Wvlandtrust.org
Title
West Virginia Land Trust ~ Protecting the distinctive character of West Virginia
Description
The West Virginia Land Trust is a statewide land protection organization dedicated to preserving the wild and scenic landscape of West Virginia. The Trust's mission is to protect special lands with high conservation values through land acquisition and protective conservation easements. The Land Trust works with private land owners to help them realize their dream of keepng their farm or summer place protected forever. The Trust advises local land trusts and other groups dedicated to the stewardship of West Virginia's great outdoors.
The Land Trust, received 501© (3) status from the Internal Revenue Service in 1995. The Land Trust was incubated at West Virginia University with funding from the National Park Service Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program. The Trust is an independent, non-profit organization governed by a ten person Board of Directors. Board members have expertise in such areas as ecology, land management, law, accounting, non-profit management, taxation, and fundraising. Staff and board members have been trained in land trust management. attending workshops on land preservation at Harvard University, the National Fish and Wildlife Training Center, and the Maryland Environmental Trust. Consultants provide additional expertise. The Board has developed and adopted criteria and procedures for land and easement donations and a statement of ethics for Board members. Both the Board and the Land Trust's holdings are insured. The West Virginia Land Trust is a member of the Land Trust Alliance and subscribes to the Alliance's Standards and Practices.
The Land Trust began a general membership program in 1997. There are currently 300 supporting members who have contributed $20,000. The Land Trust has received $52,000 in grants from the WV Department of Natural Resources, the Dupont Greenways Fund, the National Park Service, West Virginia University, the Canaan Valley Institute, the Trust for Public Land, and the Coopers Rock Foundation.
