Pines and Prairies Land Trust Earns National Recognition
Strong Commitment to Public Trust and Conservation Excellence
Bastrop, Texas (Feb. 26, 2020) – One thing that unites us as a nation is land: Americans strongly support saving the open spaces they love. Since 2001, Pines and Prairies Land Trust (PPLT), has been doing just that for the people of Bastrop, Caldwell, Fayette, Lee and Travis Counties. Now PPLT announced it has renewed its land trust accreditation – proving once again that, as part of a network of over 400 accredited land trusts across the nation, it is committed to professional excellence and to maintaining the public’s trust in its conservation work.
“Accreditation has been the driving force for setting Pines and Prairies on a path of resiliency, best practices and organizational strength,” said Melanie Pavlas, PPLT’s Executive Director. “The changes we have made over the past five years, while none easy, exhibits our commitment to permanent land conservation in this community. That means special places – such as the Colorado River Refuge or a family’s land heritage – will be protected forever.”
Pines and Prairies 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 PPLT’s lands will be protected forever. Accredited land trusts now steward almost 20 million acres – the size of Denali, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Glacier, Everglades and Yosemite National Parks combined.
PPLT protects over 2500 acres of land in its service area in conjunction with private landowners and by demonstrating stewardship on its own protected preserves. Protected land ranges from family farms where agriculture has been a long tradition to open space and scenic views, water resources, endangered species habitat, historic features and remnant, Blackland prairies. At PPLT’s Colorado River Refuge in Bastrop, PPLT has a long tradition of offering nature classes for children as well as hiking trails that are open every day, both free to the public. At PPLT’s other preserves, habitat restoration and protection is the focus, with over 250 acres of native prairie restoration completed this winter and more projects on the horizon. PPLT is also one of 30 land trusts in Texas, protecting over 1.7 million acres in this great State.
“It is exciting to recognize PPLT’s continued commitment to national standards by renewing this national mark of distinction,” said Melissa Kalvestrand, 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.”
Pines and Prairies Land Trust is one of 1,363 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 www.landtrustaccreditation.org.
About the Pines and Prairies Land Trust
Pines and Prairies Land Trust is 501(c)(3) nonprofit land conservation organization. Its mission is to protect open space through land conservation, stewardship and community engagement. PPLT is a small, local organization with only one full-time staff member, and it relies heavily on its volunteer base. While providing opportunities for people to enjoy the outdoors and learn about stewardship, PPLT also works with private landowners to protect their land legacies through voluntary agreements called conservation easements. www.pplt.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.
