Wood River Land Trust LTA Standard 8: Evaluating and Selecting Conservation Projects

8K: Evaluating Risks

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Policy: Wood River Land Trust examines each project for risks to the protection of important conservation values (such as surrounding land uses, extraction leases or other encumbrances, water rights, potential credibility issues or other threats) and evaluates whether it can reduce the risks. The Land Trust modifies the project or turns it down if the risks outweigh the benefits. Identifying and Evaluating Risks: Land transactions may expose the organization to risks of hazardous waste liability, inability to protect the important conservation values adequately due to external circumstances, or damages to credibility. Physical examinations of the property and other sources of information allow the Land Trust to assess a projects merit and identify its benefits, to assess management and enforcement risks, and to identify potential problems. Risks and hazards identified during site visits will be documented and presented to the Board during the project selection process. If there are significant risks, the Land Trust has several options: (1) Allow the project to continue on its course (2) Stop until project modifications have been accepted, or (3) Reject the project outright. The Land Trust must be aware of how the public views risks associated with each transaction and be prepared to explain its involvement in a project if it is viewed risky by the public. To ultimately accept a project, the Land Trust must be satisfied that the benefits are worth the land trust taking the risk.

Standard 8, Evaluating Risks - Page 1 of 1 / Approved by the Board November 27, 2007