The LTA accreditation program recognizes land conservation organizations that meet national quality standards for protecting important natural resources and working lands like farms and forests forever.

The Land Trust Accreditation Commission seeks public comment and accepts signed, written comments on pending applications. Comments must relate to how ACT complies with national quality standards. These standards address the ethical and technical operation of a land trust. For the full list of standards see http://www.landtrustaccreditation.org/tips-and-tools/indicator-practices.

To learn more about the accreditation program and to submit a comment, visit www.landtrustaccreditation.org. Comments may also be faxed or mailed to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, Attn: Public Comments, 112 Spring Street, Suite 204, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. Fax: 518-587-3183. Comments on ACT’s application should be received by Dec. 31, 2011.

The advisors include two former ACT board members, Dave Govatski of Jefferson and Martha Abbott Hill of Littleton, as well as Steve Blackmer of Canterbury, Julie Renaud Evans of Milan, and Brendan Whittaker of Brunswick, Vt.

Govatski had a 30-year career with the U.S. Forest Service as a fire and aviation management officer, forester, and silviculturist. Dave, who also serves on ACT’s Lands Committee, is very active with the Pondicherry National Fish and Wildlife Refuge and chairs the Jefferson Conservation Commission. He is a naturalist with a focus on birds and alpine plants, a hiker, canoeist, Nordic skier, and snowshoer.

Born and raised in Littleton, Martha Hill has spent her career working in the nonprofit field, and is an experienced volunteer who has aided several organizations with her development and grant-writing expertise. As a former chair of the Littleton Conservation Commission she provided leadership in securing current use tax funds for conservation work within the town and in the creation of a summer education program at the Dells. Martha delights in the North Country’s landscape and explores it by foot, snowshoe, kayak, and bike as often as she can.

Julie Renaud Evans is the director of forestry for Sustainable Forest Futures, a program promoting a competitive and sustainable forest economy in the northern New England. Evans has taught many environmental and forestry courses at White Mountains Community College. As a consultant, she has worked with White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, many landowner clients, and the town of Errol as it established its 5,300-acre community forest. At Sustainable Forest Futures she teaches about the benefits of community forests and assists communities in acquiring and managing land.

Steve Blackmer founded and led the Northern Forest Center and the Northern Forest Alliance, and earlier in his career worked for the Society for Protection of N.H. Forests and Appalachian Mountain Club. He has been instrumental in creating the nationally recognized movement to conserve the Northern Forest through building local economies grounded in the enhancement of the region’s ecological, cultural, and human resources. Steve is now studying the intersection of religion and environment, with a particular interest in climate change, at Yale Divinity School. Steve is a dedicated cross-country skier and distance runner.

Brendan J. Whittaker is another recognized leader in the Northern Forest. A professional forester and Episcopal priest, his long career in civic life includes serving as secretary of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources and directing the Vermont State Energy Office. He represented Vermont on the Northern Forest Lands Council, and has served as a board member or advisor to a long list of New England’s leading conservation organizations. He is also a select board member and moderator in Brunswick, Vt. His essay, “A View From Local Government,” published in the book The Future of the Northern Forest, is an insightful perspective on issues of local control, property rights, and identity in a rapidly changing time. Brendan  also serves on ACT’s Lands Committee. He enjoys working in his woods and casting the occasional fly.

“I joined the board for the same reason we conserved our land,” Tony says. “I want to continue in the best way I can to help ACT achieve its goals of protecting habitat for wildlife and land for people. This work has to happen all over the world, and we can’t just talk about it, we have to do something about it.”

Early in his career, Tony was a merchant marine. After leaving the sea and settling in the mountains, he established himself as one of this region’s tireless advocates for conserving natural resources. He founded the Littleton Energy Conservation Committee and was a co-founder of the Littleton Transfer Station, which he managed for 19 years. Ilacqua served on the N.H. Waste Management Council as well as the North East Resource Recovery Association Board of Trustees.

Rufus Perkins is ACT’s board president. Rufus is a retired economist with Arthur D. Little, Inc., working extensively in the Middle East and Europe. Perkins and his brother and sister conserved their family property on Bronson Hill in Sugar Hill with ACT in 2009. The land is permanently conserved for public use and enjoyment, and offers some of the most splendid views of the Franconia Range to be found. Rufus is an avid cross-country and downhill skier, and enjoys the all the many activities of maintaining his land.

Vice president is Chuck Phillips of Franconia. Chuck is a principal/partner with Sapience Organizational Consulting. He works with corporate and not-for-profit clients, including international environmental organizations, on strategic change management, improvement initiatives, and training and development. He is an ardent traveler, birder, photographer, and fly angler.

Christine Latulip,  who has worked more than 30 years in community banking, is ACT’s treasurer. Chris is currently vice president at Union Bank. She describes her board work as a personal quest to link for-profit business acumen with non-profit ideals. She also serves as treasurer of Ammonoosuc Community Health Services, Inc. in Littleton. Chris is a proud member of the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Four Thousand Footer Club.

Secretary of ACT is Lynn Kenerson of Sugar Hill. Lynn has lived in the North Country since 1994, working for the ski school at Cannon Mountain and raising her family. The Sugar Hill Conservation Commission was her introduction to volunteering for local non-profits. She has also served as an officer of the Lafayette Regional PTO, and is a founder of the Gale River Cooperative Preschool. Lynn has been a member of ACT’s board since 2000. She and her extended family were among the founding members/contributors to ACT.

ACT’s other board members are James Seidel, Ned Cutler, Doug Evelyn, Marghie Seymour, and Rosalind Page. Seidel spent a long career with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and he serves on the Lyman Conservation Commission. Cutler, who serves on the Easton Conservation Commission, restores and refinishes furniture. In a previous life Seymour ran the Littleton Transfer Station, and she is now an attorney. Page runs a land surveying business. She and her partner, Tom Simpson, conserved a portion of their land on Pearl Lake in Lisbon with ACT. Evelyn and his wife Martha, who live in Sugar Hill, donated family land to ACT in 2007. Evelyn is retired from heading operations at the Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., but continues to consult on a variety of museum projects around the world.

We encourage you to browse and comment where you see fit. If there is something you would like to see here; but it is missing, let us know. Our goal is to keep you informed on the many projects that our organization is working on, so stop back frequently and find out what our organization is up to…for the good of our community lands.