Stewardship
Obligations
The Northeast Wilderness Trust takes its stewardship responsibilities very seriously. For each property protected by the Trust, a baseline report is prepared which documents the condition of the property at the time of acquisition. Each year, the Trust sends staff and/or trained volunteers to inspect the property and document any changes or concerns. The Trust strives to maintain good relationships with easement landowners and abutters. For those properties the Trust owns outright, it pays local property taxes whenever possible. And for those very rare situations where easement terms or wilderness restrictions are violated, the Trust pursues all remedies available, including legal action.
Stewardship and Legal Defense Fund
To help support these costly but essential obligations, the Trust has established a Stewardship and Legal Defense Fund. For each easement or property the Trust acquires, a contribution to the Fund is requested from donors and/or other supporters of the project. This fund ensures annual support for a portion of our stewardship costs, and provides essential funds in the rare instance of legal action needed to defend a wilderness property.
