Land Trust Standards and Practices

Land Trust Standards and Practices are widely accepted guidelines for the responsible operation of a land trust.

Summary

Land Trust Standards and Practices are guidelines to help land trusts operate in ethically, technically and legally sound ways. They guide land trusts in conducting sound programs of conservation land transactions and stewardship, helping to ensure the long-term protection of land in the public interest. The governing boards of most land trusts have expressed the intent of bringing their operations into conformance with Standards and Practices, signifying this through an Adoption Resolution. The Land Trust Alliance developed Standards and Practices at the urging of land trusts, recognizing that a strong land trust community depends on the credibility and effectiveness of all its members. Land Trust Standards and Practices were last revised in 2004.

Track Record

The Land Trust Alliance originally published Land Trust Standards and Practices in 1989 at the urging of land trusts nationwide. The Standards and Practices were most recently updated in 2004. More than 1,000 organizations across the country have adopted Standards and Practices, indicating overwhelming acceptance of the guidelines in the land trust community.

The Pennsylvania Land Trust Association strongly encourages all organizations that acquire land or easements for conservation purposes to bring their operations into conformance with Land Trust Standards and Practices.

Typical End Users

Land Trust Standards and Practices were developed for use by private, nonprofit conservation organizations. Guidance to help quasi-governmental conservation organizations interpret and apply Standards and Practices to their operations was published in December 2007. Local governments may find Standards 8 through 12 and their associated practices, which pertain to land and easement transactions and stewardship issues, very useful in shaping their land protection programs.

Conservation Impact

Standards and Practices provide land trusts with firm guidelines in developing sound programs of land transactions and stewardship. Adoption of Standards and Practices indicates that that the land trust is committed to refining its operations and achieving excellence in its conservation work. Through adoption, land trusts recognize their role in upholding the public trust and the credibility of the land trust community.

What You'll Need

Obstacles and Challenges

Adoption of the Standards and Practices does not signify that a land trust is fully implementing the specific details of every practice. It is simply stating the intent of the organization to comply. Compliance with Standards and Practices requires a comprehensive review of organizational procedures and practices and making necessary modifications, if necessary.

Contents of Main Description

      Background
      Who Should Use Standards and Practices?
      Adopting Standards and Practices
      Help with Standards and Practices

Background

The Land Trust Standards and Practices are operational guidelines to assist land trusts in managing sustainable and effective organizations through sound legal and ethical means. These fundamental guidelines are intended to support land trusts in building a stronger, principled organizational structure and developing effective conservation and stewardship programs in the public interest.

Land Trust Standards and Practices are organized into 12 standards and supporting practices to advance the standards. The practices are guidelines; there are many ways for a land trust to implement the practices, depending on the size and scope of the organization.

The Land Trust Alliance originally developed the standards and practices in 1989 at the urging of land trusts, recognizing that a strong land trust community depends on the credibility and effectiveness of all its members. Land Trust Standards and Practices were last revised in 2004.

Since the Standards and Practices were designed primarily for use by nonprofit private land trusts, guidance to help quasi-governmental conservation organizations interpret and apply Standards and Practices to their operations was published in December 2007.

Who Should Use Standards and Practices?

The Pennsylvania Land Trust Association strongly encourages all organizations that acquire land or easements for conservation purposes to adopt Standards and Practices as their guiding principles and work towards bringing their operations into accord with them.

The Land Trust Alliance currently requires all of its land trust members to adopt Land Trust Standards and Practices as the guiding principles for their operations. The Alliance encourages land trusts to implement them at a pace appropriate for their organization.

Adopting Standards and Practices

By adopting Standards and Practices, the governing boards of land trusts express the intent of continually working to bring their operations into conformance with Standards and Practices. The Land Trust Alliance publishes a sample Adoption Resolution.

Help with Standards and Practices

The Land Trust Alliance has developed a 15-course Standards and Practices Curriculum to help organizations implement Standards and Practices. Hard copies of the course materials can be purchased from the Land Trust Alliance. Members of the Land Trust Alliance can download PDFs of the materials for free.

The Pennsylvania Land Trust Association has offered most of the Standards and Practices courses at the Pennsylvania Land Conservation Conference as well as stand-alone seminars and will continue to present these courses. For more information, visit the Events area of this website.

Through its Technical Assistance Program, the Pennsylvania Land Trust Association can assist Pennsylvania member land trust organizations in prioritizing organizational needs and taking the steps to implement some or all of the standards and practices. This program can also assist land trusts seeking to prepare for Accreditation.

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