We think of our work in terms of perpetuity. So when we protect natural lands, family farms, and urban greenspaces, we must consider the resources needed to ensure land conserved today will remain conserved forever.
Ongoing stewardship of the lands we conserve is critically important to our mission. It is the way we keep our promise to landowners and future generations that our conserved properties will always be protected.
For land conservancies, no greater distinction exists than accreditation from the Land Trust Alliance. It is a notable endorsement that tells landowners and funders that their support and engagement is with a trustworthy organization dedicated to conserving land for many generations to come.
The legal tools land trusts use to place permanent protections on land require ongoing support, defense and enforcement. Western Reserve Land Conservancy is a proud partner of the Terrafrima Risk Retention Group, a charitable risk pool owned exclusively by participating land trusts that insures its members against the legal costs of defending conservation. While Terrafirma plays an important role in the process, the Land Conservancy must ensure sufficient independent financial resources to support and enforce the its long-term obligations.