Coastal Mountains Land Trust has submitted the following:

Americans everywhere value land and their sense of place. As a country, we have been strongly supportive of conserving open space. Since 1986, Coastal Mountains Land Trust has been conserving the landscapes most beloved by the communities of the western Penobscot Bay region. Now the Land Trust is pleased to announce it has renewed its seal of accreditation from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission – proving once again that it is committed to professional excellence and to maintaining the public’s trust in its conservation work. The Land Trust was part of the first class of Land Trusts to be accredited in 2008 and is receiving this accreditation for the third time as part of a network of over 400 accredited land trusts across the nation. 

“It is exciting to recognize Coastal Mountain Land Trust’s continued commitment to national standards by renewing this national mark of distinction,” said Melissa Kalvestrand, Executive Director of the Commission. “Donors and partners can trust accredited land trusts across the country are united behind strong standards and have demonstrated sound finances, ethical conduct, responsible governance, and lasting stewardship.” 

“For our community, the renewal of our accreditation demonstrates our organization’s commitment to permanently conserving more land in the 15 towns we serve in a sound and transparent manner that involves the community,” said Ian Stewart, Executive Director. “We are a stronger organization than ever for having gone through the rigorous accreditation renewal process. Our strength means special places – such as Hurds Pond, Mt. Tuck, Ragged Mountain, the Ducktrap River, Lake Megunticook, Beech Hill and many more – will be protected forever, and available for the community today and our children in the future.”

“Through a comprehensive third-party evaluation, we’ve proved our standards and practices are consistent, honest and effective,” said Stewart. The Land Trust Accreditation Commission awarded renewed accreditation, signifying its confidence that Coastal Mountains Land Trust’s lands will be protected forever.

The Land Trust continues to be very active working to conserve land and expand community trail networks. Beyond the ongoing construction on the Round the Mountain Trail on Ragged Mountain, the Land Trust is also working to connect the Beech Hill and Erickson Fields Preserves by trail and is seeking to secure an additional 100+ acres to the newly created Mt. Tuck Preserve in Stockton Springs and Prospect.

Accredited land trusts now steward almost 20 million acres – the size of Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island combined. A complete list of accredited land trusts and more information about the process and benefits can be found at www.landtrustaccreditation.org .

About the Coastal Mountains Land Trust

Coastal Mountains Land Trust has worked since 1986 to permanently conserve land to benefit the natural and human communities of the western Penobscot Bay. The Land Trust has protected over 12,000 acres, offering over 50 miles of trails for public recreation.

About the Land Trust Accreditation Commission

The Land Trust Accreditation Commission inspires excellence, promotes public trust and ensures permanence in the conservation of open lands by recognizing organizations that meet rigorous quality standards and strive for continuous improvement. The Commission, established in 2006 as an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, is governed by a volunteer board of diverse land conservation and nonprofit management experts. For more, visit www.landtrustaccreditation.org .