Stewardship is the careful and responsible management of the land, and its natural resources, entrusted in our care. Sakonnet Preservation is committed to upholding its legal and community obligations in order to preserve every property it accepts.
Conservation easements are given in perpetuity, and we pledge to monitor, defend, and enforce the conservation terms in a consistent and timely manner. This is the promise that Sakonnet Preservation makes to every donor or landowner.
Pursuant to the National Land Trust Alliance Standards & Practices, we monitor each of our easement and fee-owned properties at least once per year in order to strengthen the relationship with the landowner, ascertain changes in land ownership and ensure enforcement of the easement’s terms.
Effective property monitoring is required to uncover possible easement violations in order to initiate solutions, undertake enforcement actions and establish a record for possible legal action. Sakonnet Preservation keeps all appropriate documentation such as reports, updated photographs and maps of each monitoring activity.
Each year, dozens of our highly trained volunteer monitors (under the direction of our professional Stewardship Director Adam Yorks) brave the cold, wind, rain, mud, bugs, or blazing sun to monitor each property to ensure that the properties entrusted to our care remain pristine.
Learn more about how our community is involved in stewarding the land we protect.
