Update on the 2007 Pilot Tests
The 22 organizations in the first round of pilot tests are already helping to improve the program. Pilot groups participated in information sharing conference calls earlier this month in preparation for the April 20 application deadline. Questions asked during the calls will help clarify future materials. The second round of pilot participants will be announced in early June. Read more on the pilot program.

Start Now By Organizing Policies!
The Eagle Valley Land Trust (EVLT) preserves open lands for agriculture, wildlife and scenic beauty in the Eagle River Valley that is home to the Vail and Beaver Creek ski areas in Colorado. Originally formed in 1982 as the Eagle County Land Conservancy, the Eagle Valley Land Trust is the third oldest land trust in Colorado. Over the years, it has helped preserve more than 9,000 acres of land in the region.

The trust's Board of Directors embraced the concept of "best practices" as part of its commitment to continuous quality improvement in late 2001 and was determined to be among the pioneers in adopting and implementing Land Trust Standards and Practices.

EVLT is one of the 22 organizations participating in the first round of the accreditation pilot program. "We chose to volunteer so that we could publicly demonstrate our support for the process," said Jen Scroggins, associate director of the trust. “One reason we felt ready to apply for accreditation is because our organization has been focused on Land Trust Standards and Practices for several years. This has been a great learning process for our organization and we are happy to share our experiences with our colleagues," she added.

Scroggins explains that in 2003 the trust organized all of its policies and procedures into a tabbed binder organized by standard and practice and then focused on creating documents that were missing. “Preparing the attachments for accreditation has been relatively easy since we already have all of our documents together and organized according to Land Trust Standards and Practices,” she remarked. She emphasizes, “Reviewing and organizing your policies is a great learning experience for your organization and will help tremendously when you get ready to apply for accreditation.”

To find out more about Eagle Valley Land Trust, visit their website at www.evlt.org.

Have a Tip or Story to Share?
We would like to hear from you! Whether your organization has been preparing for accreditation for a long time or is new to the topic you may have important stories to share. Perhaps you have organized your policies in a helpful way like the Eagle Valley Land Trust story above, discovered a website or new software, or taken a helpful course. Maybe you’d just like to share why applying for accreditation is important to your land trust.

We will review submissions and publish those that can help land trusts across the country as they consider accreditation. Look for these tips and stories in upcoming eNewsletters and on our website. Using the format below, please send submissions to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Submission Format
Organization Name and State
Contact Person
Contact Email/Phone
Your accreditation story (max. 300 words)*
Optional: electronic photo that highlights your work

*Story writing suggestions
Include the name of your land trust in the story, as we will not publish your contact information.
Include a quote from someone in your land trust.
Let others know a bit about your organization in addition to the story.