The land trust accreditation program recognizes land conservation organizations that meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. ASA was first accredited in 2013 and is pleased to announce it is applying for renewal after 5 years. A public comment period is now open.
The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, conducts an extensive review of each applicant’s policies and programs. “Accreditation is more than compliance and paperwork. It is ASA’s commitment to the communities we serve that we are here for the long haul. We adhere to best practices and commit to long term stewardship of the conservation easements we hold for the benefit of the public,” explained Renee Bouplon, ASA Associate Director. Currently, 389 land trusts are accredited in the U.S. out of more than 1,700 land trusts nationwide.
The Commission invites public input and accepts signed, written comments on pending applications. Comments must relate to how ASA complies with national quality standards. These standards address the ethical and technical operation of a land trust. For the full list of standards visit www.landtrustaccreditation.org/help-and-resources/indicator-practices.
To learn more about the accreditation program and to submit a comment, visit www.landtrustaccreditation.org, or email your comment to info@landtrustaccreditation.org. Comments may also be faxed or mailed to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, Attn: Public Comments: (fax) 518-587-3183; (mail) 36 Phila Street, Suite 2, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.
Comments on ASA’s application will be most useful by April 27, 2018. ASA would be grateful to those that take a moment to provide comments on our quality of work.
