Foothills Conservancy earns national accreditation

News-Topic, Lenoir, N.C.
·2 min read

Aug. 22—MORGANTON — The Foothills Conservancy of NC recently received its national accreditation renewal from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission for the third consecutive term since the organization was first accredited in 2010.

Thanks to this renewal, Foothills Conservancy remains in the network of over 450 accredited land trusts across the nation, committed to the highest level of professional excellence and maintaining the public's trust in its conservation work.

The Foothills Conservancy of NC permanently protects land and water in Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Cleveland, Lincoln, McDowell and Rutherford counties, and three major river basins (Broad, Catawba, and Yadkin).

"We are so proud to have earned national accreditation renewal status and we are honored to be included in this group of distinguished land trusts at the top of their practice," said Andrew Kota, executive director of Foothills Conservancy of NC. "This is a signal to the public, our partners, supporters, donors and stakeholders that we conduct our business, from accounting to finance, to fundraising, governance, transactions, land stewardship and community outreach, at the highest standards."

Foothills Conservancy of NC 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 Foothills Conservancy's lands will be protected forever.

To date, Foothills Conservancy has protected over 65,000 acres, approximately 102 square miles, across Western North Carolina. Nationally, accredited land trusts steward almost 20 million acres...that is about the size of Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island combined.

"It is exciting to recognize Foothills Conservancy of NC's continued commitment to national standards by renewing this national mark of distinction," said Melissa Kalvestrand, executive director of the Land Trust Accreditation 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."