As TILT approaches 11,000 acres conserved, it is clear that the organization had a significant impact on the 1000 Islands landscape. While conserving land on this scale, TILT takes great pride in the responsibility of ensuring the conservation permanence of such a unique resource.

Since its inception, TILT has held the philosophy that acquiring land is more than a one-time transaction; it is a perpetual commitment to the protection and stewardship of an irreplaceable asset. For this reason, TILT has taken additional steps to both insure and ensure the long term conservation of both its fee-owned and easement lands.

In 2013, TILT became a member of Terrafirma, a charitable risk pool created by the Land Trust Alliance, which insures its members against legal costs associated with conservation defense. By enrolling its conservation portfolio into this program, TILT has expanded its financial capacity to better defend its conserved lands against conservation easement violations and encroachment on lands owned by the land trust.

While land trusts hope to never need to litigate, it is prudent to be prepared to protect an easement or conserved property. Through proactive participation in Terrafirma, TILT has equipped itself with the tools to address and overcome the potentially high costs of litigation, ensuring conservation longevity through fiscal responsibility.

Terrafirma is an important tool for TILT in assuring both its capacity and capability of upholding conservation permanence.