SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y., May 8, 2026 – One thing that unites us as a nation is land: Americans strongly support saving the natural spaces they love. Since 2003, Saratoga PLAN (Preserving Land and Nature) has been doing just that for the people of the Saratoga region by helping to protect over 14,000 acres of land. Now Saratoga PLAN announced it has renewed its land trust accreditation – proving once again, as part of a network of accredited land trusts across the nation, it is committed to conservation excellence.
“Renewing our accreditation shows Saratoga PLAN’s ongoing commitment to permanent land conservation in the Saratoga region” said Robert Davies, executive director of Saratoga PLAN. “We are stronger as an organization for having gone through the rigorous accreditation renewal process. That renewed strength and effectiveness means special places – such as PLAN’s 13 public nature preserves and the agricultural land crucial to more than 30 local working farms – will be protected forever, making this area an even greater place to live, work, visit and play.”
Saratoga PLAN provided extensive documentation and was subject to a comprehensive third-party evaluation prior to achieving this distinction. The Land Trust Accreditation Commission awarded renewed accreditation, signifying its confidence that Saratoga PLAN’s lands will be protected forever. Accredited land trusts across the country now steward over 20 million acres – the size of Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island combined.
As a community-based conservation organization, PLAN envisions a future where all benefit from connected and protected working farms, healthy forests, clean air and water, and thriving wildlife.
To date, the organization has connected people to nature by helping develop more than 200 miles of trails, including the popular Zim Smith Trail, and by providing public access to 13 nature preserves across Saratoga County. Saratoga PLAN is also working with regional partners, including the Open Space Institute and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, to advance the Palmertown Range Initiative, a collaborative effort to conserve the Southern Palmertown Range’s extensive forests and wetlands while expanding recreation opportunities and supporting regional economic development in the southern Adirondack foothills.
Recent conservation successes tied to the initiative include the protection of more than 500 acres of forestland in partnership with local landowners, as well as the ongoing Northern Gateway project, which will expand the Graphite Range Community Forest. A major recreation goal of the initiative is the creation of a multiuse spine trail as part of the envisioned Sarah B. Foulke Friendship Trails Network, connecting Saratoga Spa State Park and the city of Saratoga Springs to Moreau Lake State Park.
“We are proud to recognize Saratoga PLAN’s continued commitment to conservation excellence,” said Melissa Kalvestrand, executive director of the Commission. “The accreditation seal is a mark of distinction that stands for excellence, trust and permanence. Saratoga PLAN is part of a network of accredited land trusts that are united by their strong ethical practices. Accredited land trusts inspire confidence and respect among their peers and in their communities.”
Saratoga PLAN is one of 1,281 land trusts across the United States according to the Land Trust Alliance’s most recent National Land Trust Census. A complete list of accredited land trusts and more information about the process and benefits can be found at www.landtrustaccreditation.org.
About Saratoga PLAN
Saratoga PLAN stewards and protects farms, forests, and waters of the Saratoga region and the southern Adirondack foothills – now and forever.
Saratoga PLAN (Preserving Land and Nature) has helped conserve over 14,000 acres of land in Saratoga County. PLAN helps landowners conserve farmland, woodlands, and natural habitats, and connects people to nature through an extensive trail network, including 13 public nature preserves open for hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and nature study. Saratoga PLAN helps communities create plans that balance growth with conservation to sustain the Saratoga Region as a great place to live, work, visit, play and farm. PLAN facilitates community-based conservation by partnering with municipalities to help them accomplish their community’s conservation goals.
For more information, call 518-587-5554, or visit www.saratogaplan.org.
About Land Trust Accreditation Commission
The Land Trust Accreditation Commission inspires excellence, promotes public trust and ensures permanence in the conservation of open lands by recognizing organizations that meet rigorous quality standards and strive for continuous improvement. The Commission, established in 2006 as an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, is governed by a volunteer board of diverse land conservation and nonprofit management experts. For more, visit www.landtrustaccreditation.org.