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Montgomery County Lands Trust seeks accreditation
Since its founding more than a decade ago, Montgomery County Lands Trust has pursued a high degree of professionalism as it promotes land preservation throughout the county. Now the Harleysville-based non-profit is advancing its commitment to excellence by seeking accreditation through the Land Trust Accreditation Commission.
MCLT plans to submit its accreditation materials Nov. 13, 2009. A public comment period is currently in effect, during which the commission accepts signed comments regarding MCLT’s compliance with national standards.
“It really is a substantial undertaking,” Dulcie Flaherty, executive director of MCLT, said.
Flaherty estimated that the stack of documents she needs to submit is close to two feet high. She is undaunted by the process, however, because it reassures the community that the conservation effort is in competent hands.
With 2,600 acres of eased property to monitor, MCLT takes its responsibility seriously. A conservation easement permanently protects natural areas from development while allowing the landholder to maintain ownership.
“Perpetuity is a long time,” Flaherty said. “Even though we’re a small organization, we decided that it was important to show the public that we do our due diligence.”
The accreditation process scrutinizes a land trust’s activities in light of a number of indicator practices, which the Land Trust Accreditation Commission developed with input from the national land preservation community.
An independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, the commission will consider MCLT’s organizational governance, financial practices, and land stewardship. MCLT already reviews the Land Trust Alliance’s operational standards at their first meeting each year, holding themselves accountable to the public and ensuring their responsiveness to donors.
Now they will submit documentation regarding their process for taking easements, communication with their board of directors, and policies on record retention. After receiving accreditation, they will need to reapply every five years.
“The purpose is to strengthen us, to build and recognize organizations that are strong,” Flaherty said. Continued...
The organization answered the need for a non-profit to address both public and private preservation efforts, working locally as well as with state and national organizations.
MCLT offers dozens of education programs, including the Green Futures program, which has trained over 1,000 municipal leaders on conservation issues. They serve as a clearinghouse for land preservation questions, and they forge partnerships with other preservation organizations to tackle difficult problems. The Partners for Land Preservation program meets three times per year to advance land preservation on a regional level.
“We do all this because of our heartfelt belief that people want to protect the land because they really love it,” Flaherty said. Community members proved their dedication to the land in 2003, when MCLT was instrumental in the passage of the $150 million Montgomery County Green Fields / Green Towns Open Space Referendum.
When MCLT asked voters if they were willing to have their taxes raised for various projects, such as planting trees and saving farms, many were favorable. All 62 municipalities voted yes, at a rate of 78 percent, according to Flaherty.
Montgomery County possesses a diverse array of “cultural landscapes” that unify communities around shared values, Flaherty said.
From the boulder-strewn hillsides of Marlborough to the pocket parks of Ambler, every town has the potential for green space that provides a sense of home. MCLT seeks to find out what the community would like to do and supports their goals.
Even the private preservation transactions MCLT conducts benefit the public, since they contribute to biodiversity and an abundant water supply. The result is a healthier regional economy and an improved quality of life.
Despite the extensive labor involved, Flaherty feels that the accreditation process is well worth the effort.
“It’s like having a baby. You know it’s going to hurt having it, but then after it’s over, you forget.” What will not be forgotten is the heritage of natural treasures that MCLT preserves forever. Continued...
MCLT plans to submit its accreditation materials Nov. 13, 2009. A public comment period is currently in effect, during which the commission accepts signed comments regarding MCLT’s compliance with national standards.
“It really is a substantial undertaking,” Dulcie Flaherty, executive director of MCLT, said.
Flaherty estimated that the stack of documents she needs to submit is close to two feet high. She is undaunted by the process, however, because it reassures the community that the conservation effort is in competent hands.
With 2,600 acres of eased property to monitor, MCLT takes its responsibility seriously. A conservation easement permanently protects natural areas from development while allowing the landholder to maintain ownership.
“Perpetuity is a long time,” Flaherty said. “Even though we’re a small organization, we decided that it was important to show the public that we do our due diligence.”
The accreditation process scrutinizes a land trust’s activities in light of a number of indicator practices, which the Land Trust Accreditation Commission developed with input from the national land preservation community.
An independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, the commission will consider MCLT’s organizational governance, financial practices, and land stewardship. MCLT already reviews the Land Trust Alliance’s operational standards at their first meeting each year, holding themselves accountable to the public and ensuring their responsiveness to donors.
Now they will submit documentation regarding their process for taking easements, communication with their board of directors, and policies on record retention. After receiving accreditation, they will need to reapply every five years.
“The purpose is to strengthen us, to build and recognize organizations that are strong,” Flaherty said.
MCLT has been a robust force for land preservation ever since its inception in 1993, the same year that the first Montgomery County Open Space Program was launched.
The organization answered the need for a non-profit to address both public and private preservation efforts, working locally as well as with state and national organizations.
MCLT offers dozens of education programs, including the Green Futures program, which has trained over 1,000 municipal leaders on conservation issues. They serve as a clearinghouse for land preservation questions, and they forge partnerships with other preservation organizations to tackle difficult problems. The Partners for Land Preservation program meets three times per year to advance land preservation on a regional level.
“We do all this because of our heartfelt belief that people want to protect the land because they really love it,” Flaherty said. Community members proved their dedication to the land in 2003, when MCLT was instrumental in the passage of the $150 million Montgomery County Green Fields / Green Towns Open Space Referendum.
When MCLT asked voters if they were willing to have their taxes raised for various projects, such as planting trees and saving farms, many were favorable. All 62 municipalities voted yes, at a rate of 78 percent, according to Flaherty.
Montgomery County possesses a diverse array of “cultural landscapes” that unify communities around shared values, Flaherty said.
From the boulder-strewn hillsides of Marlborough to the pocket parks of Ambler, every town has the potential for green space that provides a sense of home. MCLT seeks to find out what the community would like to do and supports their goals.
Even the private preservation transactions MCLT conducts benefit the public, since they contribute to biodiversity and an abundant water supply. The result is a healthier regional economy and an improved quality of life.
Despite the extensive labor involved, Flaherty feels that the accreditation process is well worth the effort.
“It’s like having a baby. You know it’s going to hurt having it, but then after it’s over, you forget.” What will not be forgotten is the heritage of natural treasures that MCLT preserves forever.
To learn more about MCLT, visit www.mclt.org. See www.landtrustaccreditation.org for information on accreditation or to submit a comment.
