Eagle Valley Land Trust

Employment

Eagle Valley Land Trust is hiring! 

Land Steward Position Description

Status: Part time, non-exempt
Reports To: Executive Director
Location: Local office in Edwards, telecommute flexible
Schedule: 20-40 hours per week, depending on the season Monday-Friday with some evenings and weekends
Travel: Regional travel across service area required; urban, rural, and backcountry; employee will use personal vehicle or be driven by board members as available
Salary Range: $18.00-$24.00 per hour

About the Eagle Valley Land Trust

Eagle Valley Land Trust (EVLT) is a local land trust, serving Eagle County, Colorado and surrounding areas. EVLT has conserved over 13,000 acres through 37 conservation easements over its 40 year history. EVLT is a private, charitable non-profit organization, accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission and governed by an active Board of Directors. EVLT’s office is in Edwards, Colorado.

 

EVLT’s professional staff work together cooperatively to achieve our mission: to protect forever the lands we love, to preserve our heritage, scenic beauty, recreational opportunities, and wildlife habitats, and to build a permanent legacy for future generations. In the heart of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, our community is a special place with unique and unparalleled natural beauty and natural resources. Your local Land Trust plays a leading role in protecting our most precious lands, while educating our community about the benefits of conserving the rural character of our valleys… forever. Our team is small, but mighty. We are focused on recruiting and retaining passionate, dedicated professionals and enjoying the benefits of the work we do – we feel balance is critical in our work and in life.

 

Job Summary:

This a new, midlevel, hourly position primarily focused on executing EVLT’s stewardship responsibilities over existing CEs and, as needed, assisting with new conservation acquisitions and projects. The applicant’s previous qualifications, experience, and interest, as well as EVLT’s current needs, will determine the potential for expansion of this role into new conservation projects and into a fulltime role. The Land Steward advances the mission of Eagle Valley Land Trust through ensuring the protection of conservation values of conservation easements and fee property portfolio. The Steward will be responsible for monitoring, easement compliance, and landowner relationships of the portfolio. The Steward will manage selected stewardship projects to enhance the conservation values of selected properties. This position requires knowledge of conservation easements, experience in conservation biology and natural resource management, and technical proficiency with geographical information systems (GIS) and database applications. The Land Steward is self-directed, has strong organizational skills and attention to detail, and can communicate professionally and courteously with a variety of stakeholders. This position has potential to expand and evolve based on performance and organizational needs.

 

 

 

 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Conservation Easement Stewardship
    Manage all aspects of EVLT’s conservation and fee property portfolio in accordance with EVLT policies and Land Trust Alliance Standards and Practices.

    • Oversee legal compliance, easement interpretations, landowner reserved right actions, and amendments.
    • Propose and negotiate resolutions to stewardship issues and potential and actual violations with landowners and third parties.
    • Manage any stewardship litigation, including working with outside counsel and Executive Director as needed.
    • Coordinate with Executive Director and Stewardship and Projects Committee to plan annual monitoring program.
    • Build and maintain positive relationships with conservation easement landowners.
    • Conduct and document annual monitoring.
    • Manage hired contractors hiring for monitoring or related services.
    • Create and update maps and data using GIS tools.
  • Stewardship Project Management
    • Assist with stewardship projects including analysis, fieldwork, and partner and landowner coordination.
    • Identify and manage stewardship projects including application, grant writing, partnership development, project activities, budgeting, and reporting.
    • Participate and provide expertise to stewardship projects led by other team members.
  • Other Responsibilities
    • Participate in Conservation Program planning and team meetings.
    • Assist in departmental budgeting.
    • Attend Board meetings as requested by Executive Director.
    • Plan and take notes for Stewardship and Projects Committee meetings.
    • Support conservation easement and land transactions as requested by the Executive Director.
    • Complete other duties as assigned.
    • Maintain relevant certifications and accreditation.

 

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

  • Proficiency in ArcGIS
  • Proficiency in database applications.
  • Proficiency in MS Office (Excel, Power Point, Word, Publisher)
  • Valid driver’s license and ability to drive safely in urban and rural areas obeying all traffic laws, ability to operate a 4-wheel drive vehicle.
  • Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, negotiate solutions, and find common ground with diverse constituencies.
  • Demonstrated critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities.
  • Ability to work well both independently and as part of a team, both in person and remotely.
  • Ability to form and maintain strong, positive, collegial relationships.
  • Ability to accept feedback in the spirit of growth and continuous improvement.
  • Personal qualities of integrity, reliability, and commitment to the mission.
  • Personal qualities of outgoing personality, friendly demeanor and ability to build relationships with property owners and managers.

Required Education and Experience:

  • Bachelor’s Degree or higher in conservation, natural resources management, environmental science, biology, or related field, and/or multiple years of relevant employment or volunteer experience in those or related fields.
  • Experience stewarding or acquiring conservation easements required.
  • Experience in natural resources, conservation biology, agriculture or range management required.

 

Physical Requirements:

  • Prolonged periods at a desk working on a computer.
  • Ability to traverse outdoor terrain such as gravel, packed dirt, and uneven ground, and navigate around obstacles.
  • Ability to lift and carry 30 pounds.

 

Work Environment:

  • Environment for office work is temperature controlled.
  • Outdoor activities may expose individual to weather elements such as rain, snow, wind, heat and cold, as well as encounters with wildlife.
  • Field work may require employee to be alone in remote, backcountry locations possibly without cellular service.

 

To Apply:

Please send your application via email to jobs@evlt.org with the subject line “Land Steward.” Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and candidates are encouraged to submit materials prior to March 19. No phone inquiries please.

 

Applications should include:

  • Cover letter describing your skills and personal connection to EVLT’s mission.
  • Resume and salary requirements
  • Up to three personal and/or professional references
  • One to three writing samples that you believe showcase your qualifications for this position (technical reports, excerpts from grant applications, opinion pieces, professional letters, etc.)

 

Eagle Valley Land Trust is an equal opportunity employer and acts in accordance with applicable laws in all hiring and employment practices.