After Your Submission

A review team of a Commission staff member and one or more commissioners reviews each complete accreditation application in detail. The majority of information evaluated by the review team is from the applicant; additional information may be provided by the public and still other information may be the result of research conducted by the Commission’s review team. Learn more about the Commission's research policy.

The review team examines the information to determine if the applicant is implementing the Standards and meeting the accreditation requirements. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the land trust to show it meets those over the accredited term.

The review team not only examines an applicant’s written policies (for example, a conflict of interest policy or amendment policy) but also looks for evidence that the policy and accreditation requirements are being implemented (such as by reviewing board meeting minutes from the last time the applicant managed a conflict of interest).

The review team may find the applicant is meeting each accreditation requirement, or it may find that it needs more information and/or that the applicant needs to take corrective action to be in compliance.

• Each land trust is different, and the application reviewers evaluate the documents you’re your land trust’s unique facts and circumstances in mind. For example, the information provided to the board before it makes a decision to accept a conservation property for an all-volunteer land trust that meets monthly and visits every potential property before acquiring it would likely look very different from the materials provided to a board that meets quarterly and relies on staff to vet conservation acquisitions.

• The Commission uses a variety of systems to ensure consistency in the review process including having staff and commissioners serve on a variety of review teams, using the Requirements Manual as a reference, and having feedback systems between staff, commissioners, Commission committees and the full Commission.

Each land trust must abide by the Accreditation Agreement it submitted with its application, which includes demonstrating continued compliance with the program requirements, including the accreditation requirements. The land trust has the responsibility to stay aware of and implement any new requirements over its accredited term.

• Land trust accreditation is based on best practices in the evolving field of land conservation. It is also a sampling process. Renewal of accreditation is designed to confirm that your land trust continues to comply with the Standards and accreditation requirements.

• It is possible that noncompliance will be identified at renewal that were not discovered in prior application reviews. This may mean that accredited land trusts will be asked to respond to questions or take corrective action during the renewal process on items that were not discussed in prior review reviews.

Yes, the accreditation process is built to provide opportunities for land trusts to provide additional information or take corrective action. Almost every land trust receives an AIR as part of the accreditation process.

Generally your land trust will be given notice when the review begins and about when it can expect to receive any AIRs.

Your review staff member (remember, you can message them in the AMS, call or email with them) will reach out and offer to have a clarifying call about your AIR. They can often provide context that will help you identify the best document(s) to provide in response to the AIR. Other land trusts have found this call to be helpful.

Applicants will be provided with three months to respond to the AIR. The due date for your AIR(s) will be confirmed by your review team.