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Advancing Conservancy Excellence

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Your support allows us to continue to strengthen the efforts of Michigan's conservation community. Together, we can protect Michigan for the benefit of generations to come.

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Questions?

If you would like more information about our programs, please email us at  info@heartofthelakes.org 
The Advancing Conservancy Excellence (ACE) program is a partnership project between Heart of the Lakes and the Land Trust Alliance with a goal to strategically transform Michigan’s land conservancies into a high-performing, sustainable and cohesive conservation community.

About the ACE Program
The Advancing Conservancy Excellence program, now in its sixth year, started in 2008 as one of only three excellence pilot programs in the country.  It has significantly increased  the technical knowledge and organizational strength of participating conservancies, thanks to the generous support of the Michigan-based foundations listed below.  ACE provides direct services such as advancement grants to those groups seeking national accreditation and universal services for all Michigan land conservancies, including training for boards and staff, mentoring, peer exchanges, and competitive grants.

National Accreditation
One of the drivers behind ACE is to assist Michigan’s land conservancies achieve national accreditation. Accreditation means that a conservancy has gone through a rigorous independent review and can demonstrate that it meets national standards of excellence, uphold the public trust, and ensure that they can met the promise that their conservation efforts to protect important natural places and working lands are permanent. Conservancies must renew every five years to sustain their accredited status.

To date, nine land conservancies in Michigan have successfully applied for and received accreditation--Chikaming Open Lands, Chippewa Watershed Conservancy, Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, Land Conservancy of West Michigan, Leelanau Conservancy, Legacy Land Conservancy, Little Forks Conservancy, North Oakland Headwaters Land Conservancy and Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy.  Of this group, Chikaming, Legacy and Leelanau were the first to receive accreditation in Michigan and so began the renewal process in 2013.  A tenth, The Nature Conservancy in Michigan, is also accredited through its national office.

Moving Forward
ACE is  currently helping the next group of conservancies achieve national accreditation (Michigan Nature Association, Six Rivers Regional Land Conservancy and Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy) and assisting those that have applied for re-accreditation. Services for these groups included updated assessments; mentoring and technical assistance; advancement grants; board training and leadership development.  Our short-term goal is to help half of the approximately 28 Michigan conservancies achieve accreditation.  Current universal ACE services for all Michigan land conservancies includes a Peer Mentoring program, technical training, board training, and advancement grants.

Participating Conservancies:  (Conservancies in bold are nationally accredited.)
Cadillac Area Land Conservancy
Chikaming Open Lands
Chippewa Watershed Conservancy
Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy
Keweenaw Land Trust
Land Conservancy of West Michigan
Leelanau Land Conservancy
Legacy Land Conservancy
Little Forks Conservancy
Little Traverse Conservancy
Livingston Land Conservancy
Michigan Nature Association
Mid-Michigan Land Conservancy
North Oakland Headwaters Conservancy
Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy
Six Rivers Regional Land Conservancy
Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy
Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy

Thank you! 
The ACE partnership is especially grateful to those that fund the program, our success would not have been possible without them:   The Carls Foundation, the Frey Foundation, the Wege Foundation, the C.S. Mott Foundation, The Kresge Foundation and the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation


Heart of the Lakes strengthens the collective efforts of organizations dedicated to the conservation of Michigan’s environmentally and economically significant land and water. We provide leadership, innovative ideas, and advocate for smart public policy for the benefit of our communities and for generations to come.
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Heart of the Lakes
PO Box 1128
Bay City, MI  48706
Heart of the Lakes is a statewide organization that concentrates and strengthens the efforts of Michigan’s land conservation community. Founded by Michigan’s land conservancies, Heart of the Lakes does what no individual organization can do on its own-- unites them under the common goal of protecting Michigan’s land. 

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Heart of the Lakes
P.O. Box 1128 Bay City, MI  48706
989-292-3582

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