Earlier this month, the Land Trust Alliance Board of Directors approved the final revised version of Land Trust Standards and Practices. Download the updated document

Action Needed:  LTA is asking that all Alliance members who renew their land trust membership during the course of the year confirm they have adopted the new Standards by providing the Alliance with a copy of their board resolution. This applies to members renewing as early as this month. View the board resolution

About The Update Process:  Land Trust Standards and Practices are the ethical and technical guidelines for the responsible operation of a land trust. The Land Trust Alliance drafted the first Standards in 1989 at the urging of land trusts and to affirm certain best practices as the surest way to secure lasting conservation.  To maintain the land trust community’s strength, credibility and effectiveness, the Standards were updated in 1993, 2001 and 2004. In preparing this 2017 update, an advisory team, comprised of land trust professionals from across the country, reviewed and discussed more than 1,600 comments from conservationists throughout the United States. These many voices were an invaluable asset throughout the revision process. While this document is a publication of the Land Trust Alliance, the Standards are a collective product of the land trust community. The advisory team was as diverse in perspective as the comments the team reviewed. Unanimity was not necessarily achieved on each standard or practice, but this document reflects the expressed values and recommendations of the overall land trust community.

Many Thanks:  The Alliance extends its sincere appreciation to the members of the 2017 Standards Advisory Team and core team and to the hundreds of land conservationists across the country who participated in the development of the 2017 revisions. The Alliance also gratefully acknowledges the individuals involved in establishing the Standards in 1989 and revising them in 1993, 2001 and 2004.

Additionally, the Alliance wishes to thank all the individual, foundation and corporate supporters of Together: A Campaign for the Land who helped make the 2017 revisions possible.

Getting Started:  We look forward to supporting your land trust’s efforts to adopt and successfully implement the revised Standards. Information can be found on the Alliance website and on The Learning Center. However, please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns you may have.

Thank you for your continued commitment to operational excellence and all you do on behalf of land conservation.

Sincerely,

Sylvia

Sylvia Bates

Director of Standards and Educational Services, Land Trust Alliance