Forest Society Invites Public Comment for LTA Accreditation
The Land Trust Alliance (LTA) is a national convener, strategist, and representative of more than 1,700 land trusts across America. Recognizing the importance of public confidence in land trusts, the LTA established formal Standards and Practices in the 1980s. The Forest Society was one of the earliest adopters of these standards. In 2004, these Standards and Practices were updated, and again, the Forest Society’s Board of Trustees voted to accept the revised Standards and Practices as the ethical and technical guidelines that would govern the organization’s responsible operation.
Most recently, the LTA directed the Land Trust Accreditation Commission to establish a system of accreditation that recognizes land conservation organizations that meet national quality standards and have systems in place to protect important natural places and working lands forever.
The Forest Society has chosen to participate in this voluntary accreditation program. Accreditation provides the assurance of quality and permanence and is essential for building public confidence in land conservation.
“The Forest Society has been a long-time member of the Land Trust Alliance and a supporter of its efforts to promote the pace and permanence of land conservation,” said Forest Society President/Forester Jane Difley. “We are excited to embark on the accreditation process and anxious to join other land trusts that have chosen to seek this seal of approval from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission.”
An independent program of the LTA, the Land Trust Accreditation Commission conducts an extensive review of each applicant’s policies and programs. As part of the review process, public input is invited.
The Commission will accept signed, written comments from the public through December 30, 2011. Comments must relate to how the Forest Society complies with the national quality standards that address the ethical and technical operation of a land trust. The full list of standards is available at landtrustalliance.org/training/sp.
If you would like to comment on the Forest Society’s application, you can fax your comments to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission at (518) 587-3183 or mail them to:
Land Trust Accreditation Commission
Attn: Public Comments
112 Spring Street, Suite 204
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
You can also submit comments online at www.landtrustaccreditation.org.
If you have questions about the accreditation process, please contact Paul Doscher at (603) 224-9945.