WiserEarth Suggestions

A land trust must be a responsible steward of its lands. Ownership is only the first step in protecting a property's conservation values such as wildlife habitat and open space, and providing opportunities for environmental education. Land trust staff and volunteers need to understand the abiotic, biologic and cultural resources of their properties and be alert to threats to their conservation values. Without proper protection, sites can become degraded to a condition that fails to achieve the land trust's conservation goals. Lack of management may make it difficult for the land trust to raise money and maintain public support. In a worst case scenario, poor management may even cause the land trust to lose the property or its 501(c)(3) status if it chronically fails to protect the conservation values of its land.

Good stewardship produces many positive benefits for a land trust, including:

• Protecting and enhancing the conservation values of a property

• Creating a sound, responsible public image for the land trust and enhancing support for its efforts

• Maintaining a good relationship with a donor that may result in additional gifts

• Encouraging others to give funds, land and conservation easements

In these materials, we have endeavored to acquaint land trusts with the process of selecting and planning for a property’s acquisition and stewardship, including on-the-ground techniques for protecting conservation values, monitoring outcomes and adapting management to ensure long-term protection. While classroom training is not a substitute for hands-on experience, the guidance provided in this book can assist land trusts in complying with Land Trust Standards and Practices. The book is organized into four chapters:

1. Project Planning
2. Fee Land Stewardship
3. Stewardship Administration
4. Monitoring

Specific learning objectives are provided at the beginning of each of the four chapters and highlight each chapter’s topics. In chapter 1, you will learn how to screen potential property acquisitions to ensure that they meet your land trust’s mission and that the land is within your organization’s capacity to manage. In chapter 2, you will learn appropriate stewardship practices for protecting the conservation values of your properties. Chapter 3 prepares learners to conduct appropriate land management activities through improved recordkeeping, budgeting and related activities. Chapter 4 covers monitoring of fee lands and discusses adaptive management strategies and how to minimize risk associated with hazards and unauthorized use.

Collectively, these chapters will guide those responsible for land trust stewardship activities though the process of evaluating, planning and implementing management activities with professionalism.

The course materials are designed to foster improved stewardship activities of fee-owned lands that will protect conservation values in perpetuity. Use the narrative sections to obtain general knowledge of the topics and then work though the exercises to gain more specific understanding of stewardship. If your organization does not have the relevant policies and forms, develop your own using the templates as a guide. Every land trust is unique, so modify the documents and policies to fit your particular situation. Don’t be intimidated by the magnitude of the task! Break it down into sections that are manageable within your time and resource constraints, but prioritize the topics that need the most attention in your organization.

The evaluations contained in this book are for training purposes only. They are not designed or intended to determine if your land trust is ready for accreditation.

Completing a course does not necessarily demonstrate that an organization is actually carrying out the practice. Therefore, the Land Trust Accreditation Commission will examine documents and information in project files to verify that each indicator practice is being carried out in the land trust applying for accreditation. This course and others in the curriculum are designed to help your land trust understand how to implement the practices.

Please note:

• The curriculum is not required for accreditation

• Completing the curriculum will not guarantee accreditation