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Kettle Moraine Land Trust receives national accreditation

WALWORTH COUNTY — For over a dozen years the Kettle Moraine Land Trust in Walworth County has assisted landowners and communities to conserve the lands they love. Now, the Kettle Moraine Land Trust has been awarded the national seal of land trust excellence by an independent commission – the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. Accredited land trusts have demonstrated that they meet national standards for excellence, uphold the public trust and ensure that conservation efforts are permanent.

“We learned that the steps to protecting and preserving land are not trivial, and must be done correctly. By achieving the seal of excellence through national land trust accreditation, we embrace the serious work of permanently preserving important lands in our community,” said Sue Heffron, a board member for the trust.

Operating with nonprofit excellence is increasingly important as Kettle Moraine Land Trust increases its pace of conservation work in Walworth County.

Land trusts are non-profit, non-governmental conservation organizations that actively work to protect natural resources through partnerships with private and public landowners. They are run by local people who have a shared passion for preserving their communities’ natural heritage. In Wisconsin, there are nearly 50 land trusts. The Kettle Moraine Land Trust is a leader in their field, as less than 10% of the land trusts in Wisconsin are accredited.

“Having attended board meetings and seeing how involved the accreditation process is and the investment the Kettle Moraine Land Trust has made, is testament to us that this organization values the work they are doing,” said Bill Tarman-Ramcheck, East Troy landowner.

According to the Land Trust Alliance, conserving land helps ensure clean air and drinking water, scenic landscapes and views, recreational places, and habitat for the diversity of life on earth. In addition to health and food benefits, conserving land increases property values near greenbelts, saves tax dollars by encouraging more efficient development, and reduces the need for expensive water filtration facilities.

“To me the level of knowledge and competence to be a responsible organization is a major outcome of the accreditation process,”said Jerry Petersen, Kettle Moraine Land Trust president.

The Kettle Moraine Land Trust holds both conservation protection agreements on private lands, and owns and manages nature preserves. For more information on the Trust visit: www.kmlandtrust.org.

For more information on the Commission visit www.landtrustaccreditation.org.

For more information about the Land Trust Alliance visit www.landtrustalliance.org.