The Presumpscot Regional Land Trust’s (PRLT) pre-application was one of only 12 land trusts nationwide to be selected to apply for national accreditation by the Land Trust Alliance in 2020. The formal application will be submitted in July and final certification will be announced by the end of the year.
The Land Trust Alliance is the national leader in setting policy and standards while also providing education and training in support of local land trusts. About 400 Land Trusts have been accredited in the U.S., representing approximately one third of all the land trusts nationally. Through the application process, the Land Trust must demonstrate a high degree of competency in four key areas of governance, finance, transactions and stewardship through written policies and procedures for all vital aspects of the land.
Rachelle Curran Apse, Executive Director of PRLT said, “Our Land Trust has conserved thousands of acres of land over the last 30 years for wildlife habitat and to provide access to local lands and clean water for current and future generations to enjoy. The national accreditation process represents the next big step forward.”
Four years ago, when the PRLT began merging with Windham Land Trust, Presumpscot River Watch and Gorham Trails, the Land Trust leadership agreed it was time to move toward national accreditation by meeting the highest standards for land conservation. Curran Apse wanted to acknowledge the Land Trust board members who have devoted hundreds of volunteer hours over the last four years in collaboration with staff to prepare for the rigorous accreditation process which codifies board member selection, training and procedures, financial procedures and accountability, guidelines for land acquisition, and also comprehensive management plans for every conserved land owned by the Land Trust.
These recently merged organizations started as all-volunteer groups, similar to most land trusts throughout the country over the last forty years. Given the volunteer origin of so many land trusts, the national non-profit Land Trust Alliance realized the importance of defining best practices and standards for land trusts by creating a national accreditation process.
Tamara Lee Pinard, Co-President of the PRLT said, “The national accreditation seal offers the assurance that a land trust has the systems in place to keep the promise of forever conserving land. Accreditation strengthens individual land trusts and America’s land conservation movement.”
Thanks to grants from Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Maine Community Foundation’s Fund for Maine Land Conservation, Davis Conservation Foundation, and individual donors, the Land Trust has been able to prepare and apply for national accreditation. The public is invited to comment on PRLT’s pending application at www.prlt.org/accreditation.