 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
Brandywine Conservancy Participating in Land Trust Accreditation Program (September 2007, #012) For Immediate Release CHADDS FORD, PA — The Brandywine Conservancy is one of 44 land trusts nationwide participating in a new pilot accreditation program of the Land Trust Alliance (LTA), a national association of land trusts headquartered in Washington, DC. The Land Trust Accreditation Program is designed to strengthen management of conservation easements and to promote public confidence in land trusts. Developed by a consortium including the Brandywine Conservancy, this voluntary program is governed by a 13-member Accreditation Commission, an independent branch of the Land Trust Alliance.  This spring, the Conservancy formed an accreditation team consisting of Brandywine Conservancy trustee and Environmental Committee Chairman Jack Hines and eight staff members. The team recently completed an extensive self-assessment study. The 40-page questionnaire is divided into 12 standards based on 42 "Indicator Practices" from LTA's Standards and Practices. Standards 1 through 7 focus on organizational strength, and standards 8 through 12 focus on land transactions. The Conservancy submitted its 73-page application in mid-August. The notebooks contain numerous documents illustrating compliance with each of the standards and charts describing each of the Conservancy's conservation easements and fee projects. As part of its review process, the Commission requested files for six land conservation projects of various ages, sizes and types, including both easements and fee holdings. The Conservancy submitted these on September 4, 2007, and the Commission's formal review of the application will begin upon receiving the files. The Commission accepts signed, written comments from the public on pending applications. Comments must relate to the Brandywine Conservancy's compliance with the accreditation indicator practices. For the full list of indicator practices, visit www.lta.org/accreditation/practices.htm. To learn more about the accreditation program and to submit a comment, visit www.landtrustaccreditation.org. Comments may also be faxed to 518-587-3183 or mailed to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, Attention: Public Comments, 112 Spring Street, Suite 204, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. Comments on the Conservancy's application would be appreciated by November 6, 2007. Decisions on pilot applications will be made in 2008. TOP OF PAGE |
|
For more information send email to emc@brandywine.org, call |