North Branch Land Trust

“At least 5 to 10 business days prior to filing form 990, a draft of the completed 990 is provided to the finance committee or a designated committee member. Any questions will be reviewed with the preparer and any appropriate modifications will be made to the return. At least 24 hours prior to the filing of form 990, a draft email copy is distributed to all board members for their information and review. Satisfaction of the above requirements will permit an officer of the organization to sign form 990.”

“Conflict of interest disclosures are required annually from all officers, directors and key employees.”

“Governing documents and annual form 990 are available on the public information page of the organization's website. These documents are also available for inspection upon request during normal business hours at the physical location of the organization.”

“The mission of nblt is to work in partnership with landowners and their communities to conserve the scenic, natural and working landscapes in northeastern pennsylvania that sustain us. Nblt works with landowners and other stakeholders to help ensure that the conservation values on the scenic and natural lands throughout the region are protected in perpetuity.”

“Volunteers provide services for monitoring protected properties, stewardship of fee-owned properties, fundraising, recordkeeping, bulk mailing services, event planning, and outdoor activities support.”

“Benefit of the public and for the protection of rare and endangered plant and animal species. Most of these lands are open to the public from dawn to dusk for passive recreation activities while some lands are closed or open by appointment only due to the fragile nature of the ecosystem found there. The land trust welcomes and accepts gifts of conservation land and other property providing that all land trust policies and procedures governing the acquisition of the land or other property are adhered to.”

“Trusts high priority area for conservation for its ecological and scenic value. On june 19, 2015, closing occurred and the property was transferred to the bureau of forestry. All of us at nblt are very pleased to have been able to protect this very special piece of land and we appreciate the collaborative effort put forth by the landowners and dcnr that helped make the project a reality.”

“August 8, 2104 - gathering at the river: held at the howland preserve in tunkhannock, this full day event featured live music, vendors, food, hiking, kayaking, and a scavenger hunt for the kids. September 21, 2014 - amazing animals at the bear creek preserve: nblt sponsored a family-friendly presentation of live animals. Each animal was introduced along with fun facts, their history and special adaptations. September 28, 2014 - all about birds at the bear creek camp nature center: guests were introduced to the characteristics of birds and offered an interactive program. They learned about special attributes that enable them to fly and why some birds have different feet, beaks and food choices. October 4, 2014 - third annual taste the local harvest event: we celebrated and supported our local farmers, brewers, and wineries at huntsville golf club. We encouraged guests to learn the importance of conserving our local agricultural lands. October 9, 2014 - full moon hike at the bear creek camp nature center and trails: we hosted an educational walk in the woods during the october full moon. A perfect end to the evening was relaxing before a campfire. October 19, 2014 - lackawanna state park hike: guests were invited to a three-mile guided hike on the beautiful trails of lackawanna state park. October 26, 2014 - ashley planes walk: we joined in a guided hike along the ashley planes cog rail line to learn how it worked and why it was so important to moving coal out of the wyoming valley. December 9, 2014 - nblt holiday gathering: we set aside this time to celebrate the holidays with our members and friends. We shared all the exciting conservation projects in process. January 25, 2015 - the picton wildlife sanctuary winter fest: held at the picton wildlife sanctuary, the picton committee hosted a winter outing for hiking, skating and a potluck lunch. February 8, 2015 - cross country winter ski: led by nblt executive director paul lumia, guests were invited to snowshoe or hike on an outdoor adventure in the beauty of lands in bear creek village. March 4, 2015 - gardening & cooking with herbs workshop: one of our naturalists shared some culinary and gardening secrets which helped our guests to learn a little about the beauty of cooking with freshly grown herbs. March 25, 2015 - together with the pennsylvania game commission in their northeast region office in dallas, we hosted a free program to cover the bald-eagle biology and behavior, ecology and population trends in pennsylvania. March 29, 2015 - ashley planes walk: guests were able to join our volunteer on a hike along the ashley planes cog rail line and learn how it worked and why it was so important to moving coal out of the wyoming valley. April 19, 2015 - vernal pool exploration: held at the george and lillian picton wildlife sanctuary in white haven, we sponsored a walk through the vernal pools of the property. These specialized, short lived environments host many breeds of amphibians. May 3, 2015 - boulder field hike: guests were treated to a guided tour of the amazing boulder field trail at hickory run state park where they explored diverse habitats and forest types on a 3.5 mile hike. May 6, 2015 - the nblt 16th annual dinner and auctions was held in wilkes- barre to celebrate our conservation successes and to honor fertile grounds, a certified organic vegetable farm promoting community supported agriculture. May 30, 2015 - howland preserve art show - this event was held at the howland preserve and featured the work of earl lohman and the talented students from the tunkhannock middle school.”

“Special event expense reclass to income/ expense 51,048 rental expenses reclass to income / expense 16,001 other income/expense reclass 88 unrealized losses reclass to income/expense -63,215 event expense reclass to income/expense -51,048 rental expense reclass to income/expense -16,001 other income/expense reclass -88”