TerraBites

A short newsletter of bite-size ideas to chew on for Terrafirma owner-member land trusts, released January, February, May, June, September, October and November.

Posts tagged risk management

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Last month we wrote about Lyme Land Conservation Trust and their major victory for land trusts everywhere. What turned the tide in their favor? Persuasive Baseline Documentation Reports, which can include maps, descriptions, and photographs. President John Pritchard said these photographs were "critical to their case"--the judge was visibly moved by the before and after pictures that clearly displayed extensive damage. As you make your own plans for managing the property that your land trust holds, don't forget this crucial component.

We’re here to help! If you have any questions about Baseline Documentation Reports or anything else, please let us know. You can email us directly or call 202-800-2219 for Lorri, 202-800-2248 for Hannah, or 802-262-6051 for Leslie.

Thanks,
Hannah

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Risk tips for a safe fun summer event

Public access to conservation land is not fun when people get hurt. If you plan to invite the public on your land this summer, be sure to consider risk management strategies to make the most of the event. You can avoid many safety issues by taking simple precautions when organizing recreational events.

Water safety- When organizing any events in or near water, be sure to provide adequate supervision and tell participants not to drink untreated water or get it in their mouths.
Food safety- When organizing events where you’ll be providing food, make sure those serving food take precautions to prevent food-borne illnesses.
Animal safety- Be sure to inform participants of any animals that may be dangerous and teach them ways to avoid them.
Plant safety- Be sure to inform participants of any plants that may cause allergic reactions and help them avoid these plants.
Bug bites- Bug bites can spread disease and allergic reactions. Make sure participants are aware of the risks and take any necessary precautions.
Emergency communications- Arrange for a way to communicate with emergency services if the need arises. Cell phones, satellite phones, and personal locator beacons are all possibilities to consider depending on your event. Or have the volunteer EMT or ambulance on standby if you are at an especially remote rugged location or holding a strenuous event.
Tour safety – Have at least two trained tour leaders if you have an organized group event; have more safety committee members at larger events to prevent tragedies and lesser accidents.

We’re here to help! If you have any questions about risk management at special events or anything else, please let us know. You can email us directly or call 202-800-2219 for Lorri or 802-262-6051 for Leslie.

Plan Ahead to Manage Risk

What do a healthy risk management program and an informed and involved board have in common? They are both integral to the success of risk management because they determine the direction of the organization. If your board and senior leadership work together to plan for contingencies ahead of time – when heads are cool and time is on your side – you can avoid crises that could put you out of business.

Board members can also log on FREE to the Nonprofit Risk Management Center as affiliates of the Land Trust Alliance. See directions »

We’re here to help! If you have any questions about updating your policy, baselines or anything else, please let us know. You can reply to this email, email us directly or call 202-800-2219 for Lorri or 802-262-6051 for Leslie.

Keep Current with Critical Dates & Deadlines

How do you make sure that if the person responsible for a deadline gets sick or goes on vacation, someone else will complete critical tasks? Rather than store deadlines and advance schedules to give preparation time in someone’s head (or a file that no one else has regular access too), plan ahead for all filing dates and the lead time to prepare. Keep it current with an electronic shared organizational calendar. A paper calendar stored electronically can work with extra diligence.

Find more suggestions on which dates to track, such as monitoring schedules, state filing deadlines, annual insurance policy review and more practical risk management suggestions »

See IRS dates that may apply to your organization »

Remember that the 2014 policy re-enrollment starts December 1, 2013 and ends February 3, 2014. Terrafirma currently has six claims in process from member land trusts. Please don’t let your coverage lapse. We’re here to help! If you have any questions, please let us know. You can reply to this email, email us directly or call 202-800-2219 for Lorri or 802-262-6051 for Leslie.

Be Prepared for Changes to Constructed Conditions

Buildings, roads and fences are not camera shy. Yet many baselines don’t include pictures or descriptions of constructed conditions on the property – such as houses, barns, riding rings, garages, amenities, driveways, fences, walls, docks and service buildings.

Changes to constructed conditions may change the intensity of use, the kind of use, the location or the impact of reserved rights on the conservation values. When a landowner starts making changes to structures on the property, you want to have a record of what the property looked like before. Baseline documentation establishes the original conditions of the property. So you want to include documentation of constructed conditions as well as natural conditions. If your land trust has to go to court, this could make all the difference in the world. And it will help with successor owners who may claim that this structure was there all the time. What a relief to have that attested baseline showing what was really there!

Remember that the 2014 policy reenrollment starts December 1, 2013 and ends February 3, 2014. Terrafirma currently has six claims in process from member land trusts. Please don’t let your coverage lapse.

We’re here to help! If you have any questions about baselines or anything else, please let us know. You can reply to this email, email us directly or call 202-800-2219 for Lorri or 802-262-6051 for Leslie.

Savvy Risk-Taking and Prevention

Saving land exposes your land trust to risk, but not all risk is bad. You can advance your mission while taking smart risks.

Please join us for a half-day seminar, Savvy Risk Taking and Prevention, at Rally in New Orleans from September 17-19 to help you plan your way through the unknown. Participants will discuss risk management with a member of the Trout Unlimited risk management committee and with senior leadership from the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests. You'll also receive a full copy of the Land Trust Alliance’s new Risk Management Curriculum book.

The cost for the seminar is $90 for land trust members and $105 for all others. This course qualifies for the Terrafirma risk management discount for 2014. Please note that you must renew risk management credits every year to qualify for the discount.

Be sure to register for the seminar and for Rally before August 26 when registration closes. I hope to see you there. Register today »

Can’t make it to Rally this year? Terrafirma will host two, free one-hour risk management webinars in November (webinar also satisfies risk management credit). Registration will open in the fall.

We’re here to help! If you have any questions about risk management classes or anything else, please let us know. You can reply to this email, email us directly or call 202-800-2219 for Lorri or 802-262-6051 for Leslie.