Save Mount Diablo earns national recognition
Save Mount Diablo’s stunning Curry Canyon Ranch is surrounded on three sides by Mount Diablo State Park. Save Mount Diablo currently owns and manages 19 properties and, with its partners, has protected more than 120,000 acres in 50 parks and preserves in the region. Photo credit: Al Johnson.
Strong commitment to public trust and conservation excellence
By Laura Kindsvater, Communications Manager, Save Mount Diablo
One thing that unites us as a nation is land: Americans strongly support saving the open spaces they love. Since 1971, Save Mount Diablo has been doing just that for the people of the San Francisco Bay Area. Save Mount Diablo has just earned an important recognition and distinction receiving its renewed national land trust accreditation award – proving once again that, as part of a network of over 450 accredited land trusts across the nation, it is committed to professional excellence and to maintaining the public’s trust in its conservation work.
Save Mount Diablo 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 Save Mount Diablo’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.
“It is exciting to recognize Save Mount Diablo’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 450 accredited land trusts across the country are united behind strong standards and have demonstrated sound finances, ethical conduct, responsible governance, and lasting stewardship.”
Save Mount Diablo 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.
“Renewing our national accreditation shows Save Mount Diablo’s ongoing commitment to permanent land conservation in the Mount Diablo area,” said Ted Clement, Executive Director. “We are a stronger organization than ever for having gone through the rigorous accreditation renewal process. Our strength means the special natural places we protect have a better chance of being protected forever, making the Mount Diablo area an even greater place for us and our children.”
About Save Mount Diablo
Save Mount Diablo is a nationally accredited, nonprofit land trust founded in 1971 with a mission to preserve Mount Diablo’s peaks, surrounding foothills, watersheds, and connection to the Diablo Range through land acquisition and preservation strategies designed to protect the mountain’s natural beauty, biological diversity, and historic and agricultural heritage; enhance our area’s quality of life; and provide educational and recreational opportunities consistent with the protection of natural resources. Learn more at www.savemountdiablo.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.
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Curry Canyon Save Mount Diablo March 18, 2016
