The Northwoods Land Trust (NWLT) has announced it is applying for national land trust accreditation. A public comment period is now open.

The land trust accreditation program recognizes land conservation organizations that meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the national Land Trust Alliance, conducts an extensive review of each applicant’s policies and programs.

For more than 10 years, the Northwoods Land Trust has worked with private landowners who want to voluntarily conserve their natural shorelands, woodlands, wetlands and wildlife habitat. NWLT works in areas of Vilas, Oneida, Forest, Florence, Iron, Price and Langlade Counties in northern Wisconsin. Since it formed in 2001, the land trust has helped landowners protect over 8,500 acres of land and over 40 miles of lake and river shorelines, as public benefits for both the present and future generations.

The Northwoods Land Trust board and staff are committed to excellence. NWLT is working toward national land trust accreditation in an on-going process to ensure the organization is able to meet its perpetual conservation stewardship responsibilities on into the future.

The Commission invites public input and accepts signed, written comments on pending applications. Comments must relate to how Northwoods Land Trust complies with national quality standards. These standards address the ethical and technical operation of a land trust. For the full list of standards, visit landtrustaccreditation.org/getting-accredited/indicator-practices.

To learn more about the accreditation program and to submit a comment, visit landtrustaccreditation.org. Comments may also be faxed or mailed to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, Attn: Public Comments: (fax) 518-587-3183; (mail) 112 Spring Street, Suite 204, Saratoga Springs, N.Y. 12866. Comments on Northwoods Land Trust’s application will be most useful by Oct. 28.

For more information on the Northwoods Land Trust, call Executive Director Bryan Pierce at (715) 479-2490, or email nwlt@northwoodslandtrust.org.