Mendocino Land Trust granted national accreditation

The Mendocino Land Trust has received a seal of approval from a national accrediting organization that could help the 40-year-old organization’s conservation efforts.

The status was bestowed by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission in late January and became effective in this month.

The status doesn’t change how the organization operates, but is expected to assure donors and potential donors their money is well spent and land is being cared for properly, said Mendocino Land Trust Executive Director Ann Cole.

Of some 1,360 land trusts nationwide, only 372 are accredited. There are more than 40 in California, including the Sonoma Land Trust, according to the accreditation commission’s website. There are no others in Mendocino County. Approval is good for five years.

The Mendocino Land Trust has protected more than 14,000 acres of land in the county since 1976. It includes land that is now part of the state park system, such as the Big River Estuary, and Glass and Caspar beaches. Its work also has included protection of farms and forests and the construction of trails.

The trust has permanent stewardship of five coastal preserves, including Pelican Bluffs, Navarro Point, Hare Creek and Seaside beaches, and Ten Mile River Estuary.

The accreditation commission is an independent program associated with the Land Trust Alliance, a national conservation organization that represents about 1,000 members nationwide.

You can reach Staff Writer Glenda Anderson at 707-462-6473 or glenda.anderson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter ?@MendoReporter.