Chelan-Douglas Land Trust Earns National Recognition

The Chelan-Douglas Land Trust Earns National Recognition

Strong Commitment to Public Trust and Conservation Excellence

WENATCHEE — One thing that unites us as a nation, is land: Americans strongly support saving the natural spaces they love. Since 1985, the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust (CDLT), has been doing just that for the people of North Central Washington. Now, CDLT announced it has renewed its land trust accreditation - proving once again that as part of a network of over 450 accredited land trusts across the nation, it is committed to conservation excellence.

"Renewing our accreditation shows CDLT's ongoing commitment to permanent land conservation in Chelan and Douglas counties," said Eunice Youmans, Executive Director. "We are a stronger organization than ever for having gone through the rigorous accreditation renewal process. Our strength means special places - such as the Wenatchee Foothills - will be protected forever, making Wenatchee an even greater place now and in the future."

The Land Trust provided extensive documentation and was subject to a comprehensive third-party evaluation prior to achieving this distinction. The Land Trust Accreditation Commission awarded renewed accreditation, signifying its confidence that CDLT's lands will be protected forever. Accredited land trusts now steward over 20 million acres - the size of Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Glacier, Everglades, and Yosemite National Parks combined.”

For going on forty years, the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust has protected land with high conservation and recreation value in North Central Washington. CDLT manages 40 miles of recreational trails and has protected 26,000 acres of forest, shrub-steppe, wheat fields, and riparian landscapes across Chelan and Douglas counties. CDLT has protected the Nason Ridge Community Forest, the Wenatchee Foothills trails system, Mountain Home Ridge in Leavenworth, Cashmere Canyons Preserve in Cashmere, Stormy Creek Preserve in Entiat, Spiva Butte Nature Preserve in Douglas County, and looks to create public access for the 2,000-acre Bear Mountain property in Chelan this year. The Land Trust has Conservation Easements on 15,000 acres of agricultural and wild lands.

"We are proud to recognize CDLT's continued commitment to conservation excellence," said Melissa Kalvestrand, executive director of the Commission. "The accreditation seal is a mark of distinction that stands for excellence, trust, and permanence. CDLT is part of a network of over 450 accredited land trusts that are united by their strong ethical practices. Accredited land trusts inspire confidence and respect among their peers and in their communities."

CDLT is one of 1,281 land trusts across the United States according to the Land Trust Alliance's most recent National Land Trust Census. A complete list of accredited land trusts and more information about the process and benefits can be found at http://www.landtrustaccreditation.org

CDLT engages communities in conserving, caring for, and accessing the natural lands and waters that sustain North Central Washington. Founded in 1985 by a handful of community leaders with a vision for the future, CDLT was an entirely volunteer organization until 1999. In those early years, CDLT played a major role in the local and regional effort to protect access to the Peshastin Pinnacles climbing area, Spider Meadows, and the Columbia River Loop Trail. In 1999 the CDLT board decided that CDLT could play a much greater role in local conservation efforts if they hired an executive director and opened an office. At that time CDLT had 40 supporting members, owned no property, and had an operating budget of about $2,500 per year. Today, CDLT has over 1,400 members, protected 26,000 acres of land and have an operating budget of $2.1 million. CDLT is a membership organization and relies upon the support of the community to continue to protect and care for the landscapes that make the Wenatchee valley special. Everyone is welcome on CDLT properties. For more information: http://www.cdlandtrust.org

About 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 http://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 nearly 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. For more information about the Alliance https://landtrustalliance.org/