Accreditation & Certification
National Land Trust Alliance Accreditation
In order to elevate the standards to which land trusts should adhere, the national umbrella organization of land trusts, the Land Trust Alliance, has offered the opportunity for land trusts in the U. S. to become accredited with the Land Trust Alliance. The voluntary program will ensure the accountability and public credibility of private land conservation transactions as they are conducted with accredited land trusts that necessarily meet the high standards of the program. Legacy Land Trust adopted the Land Trust Alliance Standards and Practices in the late 1990’s and again in 2002. These Standards and Practices form the basis for accreditation, and Legacy Land Trust plans to go through the formal process for accreditation by 2010.

Colorado State Certification
In order to increase standards, transparency, and accountability for conservation easements in Colorado, House Bill 07-1361 was passed in 2007. Additionally, House Bill 08-1353 will provide another layer of assurance that landowners and land trusts are appropriately protecting property and accurately assessing the value of conservation easements. In order to fulfill the provisions of Colorado HB08-1353, land trusts will have to become certified in order to continue to receive donations of conservation easements. Legacy Land Trust fulfilled all the requirements and is now certified with the State of Colorado to hold conservation easements for which landowners desire to qualify for Colorado Conservation Easement Tax Credits. Legacy Land Trust was always qualified to hold conservation easements, but now conforms to this new layer of state regulation.

Non-profit Status
Legacy Land Trust was incorporated on November 4, 1993 as Larimer Land Trust and received its Federal I.R.S. 501(c)(3) non-profit status on November 4,1993. Our name was amended to Legacy Land Trust on May 1, 2001. We are organized in Colorado for the purposes of conserving critical lands through acquisition and conservation easements to protect Colorado’s natural heritage and the quality of life for the benefit of the general public, and to collaborate with other entities who share a common interest in the conservation and protection of lands, to distribute information on creative land conservation techniques, and educate the general public regarding the value of open space.

Legacy Land Trust maintains our status in Good Standing as a 501(c)(3) organization, and is registered within the State of Colorado to solicit charitable contributions.