly, it gives landowners, financial supporters and our community the confidence that Taos Land Trust has the ways and means to carry out our mission of protecting the open, productive and naturals lands in northern New Mexico that we hold dear.”

“We are pleased to expand the list of accredited land trusts with the addition of these 23 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.

Learn more about the 23 newly accredited land trusts.

See a list of all 158 accredited land trusts that have been accredited since the fall of 2008.

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One Thing Congress Agrees On: Land Conservation

Kimberly Seese — 2012-02-17T21:30:00Z

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Russ Shay
Director of Public Policy
W: 202.800.2230 | C: 202-285-5435 | rshay@lta.org

Majorities of Republicans and Democrats – 300 Cosponsors – Urge House Passage of Conservation Tax Incentive

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Congressmen Jim Gerlach (R-PA) and Mike Thompson (D-CA) announced today that 300 representatives have co-sponsored their bill to conserve America’s forests, agricultural lands and open spaces – more than any other tax bill. H.R. 1964 makes permanent a recently-expired tax incentive that allows modest-income landowners to receive significant tax deductions for donating conservation easements that permanently protect important natural or historic resources on their lands.

“We are thrilled that majorities of Republicans and Democrats can agree on supporting the work of local land trusts that is so important to their communities,” said Land Trust Alliance President Rand Wentworth. “We thank U.S. Representatives Jim Gerlach and Mike Thompson for championing this cause, and look forward to working with all 300 co-sponsors to get the job done.”

"This legislation has generated tremendous bipartisan support because the conservation easement tax incentive works," said Rep. Jim Gerlach (PA-6). "The tax incentive gives family farmers, ranchers and other property owners more choices and creates opportunities for partnerships between non-profit organizations, federal, state and local officials. With the support of nearly three-quarters of the House, I am hopeful that conservation easements will remain an option for all property owners."

“The enhanced conservation easement incentive is a success – last year we reached a total of 47 million acres of land saved from development, a 27% jump from 2005. But it’s not just about the numbers, it’s about helping folks plan, conserve land and protect wildlife so our kids and grandkids can enjoy these natural treasures,” said Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-1). “300 co-authors from both the Republican and Democratic sides of the aisle is a nearly unmatched statement of support. Now it’s time to pass this bill and make this conservation incentive permanent.”

Landowners can retire the development rights on their land by donating a conservation easement to a land trust in their community – keeping agricultural land in productive use, protecting important fish and wildlife habitat, and conserving our scenic and historic heritage. Since the incentive expired at the end of 2011, landowners with modest incomes now receive little tax benefit from restricting what may be their family’s most valuable asset. By allowing donors to deduct a larger portion of their income over a longer period of time, H.R. 1964 will help thousands of family farmers, ranchers, and forest owners afford to conserve their land.

View the co-sponsor list at: www.lta.org/easementincentive/cosponsors.

About The Land Trust Alliance

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Bay Area Community Conservationist Audrey Rust Receives National Conservation Award

Kimberly Seese — 2011-10-26T19:10:00Z

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Rob Aldrich
Director of Communications
202-638-4725 | raldrich@lta.org
Photos available; email pressroom@lta.org

Advocate For Community Collaboration and Investment

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Audrey C. Rust, president emeritus of the Peninsula Open Space Trust based in Palo Alto, Calif., was announced as the winner of the Land Trust Alliance’s prestigious Kingsbury Browne Conservation Leadership Award. Rust was selected for the award for her vision and dedication that have resulted in extraordinary results for land conservation and for the land trust community. Rust has raised more than 325 million dollars – grew her staff seven fold while helping to protect more than 53,000 acres, and her fundraising is unparalleled with a 33.5 million dollar campaign and a 200 million dollar campaign to her credit.

Rust is the sixth recipient of this honor awarded by the Land Trust Alliance to recognize outstanding leadership, innovation and creativity in land conservation.

