Land Conservation Associate

~ The mission of the Pee Dee Land Trust (PDLT) is to protect, and to promote an appreciation of the natural, agricultural, and historical resources of the Pee Dee Region in South Carolina. ~

The organization has traditionally used educational activities and voluntary conservation easements as its primary tools to pursue its mission. The land trust has more than 65 easement projects and has protected nearly 25,000 acres. In addition, PDLT owns and manages two properties totaling 267 acres. Read more about the organization here.

Position Overview

The Land Conservation Associate will be responsible for assisting the Director of Land Conservation with all aspects of PDLT’s land conservation program. The position will include a focus on landowner outreach and new project development, with an emphasis on developing and implementing conservation strategies for focus areas identified in PDLT’s Strategic Conservation Plan.

This position will also assist with stewarding PDLT’s conservation easements and managing fee owned properties, including communicating with landowners, conducting monitoring visits, writing monitoring reports, and maintaining transaction files. In addition, this position supports land conservation efforts by collecting field data and writing baseline documentation reports. This position reports directly to the Director of Land Conservation and works closely with the Land Stewardship Committee and Land Protection Committee.

Responsibilities

• Assist Director of Land Conservation with outreach to landowners and new project development across PDLT’s 9-county service area
• Assist Director of Land Conservation in developing and implementing conservation strategies for focus areas within PDLT’s service area
• Provide support to Director of Land Conservation and Land Protection Committee (LPC), including: preparing project reports on all property under consideration, set meeting agendas, take minutes, distribute meeting materials, and follow up on assigned tasks
• Work with Director of Land Protection and LPC to prioritize land projects and provide background reports to Executive Director and Board
• Assist with the development and management of land protection and project area plans to meet PDLT strategic goals
• Review and prepare reports, documents and forms related to easement and land transactions according to PDLT policies and Land Trust Alliance standards and practices
• Schedule and conduct annual monitoring visits to easement-protected lands to ensure compliance with conservation easement terms
• Generate monitoring reports to document annual site visits
• Communicate verbally and in writing with landowners of easement-protected land to build and maintain positive relationships
• Coordinate with Land Stewardship Committee (LSC) and easement landowners to address potential easement violations in accordance with PDLT policies
• Maintain complete and current transaction files and reports on all PDLT conservation easements and land acquisitions according to PDLT’s record keeping policies
• Coordinate with other staff to enact and uphold record keeping policies and procedures that meet Land Trust Alliance Standards and Practices
• Conduct boundary and trail maintenance on fee owned lands
• Work with staff to assist in the preparation and writing of grants associated with land projects
• Assist with the preparation, setup, and cleanup of PDLT events

This job description does not imply that these are the only duties to be performed by this employee. He or she will be expected to perform other duties as requested by the supervisor.

Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree

Knowledge:

• Understand concepts related to ecology, ecosystem restoration, and, conservation values
• Familiarity with farming or forestry in the southeast

Skills:

• Proficiency in internet research and all standard office productivity software (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook/email software)
• Familiarity with mapping software / hardware (e.g. GPS units & GIS software) and willingness to expand capabilities
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Compensation: This is a leanly-staffed, fast-paced office whose staff has enthusiasm for the mission and tasks of the Land Trust. Leadership makes every attempt to give staff the tools needed for excellent results. We are seeking an effective, productive, and enjoyable member of the team.

Salary range $35k-$45k, commensurate with experience. Benefits include stipend for cell phone use, travel reimbursement at the federal rate, flexible schedule, paid holidays, accrued vacation and sick time, and Health Reimbursement Account.

To Apply

Please click "Apply on Company Website" below for a full description and instructions on how to apply.

Applications will be received until September 15; in-person interviews will be required for finalists. The anticipated start date is October 2017. All applicants with complete application packages will be notified by email of hiring decision.