The goal of the stewardship program is to preserve the conservation values of those lands protected by Minnesota Land Trust conservation easements by working in partnership with landowners and surrounding communities. There are a number of specific components to the Minnesota Land Trust’s stewardship program. These include easement administration; landowner and community relations; baseline documentation reports; record-keeping and archiving; annual monitoring of easement properties, including managing approximately 100 volunteer monitors; easement enforcement and defense; and addressing issues regarding fee-title property owned by the Land Trust.

Summary of Position

The Conservation Stewardship Program Director is responsible for managing all aspects of the Minnesota Land Trust’s conservation easement portfolio once an easement has been completed. The Stewardship Program Director’s duties include aspects of real estate transactions, land management, record keeping, data management, and public relations. The Director is responsible for ensuring the Land Trust’s compliance with national Land Trust Standards and Practices and Land Trust Accreditation and helps ensure the Land Trust continues to maintain a state-of-the-art stewardship program.

Duties include

easement administration, including formal approvals and interpretations of conservation easement terms in dialogue with landowners, sales agents, prospective buyers;

landowner and community relations, including newsletters, site visits, phone calls and emails to address their concerns;

creating updated property baseline documentation reports, which document the changed conditions of a property over time;

careful attention to record-keeping and archiving to ensure that our easement records meet national standards;

annual monitoring of 570+ properties around the state, including managing approximately 100 volunteer monitors;

easement enforcement and defense, including potential legal action to address major violations;

assisting in the acquisition or sale of any fee-title properties;

making periodic reports to the Executive Director, Board of Directors, Terrafirma, and select state agencies.

The Stewardship Program Director will report to the Executive Director and manage 2+ staff and approximately 100 volunteers. The Director will work closely with development and communication staff to identify funding opportunities with landowners, volunteers and others, and to improve communication with same. The Director will also work closely with the Restoration Program Manager to approve/interpret habitat management plans, and with Land Protection staff in regard to stewardship issues on new projects. The Director will also work with other office staff as requested to assist on other tasks necessary to deliver the Minnesota Land Trust’s mission.

Primary Responsibilities

Manage the administration of the Land Trust’s conservation easement stewardship program. This includes monitoring protected lands across the state, training and coordinating volunteers, responding to landowner inquiries, maintaining accurate stewardship records and files, keeping monitoring workbooks up to date, evaluating monitoring procedures, and resolving violations in conjunction with legal staff or Executive Director. It also includes ensuring that the Land Trust’s stewardship program is compliant with Minnesota Land Trust policies and procedures and national Land Trust Standards and Practices.

Coordinate the required activity on the relatively few properties owned in fee by the Minnesota Land Trust, including monitoring and any land management required, as well as ensuring that our activity related to fee-title ownership meets all national standards.

Manage, coach and support stewardship staff to deliver the conservation stewardship program.

In coordination with the IT Manager, assist with the management of the Minnesota Land Trust’s active project filing system, compiling and maintaining accurate information, files and records on all land projects, specifically completed projects and fee lands. This includes input and assistance with the management of the electronic land projects database and coordination with other staff on content for the Land Trust’s donor database.

Additional Responsibilities

Assist in the development and management of the annual budget and funding for the stewardship program.

Provide stewardship-related content for the Land Trust’s communication materials including press releases, newsletters, and landowner materials.

Assist with amendments to conservation easements.

Other duties and projects as assigned.

Preferred Experience and Attributes

A Juris Doctorate, paralegal degree, or a master’s degree in natural resources, land management or a similar field related to conservation.

Experience in land and/or water law, land management, private land ownership, conservation programs or real-estate transactions.

Experience with record management and/or database development or use.

Excellent communication skills and the ability to work with a wide variety of individuals, including private landowners, staff, board members, and volunteers.

Experience managing staff and/or volunteers.

Well organized and self-directed, with great attention to detail.

Demonstrated ability to assess and manage risk, and familiarity with litigation and dispute resolution.

Familiarity with non-profits and working in a small office atmosphere.

Passion for the work of the Land Trust.

Willingness to work select evenings and weekends as necessary.

Willingness and ability to travel throughout Minnesota, with occasional overnight stays. Ability to traverse uneven terrain over long distances, in remote settings, and all times of the year.

To Apply

Please submit a resume and cover letter to Sue Martinez at: mnland@mnland.org by Sunday, November 4, 2018.