To learn more about the accreditation program and to submit a comment, visit www.landtrustaccreditation.org. Comments may also be faxed or mailed to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, Attn: Public Comments: (fax) 518-587-3183; (mail) 112 Spring St., Suite 204, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. Comments on Washtenaw Land Trust’s application will be most useful if received no later than July 11.

Additional Information (March 2007):

Washtenaw Land Trust selected for national accreditation pilot

     The Washtenaw Land Trust was recently selected as one of 22 land conservation organizations from 19 states to test a new national accreditation program. The new land trust accreditation program will recognize land conservation organizations, also known as land trusts, that meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. 

     The Washtenaw Land Trust is a regional land trust that serves the counties of Washtenaw, Ingham, and Jackson.  Together with 1,000 members, the Land Trust has worked with over 50 conservation-minded landowners to conserve 2,616 acres of working farms and forests in this region. 

      “The Washtenaw Land Trust is embarking on a very ambitious multi-year plan to preserve more than 20,000 acres locally,” explained Board President Guy O. Williams.  “Most people don’t realize that in Washtenaw County alone we have 250,000 acres of land that are undeveloped – and unprotected.  Our highest priority is to protect the most important of these lands for future generations.”

      “We are in the business of preserving legacies,” said Williams. “The LTA accreditation process is an excellent tool to help us ensure our success for many years to come.”

      In Michigan, the Washtenaw Land Trust and the Leelanau Conservancy (Leland, Michigan) will participate in the pilot accreditation program.  These land trusts and the other 20 groups in the pilot program are just a few of the more than 1,660 land trusts across the country.  These community-based conservation organizations have conserved more than 11.9 million acres of land – an area twice the size of New Hampshire.

      Organizations volunteered to be part of the pilot program operated by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission.  The Commission selected groups from the volunteers to make sure that the tests include a diversity of land trust sizes, geographic locations and types of land protected.

      The Commission is an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance that was created in 2006.  “In an era when the public is demanding accountability from government and nonprofit organizations, independent land trust accreditation will help provide the assurance of quality and permanence of land conservation the public is looking for,” explained Executive Director of the Commission, Tammara Van Ryn.

      The accreditation program will be tested in 2007 and will be available to interested organizations starting in 2008.  At that time, land trusts can join the ranks of other nonprofit organizations that gain professional recognition through accreditation, such as museums, zoos, aquariums, colleges and hospitals.  Accredited land trusts will be able to display a seal indicating to the public that they meet national standards for excellence, uphold the public trust and ensure that conservation efforts are permanent. 

      Van Ryn emphasized, “We are extremely grateful to the land trusts that volunteered to be part of the pilot accreditation program.  These organizations are willing to demonstrate publicly their commitment to high standards of ethics and operations and serve the land conservation community and the American public by shaping this new program.”

~~

The first land trust established in Michigan, Washtenaw Land Trust protects the natural areas and rural landscapes that make our community a great place to live.  Since 1971, this growing organization has directly protected 50 properties totaling 2,616 acres throughout Washtenaw, Jackson, and Ingham counties through voluntary land conservation.  The Washtenaw Land Trust is a private, non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. For more information please visit www.washtenawlandtrust.org, or contact the Land Trust at info@washtenawlandtrust.org or 734-302-LAND (5263).

The Land Trust Accreditation Commission awards the accreditation seal to community institutions that meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever.  The Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance established in 2006, is governed by a volunteer board of diverse land conservation and nonprofit management experts from around the country.  For more information please visit www.landtrustaccreditation.org.

More News Stories

Calendar of Events

Back to "What's New"