Standard 12: Land Stewardship

Determine the immediate financial and management implications of each conservation property acquisition or contractual stewardship commitment and estimate the long-term implications. Land trusts have a program of responsible stewardship for lands held for conservation purposes. Many land trusts hold land other than through conservation agreement for a variety of conservation purposes, and must take care of these properties. Failure to manage and monitor the property could lead to loss of or damage to the property’s conservation values, injury to visitors, or even loss of the property itself. A land trust that does not care for its holdings will lose credibility. A land trust should also make contingency provisions for its land in the event it can no longer fulfill its stewardship obligations.