Susie Wood posted on October 01, 2009 08:49
The Thousand Islands Land Trust has been accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance. TILT is one of 82 accredited land trusts out of 1700 nationwide and one of eight accredited land trusts out of 90 in New York State.
“Accredited land trusts meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever,” said Commission Executive Director Tammara Van Ryn. “The accreditation seal lets the public know that the accredited land trust has undergone an extensive, external review of the governance and management of its organization and the systems and policies it uses to protect land.”
Land is America’s most important and valuable resource. Conserving land helps ensure clean air and drinking water, food security, scenic landscapes and views, recreational places, and habitat for the diversity of life on earth. Across the country, local citizens and communities have come together to form land trusts to save the places they love. Community leaders in land trusts throughout the country have worked with willing landowners to save over 37 million acres of farms, forests, parks and places people care about. Strong, well-managed land trusts provide local communities with effective caretakers of their critical land resources, and safeguard the land for future generations to enjoy in perpetuity.
“The whole accreditation process has been an incredible learning experience for the board and staff,” says executive director Andrew Wood. “Our recent transition happened under such tragic circumstances, but we were able to use our accreditation materials as reference for procedures and institutional memory so we can move forward as an organization.” Aaron Vogel, then executive director of the Thousand Islands Land Trust, died suddenly on November 26, a few days after the land trust submitted its application for accreditation.
Adds Susan Smith, President, “Aaron worked so hard to make the land trust a professional organization. Being accredited is a tribute to his commitment to education, staff development and his love of the land and the organization. We’re all very proud.”
Accredited land trusts are 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. The seal is a mark of distinction in land conservation.
The Thousand Islands region is internationally recognized as a unique and significant landscape, home to threatened and endangered species and containing specialized habitats for numerous flora and fauna. Lying in and along the St. Lawrence River, the Thousand Islands are part of the largest system of fresh water on the earth. Conserving and caring for the area is a huge responsibility borne by everyone who lives and visits here. TILT’s accreditation confirms that it is well equipped to protect this land forever.