If your land trust has already submitted its application, there is no need to take immediate action. You will want to review the changes to the requirements, as those will be part of your next application cycle.

Most changes in the 2026 Manual were clarifications or can be verified with the documentation provided in the application. As a 2026 applicant, you will continue to use the current application. The Commission phases in any new requirements or documentation so that land trusts have time to implement changes if needed.

Land trusts applying in 2027 or later will use updated application materials to align with the 2026 Manual.

• For renewal, those are now posted.
• For first-time accreditation, the application materials will be posted later in April.

The Commission welcomes feedback on the Requirements Manual at any time from the land trust community and other stakeholders. Comments for next year's edition are most useful by August to ensure that they are considered as part of the annual review process.

The accreditation program evaluates if a land trust is meeting Land Trust Standards and Practices by reviewing documentation related to a sampling of practices called "indicator elements." Requirements are related to each indicator element and represent the specific measures used to verify if a land trust applying for or renewing accreditation is meeting the indicator element. Here's an example of how they connect DOWNLOAD INFOGRAPHIC.

Members of the Land Trust Alliance have access to the Resource Center for background information on and resources for each of the indicator elements that can help land trusts of all sizes and scope be successful in the accreditation process. Background narratives for each indicator element also contain additional information about the accreditation requirements.

The Commission works with the Land Trust Alliance to follow best practices in establishing the specific requirements used to make fair and consistent decisions, based on these criteria, which guide the development of each requirement.

• Consistent with the language of the specific indicator element in Land Trust Standards and Practices
• Consistent with Alliance materials, published law, other published sources, and/or other professional advice (e.g., accountants, appraisers, etc.)
• Essential to land trusts and the land trust community
• Equitable, fair, and feasible for all land trusts
• Verifiable at a reasonable cost

Requirements are reviewed annually to ensure they reflect current practice in the land trust community and remain practical for verifying compliance with accreditation requirements. The process starts with a committee looking at comments from the land trust community as well as issues identified in applications throughout the year. The Commission then decides if a new edition is needed and where public comments will be sought. If a new edition if approved, it is released in the spring.