Rust was also named to serve in the Kingsbury Browne Fellowship at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy for 2011. In her role in this fellowship, named after Boston attorney Kingsbury Browne (1922-2005), Rust will engage in researching, writing and mentoring associated with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, a Cambridge-based think-tank with a focus on land policy. Both awards were presented in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at the Land Trust Alliance’s Rally 2011: The National Land Conservation Conference, the largest annual gathering of professional and volunteer conservation leaders in the US.

In her acceptance remarks, Rust said: "I believe the work that we do is of the utmost importance. I used to feel that if I got one wish, I’d wish for world peace. Probably everyone thinks that. But today I don’t think that any longer. Today I think that if I could have only one wish, instead I would wish for an end to global warming, and for a way to protect our biodiversity. It’s the most important thing that can happen for our planet, our people, and ourselves. I am so proud to be a part of the land trust community – it is this group of people making my wish come true.”

When presenting the award, David Anderson, Land Trust Alliance chairman of the board, said: “Audrey’s passionate dedication of 24 years protecting the San Francisco peninsula including San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties has created an absolutely incredible legacy of open space for generations. Her unwavering mentorship and leadership on the California Council of Land Trusts, as well as a number of other boards, highlights her volunteerism and commitment to others, which has enabled an amazing achievement of conservation.”

Wentworth added, “Her sense of humor keeps all of us remembering not to take ourselves so seriously that we forget to love life – and find the joy in what we do each day – she is an amazing leader."

Under Rust's leadership, the Peninsula Open Space Trust partnered with public agencies and private landowners to protect more than 53,000 acres of open space lands in San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties. The achievements ranged from Cowell Ranch, 1,200 acres of coastal bluff and agricultural soils just south of the city of Half Moon Bay, Calif.; 20,000 acres on the San Mateo Coast; and 1,623-acre Bair Island, one of the South Bay’s largest restorable wetlands, now part of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

The Saving the Endangered Coast campaign is the largest land protection initiative ever completed by any local U.S. land trust. Launched in 2001 with two $50 million gifts from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the campaign protected spectacular open lands, including 4,262-acre Rancho Corral de Tierra, near Montara, Calif., now slated to transfer to the National Park Service for inclusion in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

Before coming to POST, Ms. Rust served as the director of development and membership for the national Sierra Club; directed west coast capital giving programs for Yale University; and served in various development capacities for Stanford University and Vassar College. She graduated from the University of Connecticut at Storrs with a B.A. in English and education.

Ms. Rust has served on the boards of numerous local, state and national organizations, primarily in the conservation and housing arena. She has received the Times Mirror-Chevron National Conservationist of the Year Award; the League of California Voters Environmental Leadership Award; the Garden Club of America’s top environmental honor, the Cynthia Pratt Laughlin Medal; the Jacqueline Kennedy Award from JFK University for her achievements in land conservation; and the 2010 ATHENA Award from the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce for demonstrating excellence and creativity in business, contributing to the quality of life in her community, and helping other women to realize their leadership potential.

Residing in Menlo Park, Calif., Rust is an avid gardener, knitter and painter, and takes every opportunity she can to hike on lands she helped protect.

The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy began the Kingsbury Browne Fellowship in association with the Land Trust Alliance offering its first Kingsbury Browne Conservation Leadership Award in 2006. Winners are chosen from a group of their peers, honoring lifetime contributions to the field of land conservation and work reflecting the values that Kingsbury Browne brought to his own seminal achievements. The fellowship has previously been awarded to Jay Espy, executive director of the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation; Jamie Williams, director of The Nature Conservancy’s Northern Rockies Initiative; Laurie A. Wayburn, co-founder of the Pacific Forest Trust; Mark Ackelson, president of the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation; and Darby Bradley, president of the Vermont Land Trust. In the fellowship, Rust will engage in researching, writing and mentoring.

Armando Carbonell, senior fellow and chairman of the Department of Planning and Urban Form at the Lincoln Institute, said he looked forward to having Audrey Rust serve as the Kingsbury Browne Fellow, as her expertise can enhance many ongoing initiatives in regional collaboration and fundraising.

