- Develop and implement a written process to select land and conservation agreement projects.
- Develop and apply written project-selection criteria that are consistent with the land trust’s conservation priorities.
- Document the conservation benefit of every land and conservation agreement project.
Background
Selection criteria are a key component of a land protection program. Criteria are the rough screens that a land trust uses to assess land conservation projects at the outset. Criteria may evaluate a project’s location, size or resource values. This practice clarifies that the criteria should reflect the organization’s mission. Criteria often focus first on the land, but include additional tests for project feasibility and long-term sustainability. The practice also emphasizes that the project selection process should evaluate the land trust’s capacity to meet its future responsibilities of stewarding the land or easement. Land trusts should recognize that some opportunities will not fit within the land trust’s objectives and criteria.