Whether your land trust is preparing for an upcoming renewal or looking to strengthen its understanding of the accreditation requirements, the Commission is offering two workshops at Rally designed to help you succeed.
Get Ready for Your Renewal of Accreditation will walk participants through the renewal process, timing, available resources and practical steps for organizing application materials. Attendees will leave with the tools needed to create a renewal plan, regardless of where they are in the process.
For those with some familiarity with accreditation, Put Your Best Foot Forward: Tips and Tools for Understanding the Accreditation Requirements and Preparing Your Strongest Application offers a deeper look at how applications are reviewed and how to avoid common pitfalls. Participants will gain insights into the accreditation requirements, documentation expectations and time-saving strategies to help prepare a strong application.
Is your land trust interested in applying for first-time accreditation in 2027? Mark your calendars with these important dates.
July 1-31, 2026: Lottery open for a spot to apply for first-time accreditation
December 8, 2026: Pre-application due
March 30, 2027: Application due
The applicable first-time reference application,handbook andfee fact sheetare now available online. There will be one round for up to eight first-time applicants. The number of spots available reflects the Commission's applicant capacity and its commitment to ensuring a fair and consistent review process. Any registered land trusts not selected through the lottery to apply in 2027 will be assigned to be a 2028 applicant.
Spotlight on updates: Conservation Easement Monitoring and Conservation Property Inspections
This past March we updated our Requirements Manual, which helps land trusts to be successful in the accreditation process. We’ve put a summary of changes on our website for those who are interested in seeing all the changes we made.
While most requirements were not changed, there were two major changes in the stewardship section. We will highlight the first one in this newsletter, and the second one next month, so keep an eye out!
What changed and why? Part 1:
The Stewardship 1.3 requirement specifies the contents for monitoring/inspection reports. The update made in 2026 clarifies that, for monitoring/inspection events that are based solely on remote satellite or aerial imagery, the reports need to include the date the image was captured, the data source, and either a copy of the image or the permanent storage location of the images/photos. Including this information will increase the likelihood the reports will be admissible as evidentiary evidence in court under the business record rules.
How will the updates be implemented?
All changes will be effective in 2027 to allow land trusts time to revise their practices as needed. When the time comes, applicants must provide sufficient documentation to confirm implementation of the changed requirement.
Land Trust Alliance 1250 H St. NW, Suite 600 Washington, District of Columbia, 20005, United States
The mission of the Land Trust Accreditation Commission is to inspire excellence, promote public trust and ensure permanence in the conservation of open lands by recognizing land trust organizations that meet rigorous quality standards and that strive for continuous improvement.
Land Trust Accreditation Commission, 36 Phila St, Suite 2, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
