New River Land Trust

“Form 990 is prepared by the accountant, who also prepares the organization's financial statements as part of its annual audit, with input and support of the executive director and the office administration staff. Once a draft version is substantially completed, it is submitted to the board, including the finance committee, for comment. These comments are discussed and incorporated and then the final 990 is prepared by the accountant and submitted to the president for signature.”

“Board member and staff orientation sessions cover circumstances which might give rise to conflicts of interest. Also, a conflict of interest disclosure form is in place which must be signed by all board and staff members. The conflict of interest policy is submitted anew each year to the board and staff with teh goal of board members' self-monitoring. The executive director and other board members are mindful of circumstances that might give rise to future conflicts of interest and are invited to bring these to the board's attention. Questions about potential conflicts of interest are brought to the land trust alliance and also discussed by the executive director with member of vault (virginia united land trusts), another exempt organization of which the nrlt is a member.”

“Executive director compensation is reviewed and approved by the board of directors as part of an annual review process.”

“All such documents are available on request.”

“Each year the new river land trust, in partnership with the virginia outdoors foundation, other state and federal government agencies, and other conservation organization, works with landowners from elliston in montgomery county west to cox's chapel in grayson county to save large tracts of land and family farms in the new river region. A conservation easement is a voluntary agreement by a landowner that protects his or her land from intensive development in perpetuity. Conservation easements protect working forest lands and vital regional water resources for human, wildlife, and aquatic species. The landowner continues to own the farmland or forest and can pursue all traditional uses of the land, such as agricultural and timbering. In exchange for protecting the land's conservation values, the owner receives generous state and federal tax incentives. In 2020, the new river land trust helped three landowners with 716 acres under conservation easements and 229 acres in fee simple conservation projects. The easements included a state funded project on extremely high value forest with notable water, natural heritage, and scenic resources in giles county. The land trust did two fee simple purchase projects in order to protect high conservation value land in montgomery county. The montgomery project was funded with grant money from the virginia outdoors foundation's forest core fund. The land will be transferred to the town of blacksburg to become a forested nature park in 2021. The fee simple properties will be permanently protected through their transfer to the public entities. Also in 2019, the new river land trust continued to partner with local governments, regional organizations, and other stakeholders in strategic planning to identify critical lands and resources for targeted conservation outreach and education. These efforts included development of an upgraded gis system that can be used by staff and board members to quickly identify properties with important conservation values in our service area. This project continues the land trust's efforts to strategically pursue its mission. The new river land trust's work helps balance growth and development with conservation of regionally and locally important rural lands and associated resources. Since 2002, the new river land trust has worked with 263 landowners to voluntarily place more than 56,428 acres of farms, forests, open spaces, and historic places in conservation easements. This protected area includes over 27 miles along the new river, one of the fourteen american heritage rivers in the country and the only one in virginia. The new river and its surrounding appalachian mountain landscape are defining features of the area.”