The Minnesota Land Trust is working toward formal recognition of its commitment to accountable public service through an accreditation process spearheaded by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. The Minnesota Land Trust is one of a handful of land trusts from around the country selected to apply for this pilot round.

Accreditation is an important step in ensuring public accountability in voluntary land conservation and building strong and lasting land conservation organizations.  The accreditation process will evaluate many aspects of the Minnesota Land Trust’s operations, including board accountability, fundraising, and land transactions.

As part of its application process, the Commission accepts signed, written comments from the public on pending applications, including the Minnesota Land Trust’s application. 

Comments must relate to the Minnesota Land Trust’s compliance with the accreditation indicator practices.  These practices address the ethical and technical operation of a land trust. For the full list of indicator practices see www.lta.org/accreditation/practices.htm. 

To learn more about the accreditation program and to submit a comment, visit www.landtrustaccreditation.org. Comments may also be faxed or mailed to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, Attn: Public Comments: (fax) 518-587-3183; (mail) 112 Spring St., Suite 204, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.  Comments on the Minnesota Land Trust’s application will be most useful if received by the commission by June 22.