Strong Commitment to Public Trust and Conservation Excellence
Edwards, CO (Feb. 26, 2020) – One thing that unites us as a nation is land: Americans strongly support saving the open spaces they love. Since 1982, the Eagle Valley Land Trust has been doing just that for the people of Eagle County, CO. Now the Eagle Valley Land Trust announced it has renewed its land trust accreditation – proving once again that, as part of a network of over 400 accredited land trusts across the nation, it is committed to professional excellence and to maintaining the public’s trust in its conservation work.
“Eagle Valley Land Trust has an ongoing commitment to the people of Eagle County to continue the conservation and good stewardship of the special places in Eagle County for wildlife, our community, and future generations. Making it through the rigorous accreditation renewal process makes us a stronger organization and maintains our integrity with the public, landowners, and our other partners in conservation,” said Jessica Foulis, EVLT’s Executive Director.
Eagle Valley Land Trust provided extensive documentation and was subject to a comprehensive third-party evaluation prior to achieving this distinction. The Land Trust Accreditation Commission awarded renewed accreditation, signifying its confidence that Eagle Valley Land Trust’s lands will be protected forever. Accredited land trusts now steward almost 20 million acres – the size of Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island combined.
The Eagle Valley Land Trust works to conserve land locally for our community and wildlife. EVLT permanently protects over 11,200 acres across 36 properties in the county, including Miller Ranch Open Space, Brush Creek Valley Ranch and Open Space, West Avon Preserve, East Vail Waterfall, and the Minturn Boneyard Open Space. EVLT is currently working with The Conservation Fund to protect Sweetwater Lake for our community.
“It is exciting to recognize Eagle Valley 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 the more than 400 accredited land trusts across the country are united behind strong standards and have demonstrated sound finances, ethical conduct, responsible governance, and lasting stewardship.”
Eagle Valley Land Trust 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. More information about the Eagle Valley Land Trust’s conservation work can be found at www.evlt.org.