About The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy is a leading resource for key issues concerning the use, regulation, and taxation of land. Providing high quality education and research, the Institute strives to improve public dialogue and decisions about land policy. As a private operating foundation, whose origins date to 1946, we seek to inform decision-making through education, research, policy evaluation, demonstration projects, and the dissemination of information, policy analysis, and data through publications, our Web site, and other media. By bringing together scholars, practitioners, public officials, policymakers, journalists and involved citizens, the Lincoln Institute integrates theory and practice and provides a nonpartisan forum for multidisciplinary perspectives on public policy concerning land, both in the U.S. and internationally. Visit www.lincolninst.edu.

About The Land Trust Alliance

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Milwaukee to Host Largest U.S. Gathering of Land Conservation Leaders

Kimberly Seese — 2011-10-07T19:25:00Z

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Rob Aldrich
Director of Communications
202-431-8848 | raldrich@lta.org
http://www.lta.org/rally

Leaders Gather to Plan the Future of Private Land Conservation

Washington, D.C. – The Land Trust Alliance today announced that the nation’s largest annual gathering of land conservation leaders will meet this fall in Milwaukee, WI, October 13-16, to celebrate land conservation in America. Rally 2011: The National Land Conservation Conference is expected to draw more than 1,500 conservation leaders, government officials and academics.

“People in the Midwest have a great appreciation for the land and the gifts it offers. From the bluffs of the mighty Mississippi to the tall grass prairies, and from the forested lands and farms to Lake Michigan’s scenic landscapes, communities are uniting to save the places that give meaning to our lives,” said Land Trust Alliance President Rand Wentworth. “This commitment prioritizes the protection of clean air, clean water, wildlife, and places to explore close to home.”

Land trusts are local, state or nationwide nonprofits whose mission is to conserve land in its natural or traditional state, including farming and ranching, through voluntary agreements with landowners. According to the latest numbers collected by the Alliance, more than 50 land trusts in Wisconsin have protected a total of 52,696 acres.

“We selected Milwaukee this year to honor the strong urban conservation ethic in this region, and also to give our supporters a chance to enjoy the state’s diverse beauty,” said Wentworth. Milwaukee features Frederick Law Olmsted's extraordinary urban parks system, and the city has made additional investments in creating green, livable and eco-friendly communities. With the Olmsted parks and an incredible network of Milwaukee County parks – as well as the celebrated urban gardens and their advancement of the local foods movement – it is on the forefront of conservation success.

The first of this year’s keynote speakers, Will Allen, has been named to Time magazine’s 2010 100 World’s Most Influential People list. He is the founder and CEO of Growing Power Inc., and is a preeminent thinker on urban agriculture and food policy. He has been invited to the White House to join First Lady Michelle Obama in her “Let’s Move” signature program, and he works tirelessly to train and support community farmers to ensure a local source of healthy food regardless of political or economic status.

Rally will also feature a keynote address from Will Rogers, CEO of the Trust for Public Land (TPL). An innovator in urban redevelopment projects as well as the conservation of remote and inspirational wildlands, Will leads TPL in its mission to conserve land for people to enjoy as parks, gardens and other natural places, ensuring livable communities for generations to come.

Rally seminars, workshops and speakers will address national conservation trends, cutting-edge practices of land conservation and best professional standards for land trusts. More than 110 workshops and 26 seminars are scheduled.

MEDIA INVITED: Keynote speeches are open to representatives of the media. To attend other workshops, trainings, field trips or seminars, registration is required. Inquire at the registration desk at the Frontier Airlines Center, or contact Peshie Chaifetz, Communications Manager, at pchaifetz@lta.org | 301-502-9245.

About the Land Trust Alliance
The Land Trust Alliance is a national conservation organization that works in three ways to save the places people love. First, we increase the pace of conservation, so more land and natural resources get protected. Second, we enhance the quality of conservation, so the most important lands get protected using the best practices in the business. And third, we ensure the permanence of conservation by providing resources needed to defend protected land over time. The Land Trust Alliance is based in Washington, D.C. Visit www.landtrustalliance.org.

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