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Accreditation spotlighted as a practical way to reduce transaction risk
Summary
The Land Trust Accreditation Commission told OWEB the national accreditation process verifies governance, finance, transaction and stewardship capacity and provides enforceability and insurance pathways that can reduce agency risk in land acquisitions.
Melissa Cobstrand of the Land Trust Accreditation Commission explained how accreditation verifies governance, finance, transaction, and stewardship practices, and how that verification can serve as a risk-mitigation signal for funders.
She said accreditation requires land trusts to demonstrate monitoring, enforcement policy and title diligence, and that the process often includes corrective actions and ongoing compliance checks. Melissa noted there are programs and insurance products (Terra Firma) that accredited land trusts can access for defense and enforcement costs, and that many funders and federal programs use accreditation as a criterion to streamline review.
Board members asked whether accreditation creates enforcement leverage and whether OWEB could streamline requirements for accredited organizations. Melissa said accreditation requires organizations to have enforcement policies, annual monitoring and stewardship reserves and that accreditation can play a role in reducing duplicative diligence requirements.
