Managing Conservation Easements in Perpetuity - Environmental ...

Records Creation: In order to confirm the accuracy of a document, CLC’s Critical Records (as
listed below) should contain sufficient information as to determine who created the document
and, if possible and appropriate, be signed and dated by the party creating such record. No CLC
staff member, Board member, volunteer or contract employee shall sign a record as accurate
unless she or he personally created or participated in the creation of the document.
Copies/Back-ups: All CLC Conservation Easement Records, Fee Owned Property
Records, and Tradelands Records (as listed below) shall be duplicated with at least one copy kept
in CLC offices for daily use and reference, and the original shall be kept in an off-site archival
storage facility subject to control by the Custodian of Records. Other Critical Records shall be
archived as necessary to address the risk of loss from computer-related problems, fire, flood or
other disaster. A back-up tape containing all CLC computer files contained on the network
server shall be taken off-site on a weekly basis.
Photographs: Photographs taken for conservation easement baseline documentation or
pursuant to ground monitoring visits shall be accordance with national standards or Land Trust
Alliance standards. At this time, CLC is using black and white professional quality film
designed to avoid rapid degradation over time and which has adequate resolution to allow such
photos to remain clear when enlarged. CLC’s current procedures using black and white film
when possible is based on CLC’s recognition that digital photographs may provide more
challenges should they be needed in legal proceedings, and requires a greater commitment to
maintain the most current technology to make them readily accessible for the long term. Color
slide film is acceptable for aerial monitoring of easement properties and may be used for baseline
documentation only if the project is extremely time-sensitive given extenuating circumstances
(such as serious health concerns of one of the involved parties). Conservation easement baseline
and monitoring photographs, slides and negatives shall be archived in an off-site archival storage
facility that is preferably fireproof and temperature/humidity controlled.
Maps: A paper copy of every CLC conservation easement map and additional maps
contained in the baseline documentation, as well as other pertinent maps related to fee owned
property and tradelands, shall be stored in the off-site archival storage facility. Other maps may
be stored digitally provided a back-up copy of the CD-ROM, or other format, is stored off site.
Archival techniques: CLC Critical Records shall be maintained in a form designed to
protect such records for the time they are to be preserved by the organization in accordance with
this Policy. Therefore, staff shall avoid the use of metal fasteners, such as staples, paperclips and
binders, with documents to be archived. The organization shall utilize archival quality plastic
sleeves, acid-free paper, trace paper separators for mylar maps, plastic fasteners and similar
techniques for the preservation of the archived Critical Records. Critical Records shall be
archived in an off-site archival storage facility with a copy of all such records kept in-house.
Irreplaceable items for each Conservation Easement Record (such as CLC’s copy of the
original signed conservation easement, original signed baseline photographs, and baseline and
ground monitoring photograph negatives) and other critical documents, as appropriate, shall be
placed in a lockable fireproof filing cabinet located in CLC’s office immediately following the
creation of such item. These items shall be archived off-site in accordance with this Policy at the
CLC Record-Keeping Policy; Adopted 04/30/05 _________________________________________________2 of 7
Recordkeeping 129
CLC: Record-keeping Policy