It was a pleasure to greet the Westerly Land Trust's Executive Director Jennifer Fusco Monday evening. Jenn said that she came to WLT as a volunteer and later joined the Board. The WLT is a non-profit organization, incorporated in 1987, which operates "throughout Westerly to conserve and enhance community resources" to preserve open space, rehabilitate and redevelop established neighborhoods and create education and recreation opportunities for the public. Since 1998 WLT has acquired 31 properties, totaling nearly 1,700 acres with hiking trails. In 2004 the Board "voted to expand the Westerly Land Trust's mission to include an Urban Initiative, focused on redevelopment and enhancement of culturally significant commercial properties in areas of historic significance to the Town." Striving to "fulfill its commitment to meet all standards of Land Trust Accreditation as set by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission," WLT was awarded national accreditation in February 2017. For more information, please go to their website at www.westerlylandtrust.org.
