The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, will conduct a lottery in 2007 to select applicants for the first year of the program. Land trusts interested in the lottery drawing must submit an electronic "intent to apply" by August 31, 2007. This is your organization's "lottery ticket." Names of applicants will be drawn at Rally 2007 in Denver in early October, and results will be posted on the Commission's website by mid-October. More information

Visit The Learning Center - your place to connect with land trust colleagues and find information and training on best practices in land conservation. We created a pilot site and posted the first course so you can test the new online curriculum. The final site with additional courses will debut at Rally 2007 in October. E-mail your comments to learn@lta.org.

Earlier this year we announced new questions regarding conservation easement donations on the tax return Form 990. Clarification of these new questions is now available on our website, including a line-by-line breakdown of the instructions to help you complete the detailed form it requires. More information

Property protected by an easement because of the tax incentive, Three Valley Conservtation Trust (OH) Please send us examples of how the new tax incentive for conservation easement donations has made a difference in your work. With the incentive set to expire at the end of the year, the Alliance is working to make it permanent. One way to show Congress that the tax incentive is already helping is through stories, so we need your help to identify great ones showing conservation impact in your community. Share your story

The Conservation Easement Certificate Program is coming October 1–5, 2007 in Denver, Colorado. This 30-hour course provides appraisers with the best information available on the new appraisal guidelines. More information If you’re not an appraiser but want an update on the new guidelines, don’t miss Mark Weston’s workshop on Conservation Easement Appraisals at Rally 2007 on Wednesday, October 3 from 1:00-5:00 pm. Based on Chapter 3 of the Alliance’s “Tax Benefits and Appraisals of Conservation Projects,” part of the Standards and Practices Curriculum, this topic has been expanded to provide more information and opportunity for discussion.

Wildlife Action Opportunities Fund: anticipates providing $2 million in grants for implementing priority conservation actions and strategies identified in State Wildlife Action Plans. Deadline: August 2 Rally Awards: your last chance to nominate for the National Land Trust Excellence, Conservation Volunteer of the Year, and Kingsbury Browne for Conservation Leadership awards. Deadlines: July 20 and 27 More grants and awards

Have you updated your files with our new address? Many of the newsletters and other materials we receive from our members are still being forwarded from our old address. The new address is: 1660 L Street NW, Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20036. And if you have not been sending the Alliance your newsletter and press releases, please do! You can e-mail electronic versions to pressroom@lta.org. We’d love to hear your good news. Thanks to those members who sent their newsletter editor and media representative contact information. If you haven’t sent your contact info yet, please e-mail pressroom@lta.org.