Land trusts deal with risk every day to conserve land and protect it from encroachments, trespass, easement violations, etc.  Practice 6I of Land Trust Standards and Practices asks land trusts to assess and manage their risk and have appropriate insurances, including Terrafirma Risk Retention Group, a charitable risk pool to help land trusts with lasting conservation. 

In this seminar, led by Leslie Ratley-Beach, Conservation Defense Director of the Land Trust Alliance, we will discuss key concepts in risk balancing as they apply to land trusts so organizations advance their mission and protect their vital assets. Participants will leave the session understanding how to develop a risk management plan that integrates sound risk balancing practices into land trust operations including saving money and buying the right type and amount of insurance.

We’ll also test your courage and ingenuity with some real life stories. Some of your colleagues from all volunteer and staffed land trusts will present their approaches to risk assessment and balance. Risk management tools adapt to every size and need at all levels of land trust activity. Land trusts can embed risk management planning into existing activities and reduce effort, increase effectiveness and save money! You will leave with practical pointers and sample material.

Leslie Ratley-Beach joined The Land Trust Alliance as its first Conservation Defense Director in August 2007. Leslie led the effort that created the first ever national conservation defense liability insurance program (Terrafirma Risk Retention Group LLC) and she continues to coordinate the delivery of Terrafirma services to the land trust insured owners, as well as leading the Alliance’s conservation defense initiative. She is a national author and speaker. Previously, Leslie worked with the Vermont Land Trust for almost 13 years first as Stewardship Director leading the program responsible for more than 1430 conservation easements on over 470,000 acres of land with more 1200 landowners and prior to that was Project Counsel where she drafted and helped negotiate more than 500 conservation easements. Leslie has a law degree from Boston University (1985) and Bachelors’ degrees from University of Oregon and practiced law first in Massachusetts and then in Vermont.