Strong Commitment to Public Trust and Conservation Excellence
Mount Vernon, WA – Skagit Land Trust (the Trust) has for the second time achieved renewed land trust accreditation from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance. In 2009 Skagit Land Trust became one of the first land trusts in the nation to receive official accreditation from the national Land Trust Accreditation Commission and received renewed accreditation in 2015. Accreditation signifies that a qualifying land trust meets national standards for excellence, upholds the public trust, and ensures that conservation efforts are permanent.
“It is exciting to recognize Skagit Land Trust’s continued commitment to national standards by renewing this national mark of distinction,” said Melissa Kalvestrand, executive director of the Commission. “Donors and partners can trust the more than 400 accredited land trusts across the country are united behind strong standards and have demonstrated sound finances, ethical conduct, responsible governance, and lasting stewardship.”
Skagit Land Trust provided extensive documentation and was subject to a comprehensive third-party evaluation prior to achieving this distinction. The Land Trust Accreditation Commission awarded renewed accreditation, signifying its confidence that Skagit Land Trust’s lands will be protected forever. Accredited land trusts now steward almost 20 million acres – the size of Denali, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Glacier, Everglades and Yosemite National Parks combined.
Skagit Land Trust was founded in 1992 by three visionary founders and 31 charter members to conserve the wildlife habitat, agricultural and forest lands, scenic open space, wetlands, and shorelines of Skagit County for the benefit of our community today and as a legacy for future generations. With 400 active volunteers, and more than 1,600 member supporters, Skagit Land Trust has helped protect the most important and beloved places in Skagit County. Today, the amount of land and habitat protected by the Trust has grown to over 8,350 acres, including more than 44 miles of shoreline.
According to the Land Trust Alliance, conserving land helps ensure clean air and drinking water; safe, healthy food; scenic landscapes; recreational places; and habitat for the diversity of life on earth. In addition to health and food benefits, conserving land increases property values near greenbelts, saves tax dollars by encouraging more efficient development, and reduces the need for expensive water filtration facilities. Community leaders in land trusts throughout the country have worked with interested landowners to save more than 56 million acres of farms, forests, parks and places people care about, including land transferred to public agencies and protected via other means. Strong, well-managed land trusts provide local communities with effective champions and caretakers of their critical land resources, and safeguard the land through the generations.
Skagit Land Trust is one of 1,363 land trusts across the United States according to the Land Trust Alliance’s most recent National Land Trust Census. A complete list of accredited land trusts and more information about the process and benefits can be found at www.landtrustaccreditation.org.
About the Land Trust Accreditation Commission
The Land Trust Accreditation Commission inspires excellence, promotes public trust and ensures permanence in the conservation of open lands by recognizing organizations that meet rigorous quality standards and strive for continuous improvement. The Commission, established in 2006 as an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, is governed by a volunteer board of diverse land conservation and nonprofit management experts. For more, visit www.landtrustaccreditation.org.