Governance & Finance
Governing Structure:
NRLT is managed by a Board of between 5 and 15 trustees; as of mid-2019 there were 12 trustees. Trustees serve staggered three-year terms, and are limited to two terms. They are elected by the membership at NRLT’s annual meeting, normally held in June. The board meets normally on the fourth Thursday evening of each month.
NRLT bylaws are available here.
NRLT’s officers comprise a chair, vice-chair, secretary, treasurer and co-treasurer, elected at the first board meeting following the annual meeting. An executive committee made up of the officers is authorized to act on urgent matters between meetings.
Committees:
NRLT conducts part of its activities through the committees listed below. Advisors and members may join committees – please contact any NRLT officer to volunteer. Other ad hoc committees will be formed from time to time.
Lands:
Identifies, visits and evaluates projects, reports to the Board, works with landowners to develop Board-approved projects.
Stewardship/Monitoring:
Visits all properties subject to NRLT easements at least once a year to ensure compliance with easement terms and conditions. The committee contacts the landowners concerned and asks them to accompany the committee wherever possible on visits to their land; other Board members are also invited to accompany the committee on site visits. A brief report is completed annually on each easement.
Financial Management and Oversight:
Prepares budgets and periodic financial reports, ensures responsible management of organizational funds
Advisory
Contributes their expertise and interests to support NRLT objectives, without committing to full Board membership. Nine to twelve advisors are appointed by the trustees for 3-year terms. Advisors are welcome at all Board meetings. Please contact an NRLT Board member to volunteer or email us at info@northernriverslandtrust.org.
Membership/Outreach:
Manages NRLT communications and recruitment of members, maintains external relationships.
Nominating:
Nominates trustees ad officers for election at annual and Board meetings, respectively.
Records:
The NLRT’s records are maintained in a filing cabinet at the Center for an Agricultural Economy, Junction Road, Hardwick.
Finances:
Our latest annual financial report is available here. Funds are separated into three accounts, a General Fund, an Operating Endowment Fund, and a Stewardship Fund.
The General Fund supports our normal operating costs, which are minimal, as the organization currently has no paid staff. NRLT solicits donations from its members and other friends through an annual mailing to meet these costs. Interest from the Operating Endowment Fund also supports these same general purposes.
When sufficient, the General Fund may also be used to meet legal and overhead costs of establishing new easements, which typically range from $500 to $1,500 per project. Special fund-raising drives may also be conducted in connection with specific projects.
The Stewardship Fund may only be drawn on for costs incurred in monitoring and enforcing NRLT’s easements, and normally only the interest is used for these purposes. For each new easement acquired, the by-laws obligate the trustees to raise and/or transfer a lump sum, currently $5,000, into the Stewardship Endowment Fund, where it accumulates interest until drawn on for eligible costs. Easement donors often contribute to this fund in recognition that NRLT is assuming a perpetual responsibility to preserve their land.