Today’s quiz:
A. What is Anthony, League Conservation Programs Assistant, carrying?
B. How many redwoods were cut down to generate that amount of paper?
C. Why does Anthony have that look on his face?
Answers:
A. Those binders contain the League’s application for Land Trust Alliance accreditation.
As one of the earliest land conservation organizations, Save the Redwoods League helped pave the way for the hundreds of similar nonprofits around the country. Each land trust works in their town or valley or region or state to permanently preserve and protect land and habitats.
Formed in 1982, the Land Trust Alliance is the national organization helping to increase the pace, enhance the quality and ensure the permanence of land conservation across the country. LTA’s Standards and Practices are “guidelines for the responsible operation of a land trust.” They define the legal and ethical requirements for a land trust to follow in order to operate in the public interest and to conduct a sound program of land transactions and stewardship. The League adopted LTA’s Standards and Practices in 2004.
Several years ago, LTA established an accreditation program; the first accreditation seals were given out in 2008. The accreditation seal recognizes land conservation organizations that meet national standards for excellence, uphold the public trust and ensure that conservation efforts are permanent.
It has been a year-long effort and the League is now ready to file our application for accreditation. The application includes a long list of documents including:
- the procedures we follow and the standards we use in evaluating whether to pursue acquisition of a property
- the procedures we follow and the standards we use in managing the lands we have protected with the money entrusted to us
- investment policies and our IRS Form 990
- the complete file relating to four land acquisitions
The LTA Accreditation Commission invites public input and accepts signed, written comments on pending applications. The instructions for submitting comments are here: https://www.savetheredwoods.org/about-us/governance/accountability/#lta. We appreciate your input and we look forward to proudly displaying LTA’s accreditation seal, the national mark of distinction in land conservation, in 2013.
B. NO redwoods were cut down. It’s all recycled paper and none of it redwood.
C. Anthony always wears that look.
(P.S. Thank you Anthony and Jess for your extraordinary efforts compiling the application.)
