CAPE ELIZABETH – For almost 30 years, the Cape Elizabeth Land Trust has worked to preserve strategically important property from shoreland to farmland to woodland.

Now, the organization is seeking formal accreditation from a national board to ensure it is following best practices in terms of conservation, financing and more.

The land trust was founded in 1985 and has spent the past three years putting together its application to the Land Trust Alliance, which is based in Washington, D.C. Chris Franklin, the executive director of the Cape Elizabeth Land Trust, said accreditation would give his agency a “seal of approval.”

The land trust has preserved 660 acres on about 29 different properties during nearly 30 years, Franklin said. Because the trust has made “a huge commitment to caring for these lands, we feel it is important for us to show that we take this responsibility seriously,” Franklin said about why the land trust is seeking accreditation.

He said the paper application to the Land Trust Alliance weighed in at nearly 50 pounds, which includes proof of compliance with the standards and practices promulgated by the board. Franklin expects the board to review the Cape Elizabeth Land Trust’s application this summer and make a formal ruling on accreditation by the end of this year.

Kathleen Janick, president of the land trust, said getting accreditation is important “for several reasons. First, it would assure the community that CELT holds itself to the highest standards of excellence in pursuing its mission. Second, following best practices will help CELT provide the most effective stewardship in the face of changes over time.”

Janick said what makes the Cape Elizabeth Land Trust special is that it’s the only organization in town dedicated exclusively to land conservation.

“Cape Elizabeth, as a coastal community with a strong agricultural heritage and a history of residents committed to preserving open space, has many unique places worthy of permanent conservation, including ecologically important and scenic marshlands, forests, beaches and farmlands,” she added.

Janick said in addition to land conservation, the land trust’s educational activities “are also a vital part of our mission.”

For more than 10 years, land trust volunteers “have worked with teachers in the town’s schools to develop and conduct programs that directly engage students in learning about and appreciating Cape Elizabeth’s unique natural environment, and about land conservation in general,” she said.

The land trust also provides educational opportunities to adults, including plant and wildlife walks, book and movie nights and cross-town hikes, among other activities.

In coming months, Janick said, the land trust would be “very interested in working with our local farming community to see if land protection can help to ensure that agriculture remains a vital part of our (town).”

In addition, she said, “We are also very excited to begin installing a new trail system at our Robinson Woods II property this summer. We are hoping for lots of community support out on the trails once we begin.”

Although the land trust has an operating budget of about $250,000 annually and a paid executive director, it is still a small organization that relies heavily on volunteers for such things as improving or maintaining trails, leading students on a walk in the woods or helping out during special events.

“We could not do what we do without the support of our volunteers,” Janick said.

Franklin said other goals of the accreditation process include “standardizing our policies and procedures. Accreditation is also a way to show, in a very public way, that CELT is committed to implementing best practices.”

Franklin said, “Accreditation is literally a seal of approval that you can attach to your organization to show that you are implementing best practices across the range of land trust activities,” which include financial record keeping, conflict of interest policies, land management standards and ensuring that the land trust understands the legal and financial responsibility of caring for lands in perpetuity.

“The accreditation process also helped us organize … a comprehensive manual that standardizes how we go about our work,” Franklin said. “This standardization will likely lead to greater efficiency moving forward, while also lending to greater stability, as well.”

Overall, he said the accreditation application, “shows the commitment of CELT to not only protect beautiful places for people to enjoy, but to do so in a way that is sustainable, thoughtful and inclusive.”

A CLOSER LOOK

For more information about the Cape Elizabeth Land Trust, see www.capelandtrust.org.

Local artist Janet Sutherland paints at the Spurwink Marsh during the Cape Elizabeth Land Trust’s Paint for Preservation fundraiser last year. Photo by Bob Harrison