Buck Hill Falls, PA | March 14, 2023 – One thing that unites us as a nation is land: Americans strongly support saving the open spaces they love. The Buck Hill Conservation Foundation has been doing just that for the community surrounding Buck Hill Falls in Monroe County, PA for over thirty years. Now The Buck Hill Conservation Foundation announced it has achieved national recognition – joining a network of over 450 accredited land trusts across the nation that have demonstrated their commitment to professional excellence and to maintaining the public’s trust in their work.

“Accreditation demonstrates The Buck Hill Conservation Foundation’s commitment to permanent land conservation in Buck Hill Falls” said Myron Manternach, President of the Board of Trustees. “We are a stronger organization for having gone through the rigorous accreditation program. Our strength means special places – such as the primeval forest within Jenkins Woods – will be protected forever, making Buck Hill Falls and the surrounding community an even better place for generations to come.”

The Buck Hill Conservation Foundation provided extensive documentation and was subject to a comprehensive third-party evaluation prior to achieving this distinction. The Land Trust Accreditation Commission awarded accreditation signifying its confidence that The Buck Hill Conservation Foundation’s lands will be protected forever. Accredited land trusts steward almost 20 million acres of land – the size of Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island combined.

Accreditation of The Buck Hill Conservation Foundation was the culmination of decades of generous volunteer work of its trustees and generous support from its donors.  Recently, the Foundation launched a dynamic forest management program in order to restore areas that were previously logged and that suffer from invasive species, pests and disease. The Buck Hill Conservation Foundation will continue to make substantial investments to: (i) manage risks to the forest lands and watersheds under its protection, (ii) strengthen the organization and (iii) capitalize on opportunities to grow.

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“It is exciting to recognize The Buck Hill Conservation Foundation with this national mark of distinction,” said Melissa Kalvestrand, executive director of the 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.”

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The Buck Hill Conservation Foundation is one of 1,363 land trusts across the United States according to the Land Trust Alliance’s most recent National Land Trust Census. A complete list of accredited land trusts and more information about the process and benefits can be found at www.landtrustaccreditation.org.

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