NEW YORK, NY (June 19, 2019)— The Open Space Institute (OSI), a leading land conservation organization, is pursuing a renewal of its accreditation by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance. Among the largest accredited conservation groups in the nation, OSI has been accredited for more than 10 years.
Accreditation renewal, a voluntary process completed every five years, represents OSI’s ongoing commitment to maintaining high organizational standards. The land trust accreditation program recognizes land conservation organizations that meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. OSI first earned its accreditation in 2008 and successfully completed renewal in 2014.
“Accreditation provides assurance that OSI’s work meets high standards for quality and that the results of our conservation work are permanent. This intensive process continues to strengthen the organization and affirms OSI’s ongoing commitment to excellence as a land conservation leader,” said Kim Elliman, president and CEO of OSI.
OSI protects scenic, natural and historic landscapes to ensure public enjoyment, conserve habitat and working lands, and sustain communities. Working along the eastern coast of the United States from Maine to Florida, OSI has protected more than 2.2 million acres of land for people, for wildlife, forever.
The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, established in 2006, is governed by a volunteer board of diverse land conservation and non-profit management experts from around the country and conducts an extensive review of each applicant’s policies and programs. As part of each organization’s pending application, the Commission invites public input and accepts signed, written comments.
As part of the re-accreditation process, the public is invited to comment on how OSI complies with national quality standards. These standards address the ethical and technical operation of a land trust. For the full list of standards, click here. A public comment period for OSI is now open.
To learn more about the accreditation program and to submit a comment, visit www.landtrustaccreditation.org, or email your comment to [email protected]. Comments may also be faxed or mailed to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, Attn: Public Comments: (fax) 518-587-3183; (mail) 36 Phila Street, Suite 2, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.
Comments on OSI’s application should be submitted by September 13, 2019.
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