SLT applies to renew accreditation; seeks public comment

SHARON — The Sharon Land Trust is applying to renew its accreditation seal and encourages residents to submit comments concerning SLT’s application to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission.

The Land Trust Accreditation Commission is an independent body that reviews the ethics and activity of land trusts around the nation, awarding the seal to trusts “meeting the highest national standard for excellence and conservation permanence,” according to its website.

In a recent press release, SLT Executive Director Carolyn Klocker stated the importance of the program: “Accreditation is critical to ensuring that we’re not only following best practices to protect land today, but also creating a sustainable framework to fulfill our promise of conserving these lands for generations to come.”

As a regular component of the application review process, the Commission invites members of the public to submit signed comments. The Commission requests that comments must be related to SLT’s adherence to the national quality standards of a land trust, which concern its ethical and technical operations, according to the press release. Further information on the national standards for accreditation can be found on the Commission’s website.

Comments may be emailed to info@landtrustaccreditation.org, or mailed to the Saratoga Springs, New York, office at 36 Phila St., Suite 2. Letters should be addressed to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, with the attention line: “ATTN: Public Comments.”

In its press release, SLT stated that comments will be most useful if received by March 22 of this year.