Northeast Wilderness Trust Awarded National Seal of Approval

We are pleased to announce that the Northeast Wilderness Trust has been awarded the National Seal of Approval by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. Since the beginning of the Accreditation Application program in 2007, the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, has accredited less than 10 percent of the more than 1500 land trusts across the United States. The Accreditation process requires a rigorous external review, certifying that the applicants meet the national standards for excellence, uphold the public trust, and ensure that conservation efforts are permanent. The Northeast Wilderness Trust is honored to be a part of such a select group of land trusts.

Speaking on behalf of Northeast Wilderness Trust, Executive Director Jim Northup said, "Accreditation marked a wonderful 'coming of age' for our small, young land trust. It helped us mature fast and learn a lot about the things that matter -- as individuals and as an organization. As a result, we are more confident about the work we do and the landowners and partners we work with can be more confident in us."

"Deepest thanks go to the Commission's staff for patiently guiding and supporting us every step of the way. We could not have done it without them," said Northup.

Rick Van de Poll, a Trust Board Member, attended the LTA Rally held in Portland, Oregon, to receive the Northeast Wilderness Trust's Award of Accreditation plaque on behalf of the organization. Rick was joined by over 40 other land trusts from across the country that were also accredited this year.

If you are interested in learning more about the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, please visit their website at: www.landtrustaccreditation.org/

The Northeast Wilderness Trust is the only regional land trust focused exclusively on restoring & protecting wilderness.

Through the seasons and around the Northeast, families of all kinds—some with feathers, some with fins or fur—go about the business of making a living. The Northeast Wilderness Trust is working to make sure these creatures continue to have a place to thrive among the region's human communities.

Click here to learn about our recent conservation success

How and where does the
Northeast Wilderness Trust work?

The Northeast Wilderness Trust works with partners to restore and preserve forever-wild landscapes through conservation easements, land acquisitions, donations and other preservation methods. The Northeast Wilderness Trust bases its land protection priorities on conservation science, wilderness potential, community vision, threat abatement, and opportunity. We work in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Please contact the Northeast Wilderness Trust for more information on land conservation.

For more than a century, the northeastern United States has been regaining wildness. Where land had been cleared, forest has returned. Where wildlife such as moose, bear, beaver--even deer--had been eliminated, these animals have rebounded. While cause for hope, this remarkable recovery is incomplete. Our region's natural heritage--the distinctive plants, animals, and landscapes--are increasingly threatened by increasing population pressures, development, pollution, forest fragmentation, atmospheric and climatic changes, and unstable ownership. We are faced with the challenge of helping Nature continue to heal and flourish for future generations. The need for strategic protection of wild lands and waters has never been greater.

There have been tremendous conservation achievements in the Northeast; however, less than four percent of the region is protected as forever-wild, mostly on public land. Much of the land conserved in the Northeast has been for scenic, recreational, timber, and agricultural purposes. While the protection of multiple-use land is important, the need to complement these lands with the protection of wilderness is critical. The vast majority of land in the Northeast is privately owned; thus, to truly succeed in preserving wilderness areas across the landscape, private solutions are necessary. The Northeast Wilderness Trust was founded on the core belief that wilderness needs to become a bigger part of the conservation landscape so that wild Nature will endure in this corner of America.

Board and Staff

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