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Contact: Fred Frodyma
Vice-President
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Three Rivers Land Trust Earns National Recognition
Accreditation Promotes Public Trust, Ensures Permanence
Alfred, Maine (August 17, 2016) – Three Rivers Land Trust, (3RLT, www.3rlt.org ) serving Acton, Alfred, Shapleigh, Lebanon, and Sanford/Springvale, today announced it has achieved accreditation – a mark of distinction in land conservation. The Land Trust Accreditation Commission awarded accreditation, signifying its confidence that Three Rivers Land Trust’s lands will be protected forever.
Almost 15 million acres of farms, forests and natural areas vital to healthy communities – an area about the size of the state of West Virginia – are permanently conserved by accredited land trusts.
“Achieving accreditation is a huge milestone in Three Rivers Land Trust’s achievements. This demonstrates our volunteer Board’s commitment to permanent land conservation in our communities,” said Jean Noon, President. “This rigorous accreditation process has helped us determine and implement standards and practices that ensure uniform and fair procedures for our land transactions and record keeping. We move forward with confidence toward building stronger and healthier communities through land conservation.”
Accreditation was a three-year challenge for the board who worked long hours to create the data needed by the accreditation commission to validate the trust’s policies and procedures and assemble all of the records of the properties the trust manages. Three Rivers is a member of the Southern Maine Conservation Collaborative http://www.southernmaineconservation.org/ whose help was critical in pulling this data together.
Three Rivers Land Trust was awarded 501(c)3 Status in May 2001. The region we serve encompasses 137,507 acres, a population of about 35,000 and many lakes that attract a large seasonal population.
Our mission is: “To maintain, support and enhance the working landscape of farms and forest and such valued natural resources as lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, historic sites, scenic places and wildlife habitat, in the inland municipalities of York County, Maine, by acquiring property in fee and conservation easements, and by garnering community support”.
Three Rivers Land Trust was founded in 2000 by a small group of citizens concerned about the sale of thousands of acres of farm and forestland in the area that were subsequently developed into house lots. In order to provide an alternative, the land trust was begun, and since then Three Rivers has conserved 2,210 acres of public and private land through conservation easements, and now owns an additional 469 acres.
This year the land trust has embarked on an aggressive campaign to preserve more than 2,000 acres of magnificent farm and forestland in the town of Acton. This property holds one of the most beautiful views in the region with the entire Presidential Range to the west and the lakes and forests of Acton and Shapleigh to the east.
Three Rivers was among 38 land trusts across the United States to achieve accreditation or to have accreditation renewed in August. Three Rivers joins the more than 350 accredited land trusts that demonstrate their commitment to professional excellence through accreditation, helping to maintain the public’s trust in their work.
“It is exciting to recognize Three Rivers Land Trust with this distinction,” said Tammara Van Ryn, executive director of the Commission. “Accredited land trusts stand together, united behind strong ethical standards ensuring the places people love will be conserved forever. This network of land trusts has demonstrated fiscal accountability, strong organizational leadership and lasting stewardship of conservation land.”
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.
Each accredited land trusts meets extensive documentation requirements and undergoes a comprehensive review as part of its accreditation application. The process is rigorous and strengthens land trusts so they can help landowners and communities achieve their goals.
The Commission is an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, a national land conservation organization. The Commission recognizes conservation excellence by awarding the accreditation seal.
Founded in 1982, the Land Trust Alliance is a national land conservation organization that works to save the places people love by strengthening land conservation across America. The Alliance represents more than 1,100 member land trusts supported by more than 100,000 volunteers and 5 million members nationwide. The Alliance is based in Washington, D.C. and operates several regional offices. More information about the Alliance is available at www.landtrustalliance.org.
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