When one of our board members talks about how accreditation improved Chebeague and Cumberland Land Trust, she talks about it earnestly.

Conservation easements come in all shapes and sizes. And while managing any easement is challenging, managing one that allows for development is especially so.

Knight's Pond is truly special to all of us at the accredited Chebeague and Cumberland Land Trust. It features a 46-acre pond, hilly terrain, hiking trails, valuable wildlife habitat and a view of Casco Bay in the distance.

There are only a few days left to have your voice heard during this pivotal moment for the accreditation program.

You may have noticed some recent updates to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission's website and applicant materials.

Achieving accreditation assures both our easement and financial donors of our integrity, professionalism and capacity.

The old expression "April showers bring May flowers" doesn't just apply to the springtime calendar. It also rings true for land trust accreditation. 

Many people call the Land Trust Accreditation Commission’s help desk looking for information or trying to solve a problem. And it’s easy to understand why. Those calls can be real money savers.

"People take pride in participating in the work of a land trust that has high standards. It adds to morale."

The Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust finds that accreditation makes their organization — and the land trust movement — stronger.

Accreditation helped Tall Timbers Land Conservancy when it mattered most.

Open Space Institute saw the value in a national standard that helps land trusts of all sizes uphold the highest standards and practices.

Land Trust Standards and Practices have withstood the test of time amazingly well. First issued in 1989 and last revised over 10 years ago, the Land Trust Alliance’s current effort to take a fresh look at the Standards will ensure they reflect how land trusts need to operate now and in years ahead.

April 3 marked the tenth birthday of the Land Trust Accreditation Commission – and what an incredible journey we’ve had together with the land trust community!

The dreaded applicant conference call. Of the entire accreditation process, we thought that this part would be the toughest. It turned out to be a triumph.

“What are the benefits of accreditation?” It’s a question Colchester Land Trust board members have heard often since receiving accreditation in February 2015.

Three milestones mark my path to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission: our still family-owned West Virginia farm; escaping private law practice’s billable hour tyranny; and the Land Trust Alliance trusting me to teach a Rally workshop.

Rally. Baltimore. 2001. My life was about to change.

Public-private partnerships are critical to the work of Northern Virginia Conservation Trust. The organization preserves Northern Virginia’s natural areas in part by helping Arlington County, Fairfax County and the city of Alexandria carry out the commitments to open space protection outlined in their comprehensive plans.

There isn’t enough time in the day to complete all your regular duties. Throw a Land Trust Accreditation Commission application into the mix and you need to get creative with your time management. That’s why we developed a series of short video tutorials

Accreditation helped Greenbelt Land Trust in a time of rapid organizational change.

In her work at Upstate Forever to protect special places in the Upstate region of South Carolina, Erin Jordan Knight has encountered landowners who understandably question how they can be sure that future enforcers of their easements will be fair.