NORTHEAST WILDERNESS TRUST
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Northeast Wilderness Trust was founded by a group of conservationists in order to fill a niche in the regional conservation community—the conservation of forever-wild landscapes in the Northeast. No regional or local land trust focuses exclusively on protecting wilderness areas. While we value the range of compatible conservation strategies, we know that a permanently conserved landscape without resource extraction offers an unparalleled range of benefits to society. Over the past century there has been tremendous conservation progress in the Northeast, primarily oriented toward scenic, recreational, timber, and agricultural purposes. The need to complement these accomplishments with wilderness areas is critical. Conservation science suggests that wilderness areas are the crucial anchors of interconnected systems of conservation lands that can sustain biodiversity, support natural processes, and undergird human economies with a range of ecosystem services that act as climate solutions.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Land Protection and Stewardship
The Wilderness Trust uses various conservation tools--including forever-wild easements and fee acquisition (purchase)--to protect wild places across New England. The Wilderness Trust currently stewards over 73,000 acres of forever-wild land across the Northeast.
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
Rewilding: The Global Alliance 2019
Land Trust Alliance 2023
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of acres of land protected
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults
Related Program
Land Protection and Stewardship
Type of Metric
Other - describing something else
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
In total, the Wilderness Trust now protects over 73,000 forever-wild acres across six states.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Our primary purpose and the focus of our work is wilderness land conservation—protecting places by owning land and holding forever-wild easements. We prioritize projects that will add resilience to nature in the long run due to their size, character and/or location. We partner with other trusts, nonprofits, municipalities and other public and private landowners to advance such protection. We promote the value of wilderness and lend our voice to efforts that advance policies and practices that support wildland conservation, remove barriers and disincentives to forever-wild protection, and contribute to a wild and healthy future.
In 2020, NWT developed a 5-year strategic plan that focuses on the single goal to "accelerate the pace of wilderness conservation" with the aim to conserve 25,000 acres by 2025.
In order to accomplish our goal, we developed four main strategies/pillars as outlined below.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Pillar 1: Protect
Accelerate and expand wilderness preservation across the Northeast for the benefit of all life.
Benchmarks: By 2025, Northeast Wilderness Trust will preserve an additional 25,000 acres of wilderness and steward 60,000 total acres. (25 by ’25!)
How We’ll Do It:
• Prioritize landscapes that emphasize connectivity
• Expand conservation in focal landscapes
• Deepen existing partnerships
• Engage new partners across the Northeast
• Be a resource for other land trusts in exemplary stewardship
Pillar 2: Connect
Strengthen our region’s collective wilderness ethic by connecting people with meaningful wildlands experiences.
Benchmarks: Northeast Wilderness Trust will implement a new online experience and an on-the-ground ambassador land program, connecting people from all walks of life to the Northeast’s extraordinary wildlands.
How We’ll Do It:
• Offer new ways to experience and love wilderness
• Create ambassador landscapes (see opposite)
• Monitor rewilding areas
• Host events centered on wilderness spirituality and science
• Launch “Friends of Northeast Wilderness Trust” groups
Pillar 3: Champion
Elevate the understanding of and support for wilderness. Wild forests offer solutions to two great global crises: climate change and mass extinction. Rewilding the world’s natural habitats offers a hopeful path toward a brighter future.
Benchmarks: Northeast Wilderness Trust will articulate and promote the importance of wilderness across the region by publishing Wild Works and other articles, presenting on wilderness, and hosting gatherings.
How We’ll Do It:
• Define a wilderness ethic for the 21st century
• Increase awareness of wilderness values
• Convene “Wilderness Gatherings”
• Present regularly across the region
• Facilitate conversations about wilderness’ benefits with partners and state and local governments
Pillar 4: Sustain
Through organizational excellence, build an enduring institution that can deliver on the promise of perpetuity.
To advance the strategies of Protect, Connect, and Champion, Northeast Wilderness Trust will employ a variety of strategies to build a deeper and wider base of support. Doing this will allow the Wilderness Trust to increase staff capacity and mission effectiveness.
Benchmarks: Northeast Wilderness Trust both operates and is viewed as an efficient, transparent, professional, and resilient organization.
How We’ll Do It:
• Broaden volunteer opportunities
• Deepen relationships with all supporters
• Cultivate new funding sources
• Ensure financial stability
• Continue using best practices
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
NWT has a small, dedicated staff and board who work collaboratively with other land trusts, landowners and conservation organizations across the region. We respond to opportunities and strategically identify and protect wilderness areas in the northeast. This work will leave a legacy of wild forests for future generations of all species. As a small organization NWT is nimble and lean and is able to respond to emerging opportunities with success.
For over 17 years we have adhered to the strictest standards in land conservation. In 2009 we became an accredited member of the Land Trust Alliance, a national land conservation organization that works to save the places people need and love by strengthening land conservation across America.
Land trust accreditation is a mark of distinction, showing that we meet a high standard for land conservation. It demonstrates not only that we are a strong, effective organization but also that we successfully adhere to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission's Land Trust Standards and Practices. Accreditation is a catalyst for improvement, which results in faster, better, stronger conservation.
To ensure that all land is protected in perpetuity we have a formal Stewardship Fund. For each easement or property we acquire, a contribution is made to the fund. The Stewardship Fund ensures annual support for a portion of ongoing stewardship costs. In addition, it helps to cover the costs of membership in Terrafirma, a conservation defense insurance program. In the rare instance of legal action needed to defend a wilderness property, Terrafirma insures the costs of upholding conservation easements and fee lands held for conservation purposes.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
During 2021 the Northeast Wilderness Trust:
-Conserved over 11,000 acres bringing the total acres conserved to over 58,000.
-Have 25,000 acres in our project pipeline.
-Completed the first Wildlands Partnership program conservation easement on 1,400 acres in ME with Frenchman Bay Conservancy.
-Expanded our Ambassador Preserve model in NH and ME.
-Added new staff members commensurate with our strategic plan and acreage growth.
-Added 3 new board members who bring new and diverse perspectives.
-Launched 2 internships in communications and stewardship.
-Doubled our number of supporters.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
NORTHEAST WILDERNESS TRUST
Board of directorsas of 02/02/2023
Mark Anderson
The Nature Conservancy
Term: 2021 - 2024
Susie O'Keeffe
Educator/Author/Conservation Land Owner
Term: 2024 - 2021
Kristin DeBoer
Kestrel Land Trust
Brett Engstrom
Ecologist
Jim Dehner
Indiana Land Protection Alliance
Carol Fox
Thomson Reuters
Daniel Hildreth
Diversified Communications
Rick Rancourt
DealerPolicy
Henry Tepper
Independent Environmental Consultant
Brian Tijan
Folk Art Management
Paul Torrence
Retired, NIH
Randy Kritkausky
Conservation Consultant
Emily Bateson
Retired, Network for Landscape Conservation
Eric Sorenson
Retired, VT Fish & Wildlife
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 09/07/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.