Northern Waters Land Trust Earns National Recognition
Walker, MN —The Northern Waters Land Trust (NWLT) has earned national recognition as an accredited land trust by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, a program of the Land Trust Alliance. Accreditation means that Northern Waters Land Trust abides by the Land Trust Standards and Practices and operates in an ethical, legal and technically sound manner.
“The accreditation process helped us evolve into a more professional organization. Since our early days of education and awareness as a local watershed foundation, we have become more strategic, more transparent and more financially resilient than ever before. Earning the privilege to display the accreditation seal represents great work by our volunteer Board and staff,” said Board Chair Tim Bremicker.
Founded in 1995 as the Leech Lake Area Watershed Foundation, the Northern Waters Land Trust is a non-profit conservation organization working to protect water quality and preserve environmentally sensitive lands and water resources in Cass, Crow Wing, Hubbard and Aitkin Counties. NWLT engages with a host of conservation partners and local landowners, using public and private funding, to secure conservation easements and initiated acquisitions of those sensitive lands.
Northern Waters Land Trust provided extensive documentation and was subject to a comprehensive third-party evaluation prior to achieving this distinction. The Land Trust Accreditation Commission reviews organizations to ensure permanence in the conservation of open lands by recognizing land trusts that meet rigorous quality standards and strive for continuous improvement. The key elements of the accreditation process are: sound finances, ethical conduct, responsible governance and lasting stewardship. The Commission awarded accreditation, signifying its confidence that Northern Minnesota’s lands will be protected forever.
“It is exciting to recognize Northern Waters Land Trust with this national mark of distinction,” said Tammara Van Ryn, executive director of the Commission. “Donors and partners can trust the more than 400 accredited land trusts across the country are united behind strong standards and have demonstrated sound finances, ethical conduct, responsible governance, and lasting stewardship”
Northern Waters Land Trust is one of 1,363 land trusts across the United States, and only the second in Minnesota to receive this distinction, according to the Land Trust Alliance’s most recent National Land Trust Census. A complete list of accredited land trusts and more information about the process and benefits can be found at www.landtrustaccreditation.org.
NWLT is a non-profit 501(c)(3) and accepts land donations, financial securities, estate gifts, and outright cash donations to help support continuing operations. For further information, please write to: NWLT, PO Box 124, Walker, Mn 56484; or call 218-547-4510. To learn more about Northern Waters Land Trust’s past and current projects, to volunteer or donate, visit www.NorthernWatersLandTrust.org.
About the Northern Waters Land Trust
The Northern Waters Land Trust (NWLT) is a non-profit conservation organization working to protect water quality and preserve environmentally sensitive lands and water resources. Formerly the Leech Lake Area Watershed Foundation, NWLT serves the watersheds in Cass, Crow Wing, Hubbard and Aitkin Counties of Minnesota, and represents 2,235 lakes, 3,400 miles of rivers and streams, and nearly 4.2 million acres. Learn more at www.NorthernWatersLandTrust.org.
About the Land Trust Accreditation Commission
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.
About the Land Trust Alliance
Founded in 1982, the Land Trust Alliance is a national land conservation organization that works to save the places people need and love by strengthening land conservation across America. The Alliance represents 1,000 member land trusts supported by more than 200,000 volunteers and 4.6 million members nationwide. The Alliance is based in Washington, D.C., and operates several regional offices.
The Alliance’s leadership serves the entire land trust community—our work in the nation’s capital represents the policy priorities of land conservationists from every state; our education programs improve and empower land trusts from Maine to Alaska; and our comprehensive vision for the future of land conservation includes new partners, new programs and new priorities. Connect with us online at www.landtrustalliance.org.
