The Franklin Land Trust currently has two positions open for consideration, a Land Protection Specialist and a Land Steward. Please see below for information and duties regarding each.

LAND PROTECTION SPECIALIST:

With an office in Shelburne Falls, MA, the Franklin Land Trust (FLT) is a Franklin County-focused land trust with a mission to conserve farms, forests, wildlands, and other natural resources significant to the quality of the environment, economy, and rural character of our region.

Since 1987, FLT has protected over 35,000 acres consisting mostly of private conservation with approximately 1,000 acres of public open spaces, trails, wildlands, and community gardens. This is a full-time position that will report to the Director of Land Conservation with oversight by the Executive Director and will work closely with all staff, the Board of Directors, volunteers, donors, and community members.

General Responsibilities:  The Land Protection Specialist (LPS) assists with farm and land protection projects in support of the mission of the Franklin Land Trust; provides land protection information and technical assistance to landowners and cooperating organizations in FLT’s region; represents FLT at assigned meetings and events, and in compliance with the LTA Standards & Practices.  The Land Protection Specialist works as part of a land conservation and stewardship team facilitated by the Director of Land Conservation (DLC) and the Director of Stewardship.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities:

Land Protection

• Identify and evaluate potential farm and forest land protection projects, including field assessment of agricultural and conservation values (scenic, ecological, agricultural, etc.);
• Work with farmers to complete State Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) Program applications or other funding programs including Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) program at NRCS;
• Work with landowners to complete state-approved Conservation Restrictions (CR) projects according to statutory guidelines;
• Coordinate the work of appraisers, surveyors, engineers, legal counsel, and other professional consultants, and work with state agency staff on specific conservation projects;
• Prepare project reports and narratives, proposals, budgets, and presentations for the FLT Land Committee and Board of Directors;
• Prepare and implement property protection strategies using land protection selection criteria and FLT’s Strategic Organizational and Conservation Plan;
• Represent FLT in collaborative arrangements with conservation organizations, municipalities, and governmental agencies;
• Prepare state conservation restriction (CR) applications for CR approval process;
• Make presentations to landowners, conservation organizations, community groups, municipal boards, and committees of FLT;
• Assist in preparing and implementing fundraising strategies for conservation projects;
• Negotiate donations and bargain sales to facilitate the protection of land;
• Represent FLT at membership events and public events;
• Assist with correspondence, research, proposals, and other writing assignments related to farm and land conservation;
• Assist in programmatic recording keeping, archiving, and general database input for land projects.
• Prepare GIS maps for each project or to support land projects related communications.

General Organizational Support:

• Work with DLC on identifying and applying for funding support for FLT’s land conservation program.
• Assist with general FLT fundraising events as needed.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Excellent written and oral communication skills;
• Detail oriented;
• Ability to organize and set work priorities in a busy office environment and maintain project confidentiality;
• Strong problem-solving skills;
• Self-motivated, willing to accept a challenge and direction, and able to handle multiple priorities at a time and work with diverse stakeholders;
• Ability to work collegially and effectively with colleagues and volunteers;
• A facility for communicating with people of all ages and backgrounds;
• A sense of humor is also welcomed.

Education/Experience:

Commitment to the conservation mission of FLT.  Bachelors or Masters degree in natural resource management, real estate law, regional planning or related field, with two years related work experience; expertise in conservation methods; demonstrated communication (writing and public speaking), negotiation, leadership, interpersonal, and teamwork skills; computer and cartographic skills and knowledge essential;  experience with and knowledge of GIS required; background in natural resources is desirable as is familiarity with western Massachusetts’ landscape and communities. Experience working with state land protection programs is desirable. Ability to travel within Massachusetts and to attend evening and weekend meetings and events is essential.

The Franklin Land Trust is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

FLT offers a competitive benefits package that includes a health stipend, retirement, paid federal holidays, and generous PTO. Salary commensurate with experience. Annual salary increases are based on performance and as annual budgets permit. This is a full-time/non-exempt, position.

 Location:   Franklin Land Trust Headquarters, Shelburne Falls, MA

Start Date: The position is desired to begin as soon as possible. Applications will be reviewed on a continuous basis until the position is filled.

TO APPLY:

Please send your resume, letter of interest, and salary requirements to:

info@franklinlandtrust.org

State “Land Protection Specialist” in the subject line.
No phone calls, please. Applications without a letter of interest will not be reviewed.

Land Steward:

With an office in Shelburne Falls, MA, the Franklin Land Trust (FLT) is a Franklin County-focused land trust with a mission to conserve farms, forests, wildlands, and other natural resources significant to the quality of the environment, economy, and rural character of our region.

