MEDIA RELEASE:  February 27, 2019

FROM:             Davidson Lands Conservancy

CONTACT:       Autumn Michael, Executive Director, Davidson Lands Conservancy

704/892-1910  [email protected]

Davidson Lands Conservancy Earns National Recognition

Davidson, NC (Feb. 27, 2019) – One thing that unites us as a nation is land: Americans strongly support saving the open spaces they love. Since 2000, the Davidson Lands Conservancy has been doing just that for the people of Davidson. Today, Davidson Lands Conservancy announces that it has achieved national recognition – joining a network of over 400 accredited land trusts across the nation that have demonstrated their commitment to professional excellence and to maintaining the public’s trust in their work.

“Accreditation demonstrates Davidson Lands Conservancy’s commitment to permanently protecting land in our community,” said Autumn Rierson Michael, Executive Director. “We want to be able to demonstrate to property owners, donors, and members that we are committed to long-term sustainability and good governance as an organization. We are in the business of protecting land forever, and this accreditation helps build confidence in our organization that we can do that.”

The Davidson Lands Conservancy provided extensive documentation and was subject to a comprehensive third-party evaluation prior to achieving this distinction. The Land Trust Accreditation Commission awarded accreditation, signifying its confidence that DLC’s lands will be protected forever. Accredited land trusts steward approximately 20 million acres of land nationwide. “It is exciting to recognize Davidson Lands Conservancy with this national mark of distinction,” said Tammara Van Ryn, 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.”

Davidson Lands Conservancy is one of 1,363 land trusts across the United States according to the Land Trust Alliance’s most recent National Land Trust Census. In North Carolina alone, DLC now becomes the 15th accredited land trust in the state. A complete list of accredited land trusts and more information about the process and benefits can be found at www.landtrustaccreditation.org.

About the Davidson Lands Conservancy

The Davidson Lands Conservancy (“DLC”), founded in 2000, is a nonprofit land trust that works with willing landowners to save land in the Davidson, North Carolina area in order to preserve a healthy, natural environment for future generations. DLC works to protect valuable land, educate the public about the benefits of conservation, and advocate on behalf of our ecosystems. For more information, visit www.davidsonlands.org .

About the Land Trust Accreditation Commission

The Land Trust Accreditation Commission inspires excellence, promotes public trust and ensures permanence in the conservation of open lands by recognizing organizations that meet rigorous quality standards and strive for continuous improvement. The Commission, established in 2006 as an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, is governed by a volunteer board of diverse land conservation and nonprofit management experts. For more, visit www.landtrustaccreditation.org.

About the Land Trust Alliance

Founded in 1982, the Land Trust Alliance is a national land conservation organization that works to save the places people need and love by strengthening land conservation across America. The Alliance represents 1,000 member land trusts supported by more than 200,000 volunteers and 4.6 million members nationwide. The Alliance is based in Washington, D.C., and operates several regional offices.

The Alliance’s leadership serves the entire land trust community—their work in the nation’s capital represents the policy priorities of land conservationists from every state; their education programs improve and empower land trusts from Maine to Alaska; and their comprehensive vision for the future of land conservation includes new partners, new programs and new priorities. Connect with them online at www.landtrustalliance.org.