Trust gets seal of approval

NCRLT becomes one of only 53 accredited land trusts in country

Just a few weeks after announcing its latest conservation easement, the 640-acre R&R Ranch in southeastern Tehama County, the Northern California Regional Land Trust has announced that the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, has awarded it accredited status.

The designation recognizes that NCRLT has met national standards in its efforts to protect natural places. “NCRLT’s accredited status demonstrates our commitment to permanent land conservation,” Jamison Watts (pictured), the trust’s executive director, says in a press release.

NCRLT was one of just 14 land trusts accredited this February; that group joins the inaugural group of 39 trusts awarded accreditation in September 2008, for a total of 53 nationwide.

“It is our hope that this national distinction of excellence will dispel any doubt about this organization’s business practices or ability to effectively conserve land and other natural and agricultural resources, both now and in the future,” Watts says.