Saratoga Springs, New York (Feb. 28, 2018) – The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, a program promoting national quality standards for ensuring permanence in the conservation of American lands, announced today 34 land trusts were recognized this month for having completed the rigorous process to achieve first-time or renewed accreditation.
“These land trusts have earned the highest mark of national recognition and now display a seal you can trust,” said Tammara Van Ryn, executive director of the Commission. “These community-based organizations are saving land people care about, town-by-town, across America.” Accredited land trusts have conserved nearly 20 million acres of farmland, forests, wildlife habitat and important water supplies.
The accreditation seal awarded by the Commission indicates these groups demonstrate sound finances, ethical conduct, responsible governance and lasting stewardship of the lands they protect. The Commission is an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, a national land conservation organization working to save the places people need and love by strengthening land conservation across America.
“As one of the earliest supporters of the accreditation program, I fully appreciate all it takes for a land trust to achieve that distinction,” said Andrew Bowman, the Alliance’s president. “To each land trust celebrating the good news today of first-time or renewed accreditation, I salute you.”
Accredited land trusts must renew every five years, confirming their compliance with national quality standards and providing continued assurance to donors and landowners of their commitment to forever care for their land and easements. Land trusts achieving first-time or renewed accreditation this month are listed below and showcase the breadth and diversity of accredited groups: from the first-time awardee from Connecticut, the Naromi Land Trust, serving only the town of Sherman to The Nature Conservancy with its worldwide conservation programs.
Land trusts achieving first-time accreditation are Cayucos Land Conservancy (California), Colorado River Land Trust (Texas), Downeast Coastal Conservancy (Maine), Edmund Niles Huyck Preserve (New York), Interior Alaska Land Trust (Alaska), Naromi Land Trust (Connecticut), Native Prairies Association of Texas (Texas), Natural Land Institute (Illinois), North Florida Land Trust (Florida), Rensselaer Plateau Alliance (New York), Southern Plains Land Trust (Colorado), and Upper Savannah Land Trust (South Carolina).
Land trusts achieving renewed accreditation are Ammonoosuc Conservation Trust (New Hampshire), Bayou Land Conservancy (Texas), Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust (Maine), Cacapon and Lost Rivers Land Trust (West Virginia), Central Indiana Land Trust (Indiana), Chebeague & Cumberland Land Trust (Maine), Chippewa Watershed Conservancy (Michigan), Columbia Land Trust (Washington), Connecticut Farmland Trust (Connecticut), Crested Butte Land Trust (Colorado), Greenwich Land Trust (Connecticut), Kettle Moraine Land Trust (Wisconsin), Land Conservancy of West Michigan (Michigan), Methow Conservancy (Washington), Midcoast Conservancy (Maine), Mountain Area Land Trust (Colorado), North Oakland Headwaters Land Conservancy (Michigan), Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy (Michigan), Squam Lakes Conservation Society (New Hampshire), The Nature Conservancy (Virginia), Vermont Land Trust (Vermont), and Whatcom Land Trust (Washington).
About the Land Trust Accreditation Commission
The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, based in Saratoga Springs, New York, inspires excellence, promotes public trust and ensures permanence in the conservation of open lands by recognizing land trust organizations that meet rigorous quality standards and that strive for continuous improvement. The Commission, established in 2006 as an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, is governed by a volunteer board of diverse land conservation and nonprofit management experts from around the country.
About the Land Trust Alliance
Founded in 1982, the Land Trust Alliance is a national land conservation organization that works to save the places people need and love by strengthening land conservation across America. The Alliance represents 1,000 member land trusts supported by more than 200,000 volunteers and 4.6 million members nationwide. The Alliance is based in Washington, D.C., and operates several regional offices. More information about the Alliance is available on it's website.