Strong Commitment to Public Trust and Conservation Excellence
One thing that unites us as a nation is land: Americans strongly support saving the open spaces they love. Since 2006, Sheridan Community Land Trust has been doing just that for the people of Sheridan County. Now SCLT has announced it has achieved national recognition – joining a network of over 450 accredited land trusts across the nation that have demonstrated their commitment to professional excellence and to maintaining the public’s trust in their work.
“Accreditation demonstrates Sheridan Community Land Trust’s commitment to permanent land conservation in Sheridan County,” said Brad Bauer, SCLT Executive Director. “This is a validation to our conservation partners and the community members who make our work possible that SCLT will continue to work with families to conserve local lands and ranches, create new ways to enjoy the outdoors close to home and preserve and tell the stories of the people who have lived on this land today so they aren’t forgotten tomorrow.”
SCLT provided extensive documentation and was subject to a comprehensive third-party evaluation prior to achieving this distinction. The Land Trust Accreditation Commission awarded accreditation, signifying its confidence that SCLT’s lands will be protected forever. Accredited land trusts steward almost 20 million acres of land – the size of Denali, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Glacier, Everglades and Yosemite National Parks combined.”
Since it’s founding, SCLT has worked with 10 local families to:
- Make sure their family ranch passes from this generation to the next
- Keep their working lands working so they continue to feed our stomachs and fuel our economy into the future
- Secure homes on their land for big game, birds and tiny critters alike, whether it’s year-round or as they move through seasonally
- Safeguard the clean creeks, rivers and streams that flow through their land
- Create the conditions for more successful hunting and fishing –by hook, bullet and camera – on their land
- Preserve historic places, landscapes, markers and sites that are a part of their land
- Access new ways to explore the outdoors close to home by granting access to community trail systems.
“It is exciting to recognize Sheridan Community Land Trust with this national mark of distinction,” said Melissa Kalvestrand, executive director of the Commission. “Donors and partners can trust the more than 450 accredited land trusts across the country are united behind strong standards and have demonstrated sound finances, ethical conduct, responsible governance, and lasting stewardship.”
SCLT is one of 1,363 land trusts across the United States according to the Land Trust Alliance’s most recent National Land Trust Census. A complete list of accredited land trusts and more information about the process and benefits can be found at www.landtrustaccreditation.org.
Learn more about how Sheridan Community Land Trust works with families to conserve local lands and ranches.
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.
