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Harry Talbott raises his hand when asked how many landowners in the audience had conserved land with the Mesa Land Trust during the Land Trust’s announcement Tuesday of its accreditation award.
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Harry Talbott is one of a group of Grand Valley farmers who, in the interest of preserving their agricultural community, founded the Mesa Land Trust in 1980.
The Land Trust announced Tuesday its accreditation award from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. Talbott said the award is significant.
“It tells me the Land Trust will be around for a long time,” Talbott said. “I think we’ll be in a strong position to pick up prime easements” as a favored land trust.
Among the 40 land trusts in Colorado, only seven are accredited. There are more than 1,500 land trusts nationwide, of which 53 are accredited.
“It sets us apart,” said Mesa Land Trust Executive Director Rob Bleiberg. “A lot of people put tremendous trust in our organization. We felt it was important to demonstrate to those folks their trust is well-placed.”
Mesa Land Trust is a member of the national Land Trust Alliance, who, at the direction of its members, developed a professional level accreditation program in 2006. The accreditation is a way for land trusts to document and demonstrate that they operate at a high level and carefully abide by all the regulations and laws, said Mesa County Commissioner Steven Acquafresca, a former land trust staff member.
“It’s kind of like the Good Housekeeping stamp of approval,” Acquafresca said.
Mesa Land Trust has conserved 53,579 acres in and around Mesa County through more than 125 conservation agreements with landowners. The agreements are binding and prevent the property from ever being subdivided or developed. The landowner continues to own and live on the land, and may sell it. The terms of the conservation agreement remain forever, however.
The Land Trust Accreditation Commission is based in Saratoga, N.Y. The commission is governed by a volunteer board of diverse land conservation and nonprofit management experts from around the country.
Mesa Land Trust is a private, nonprofit group dedicated to preserving wildlife habitat, agricultural lands and scenic areas in and around Mesa County.
Reach Sharon Sullivan at ssullivan@gjfreepress.com.
The Land Trust announced Tuesday its accreditation award from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. Talbott said the award is significant.
“It tells me the Land Trust will be around for a long time,” Talbott said. “I think we’ll be in a strong position to pick up prime easements” as a favored land trust.
Among the 40 land trusts in Colorado, only seven are accredited. There are more than 1,500 land trusts nationwide, of which 53 are accredited.
“It sets us apart,” said Mesa Land Trust Executive Director Rob Bleiberg. “A lot of people put tremendous trust in our organization. We felt it was important to demonstrate to those folks their trust is well-placed.”
Mesa Land Trust is a member of the national Land Trust Alliance, who, at the direction of its members, developed a professional level accreditation program in 2006. The accreditation is a way for land trusts to document and demonstrate that they operate at a high level and carefully abide by all the regulations and laws, said Mesa County Commissioner Steven Acquafresca, a former land trust staff member.
“It’s kind of like the Good Housekeeping stamp of approval,” Acquafresca said.
Mesa Land Trust has conserved 53,579 acres in and around Mesa County through more than 125 conservation agreements with landowners. The agreements are binding and prevent the property from ever being subdivided or developed. The landowner continues to own and live on the land, and may sell it. The terms of the conservation agreement remain forever, however.
The Land Trust Accreditation Commission is based in Saratoga, N.Y. The commission is governed by a volunteer board of diverse land conservation and nonprofit management experts from around the country.
Mesa Land Trust is a private, nonprofit group dedicated to preserving wildlife habitat, agricultural lands and scenic areas in and around Mesa County.
Reach Sharon Sullivan at ssullivan@gjfreepress.com.
