MODULE #1 Baseline Documentation Report Training Module

When affirmative obligations are added to a CE agreement, baseline documentationbecomes even more complex. For example, adding a property managementprinciple that requires a certain level or range or riparian health will require thatthe land trust assess and document current health.The Land Trust Accreditation Commission in the US describes the content forminimum standard BDRs and for desired content BDRs for CE properties as follows:Baseline Documentation Report – Minimum ContentsAt a minimum, a baseline documentation report should contain the items below.• The date of completion.• Documentation (such as maps, photographs, and written summaries) of theconservation values protected by the CE.• Documentation (such as maps, photographs, and written summaries) ofexisting conditions that relate to the easement's restrictions and reservedrights. This may include the location and condition of any manmadeimprovements, data that would influence the exercise of reserved rights, preexistingconditions that are otherwise prohibited by the easement and/orother features that may threaten the conservation values.• A combination of dated signatures and/or acknowledgments that wouldmake the material admissible as a business record in court, such as datedsignatures of parties.11Baseline Documentation Report – Desired ContentsA desirable baseline documentation report might also include the items below.• A title page stating that the document is a baseline documentation report.• Background information on the project that would help in easementmonitoring or enforcement.• Information on the location of the easement.• A property description.• Documentation of the public benefits provided by the CE.• The authorship and qualifications and/or experience of the baseline.• A statement signed by the landowner and the land trust that attests to theaccuracy of the information contained in the report.Appendix A outlines a template for BDRs for CEs and provides options for a range ofcomplexity. Appendix C contains a sample baseline documentation report for CEsfrom the Foothills Land Trust.