New Look, New Name, Same Mission

In early 2016 Inland Northwest Land Trust will turn 25 years old. After 17 of those years, we have a new Executive Director, and some new staff members joining the longstanding team. We have a board of directors re-energized by several new members and plans to strengthen and grow the organization. As we considered possibilities for refreshing our website and all of our publications, we recognized the opportunity to build on the success of the past 25 years and update both our logo and our name.

After enlisting the talented and conservation-minded Deanna Camp, of local agency Camp Creative, to guide us (see sidebar, page 5), we worked through the exciting (and surprisingly enjoyable) process of consolidating and articulating our thoughts and feelings about the organization. It is now time to announce our new name and unveil our new logo! As of June 1, the name of your trusty land trust has become Inland Northwest Land Conservancy.

The change from “trust” to “conservancy” emphasizes our conservation-focused mission: to protect the Inland Northwest’s natural lands, waters and forests for the benefit of wildlife, our community and future generations. While you, our faithful supporters, understand what we do and how, we have found the term “land trust” to be a source of confusion for others. As we expand our membership and conservation efforts, the new name will clarify who we are and what we do.

The new logo can be seen in many ways, all illustrating our commitment to land conservation. Perhaps the logo represents a lens: a camera capturing and preserving the landscape, or a metaphorical lens focused on the future. It could be seen as a life preserver, protecting the land it encircles. Maybe it is simply a window, looking out on the rivers, farmland and forests of the Inland Northwest. You might see the logo as a button: a power button representing the importance of our natural resources, or an “easy” button to be pushed to contact us and set the process of land conservation in motion. What do you see?

The tagline, “The Power of Preservation,” refers to both the strength of the organization itself and to the positive impact land conservation has on the community. The benefits that clean water, quiet forests, open spaces and scenic beauty impart on a community are physical, psychological, financial, emotional, and spiritual. We believe that this work is important: land preservation is powerful.

This organization has much to be proud of. To date, INLC has helped to protect over 15,000 acres of our beautiful region, including nearly 39 miles of shoreline. These achievements have been attained through passion, steady professionalism and your stalwart support. We have accomplished a great deal by working with partner organizations, public entities and—most importantly—one-on-one with conscientious landowners, each having a deep connection to their land and a long-term vision for the future. INLC is well-established and growing, and we believe the changes in our name and “look” honor our past while positioning the organization for the next 25 years and beyond.