Since 1987, FLT has protected over 35,000 acres consisting mostly of private conservation with approximately 1,000 acres of public open spaces, trails, wildlands, and community gardens. This is a full-time position that will report to the Director of Stewardship, in cooperation with the Director of Land Conservation,  with oversight by the Executive Director, and will work closely with all staff, the Board of Directors, volunteers, donors, and community members.

Position Summary:

The Land Steward provides support to the Director of Stewardship to keep FLT on point with our existing and expanding land management needs including monitoring our conservation restrictions, developing baseline documentation reports for new projects, and managing our fee lands, including habitat restoration, and volunteer recruitment and oversight. Assisting with educational programming as needed is also required.

This position is expected to initiate, organize and complete annual land monitoring activities with minimal oversight; to serve as a resource to connect conservation restriction landowners with technical assistance as needed, and to cultivate a strong rapport of trust and mutual respect with current and prospective landowner- partners, and members of the public in communities served by FLT.

The successful applicant must be able to tackle a wide variety of tasks from managing records to outdoor physical activity including trail maintenance, invasive plant removal, and habitat restoration. We are seeking a friendly and organized individual to carry out our strategic priorities for our protected lands and ensure compliance with Land Trust Alliance Standards and Practices.

Primary Duties:

•  Assist with the regular, annual inspection and reporting of all FLT conservation restrictions and fee lands, including scheduling monitoring visits with landowners, monitoring the properties, and creating reports.
•  Assist with the preparation of baseline documentation reports for new land conservation agreements, and develop annual monitoring reports, and other documentation as necessary, under the oversight of the Director of Stewardship.
•  Recruit, organize, train, and supervise volunteers for stewardship-related work as planned and prioritized by the Director of Stewardship and Executive Director. Including, but not limited to monitoring properties, invasive species removal projects, habitat management efforts, trail building and maintenance projects, and other routine fee management needs.
•  Assist in maintaining stewardship and acquisition-related files in accordance with FLT’s Records Policy in unison with the Director of Stewardship, the Director of Land Conservation, and the Executive Director;
•  Ensure FLT’s stewardship remain in compliance with the current Land Trust Alliance Standards and Practices;
•  Maintain all GIS-related data for FLT, and produce maps using ArcGIS for stewardship purposes and land project analysis, as well as visual displays for outreach as requested by the Executive Director;
•  Cultivate and grow FLT’s support by helping with educational programs, fundraising events, volunteer days, field walks, and more;
•  Submit content that supports FLT’s communications including social media, newsletters, and other outreach material;
•  Assist other FLT staff and committees with projects as needed.

Physical Requirements:

•  Ability to work outdoors for extended periods of time in all weather and all seasons;
•  Ability to work some weekends and evenings;
•  Ability to work with a variety of hand tools;
•  Ability to hike several miles in a day over rough terrain;
•  Be comfortable navigating and hiking through the woods over uneven terrain and without trails;
•  Ability to work indoors, in an office setting;
•  Must possess a valid driver’s license and be able to travel throughout western Massachusetts. Proof of insurance and access to a reliable vehicle is required.

 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

•  Excellent written and oral communication skills;
•  Detail oriented;
•  Ability to organize and set work priorities in a busy office environment and maintain project confidentiality;
•  Strong problem-solving skills;
•  Ability to organize and manage volunteers;
•  Self-motivated, willing to accept a challenge and direction and able to handle multiple priorities at a time and work with diverse stakeholders;
•  Ability to work collegially and effectively with colleagues and volunteers;
•  A facility for communicating with people of all ages and backgrounds;
•  A sense of humor is also welcomed.

Computer Skills:

To perform this job successfully, an individual should be experienced with Microsoft Office Suite. Applicant must have experience using ArcGIS mapping programs and GPS data collection techniques. Experience with using Landscape Conservation Software and Remote Monitoring is a plus.

Education/Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree (B.A./B.S.) from a four-year college or university in a related field, (biology, forestry, environmental science, or natural resources) is desirable. Candidates with experience in forestry or agriculture and a passion for the outdoors will also be considered.
• Familiarity with the operation and maintenance of power tools such as chainsaws and brush saws are a plus as is certification in a program such as The Game of Logging.

The Franklin Land Trust is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

FLT offers a competitive benefits package that includes a health stipend, retirement, paid federal holidays, and generous PTO. Salary commensurate with experience. Annual salary increases are based on performance and as annual budgets permit. This is a full-time/non-exempt, position.

 Start Date:

The position is desired to begin as soon as possible. Applications will be reviewed on a continuous basis until the position is filled.

TO APPLY:

Please send your resume, letter of interest, and salary requirements to:

info@franklinlandtrust.org

State “Land Steward” in the subject line.

No phone calls, please. Applications without a letter of interest will not be reviewed.