Nomination Statement for Northern New England Region Candidate
Angela Twitchell

I chose to accept the nomination for the Terrafirma Members Committee because I recognized early on in my work with land trusts that very few land trusts had the funds it would require to legally defend themselves in lawsuits challenging conserved lands.  This realization quickly made me understand that if this fact was true, then the very concept of a conservation easement being a tool for permanent conservation was at risk.  I was an early proponent and advocate for the establishment of Terrafirma and remain a strong supporter.

I think it is incumbent upon those of us who understand how critical this insurance program is to ensuring the permanence of our conservation work to encourage more land trusts to sign up as members and to advocate to make the Terrafirma initiative as strong as possible.  I believe by serving on the Terrafirma Members Committee I will be in a better position to spread the message of the importance of this program to every land trust because eventually every land trust, no matter how well managed, will face a legal challenge.  I also serve as a member of the Maine Land Trust Network’s Steering Committee, in this role I am exposed to the needs and challenges facing the nearly 100 land trusts in Maine and I will bring this broader perspective to my work on the Members Committee.  I appreciate the opportunity to be considered to serve on the Members Committee.