Lowcountry Land Trust - President and CEO

South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation established the South Carolina Farm Bureau Land Trust to assist the state’s farmers, forestland owners and ranchers in ensuring their lands are protected from development and can be passed to future generations while providing present financial benefit. SCFB Land Trust focuses specifically on protecting working farms, forests and ranches. The Land Manager will work under the guidance of the Executive Director and cooperatively with the President of the SC Farm Bureau Federation and the SCFB Land Trust Board of Directors. Primary duties include the implementation and facilitation of programs that enable the SCFB Land Trust to accomplish its mission. These programs include: (1) the permanent legal protection of land; (2) proper stewardship of land and conservation easements held; (3) public outreach and education of the SCFB Land Trust programs and goals; and (4) building an organizational capacity and templates to accomplish this mission. Specific Duties: Work with staff and volunteers to facilitate the implementation of land protection and stewardship programs. Identify and organize staff and volunteers with pertinent talents and experience to assist in the mission of the SCFB Land Trust. Provide leadership and facilitation in developing an effective team of land protection and stewardship specialists. Identify and work with specialists to create proper easement templates. Identify pilot project areas of South Carolina to begin the work of the SCFB Land Trust. Work with staff and the Land Trust Board to establish criteria for prioritizing working farm and forestland protection. Work with the Executive Director, Board and staff to conduct necessary business functions, including preparation of financial reports, budget and cash-flow estimates. Work with staff and volunteers to develop effective partnerships with local, state, and federal conservation agencies, as well as local service and conservation groups and other land trusts. Work with Executive Director, Board and staff to identify, build, and maintain personal relationships with donors and grantors. Qualifications: Demonstration of a strong personal interest in and conviction to the conservation of working agricultural and forest lands and natural resources. Bachelor’s degree in natural resources, environmental science, business administration or related field, and five years of professional experience in a related field. Significant experience and familiarity with land protection and stewardship methods, tools and practices. Experience with land purchases and ownership responsibilities; the drafting, obtaining, and enforcement of conservation easements; and land management and restoration approaches. Familiarity with Land Trust Alliance Standards and Practices preferred. Strong communication and leadership skills. The ability to speak effectively in public, work with the media and interact well with a wide variety of people. Strong writing skills and the ability to apply successfully for grants. Proficiency with modern computer applications, including word processing, data storage and manipulation, development of visual presentations and internet research and communication. The ability to work effectively with diverse staff and volunteers. The ability to act in a professional and courteous manner while at work and all times in the community. Working Conditions: Duties are performed in the office and the field. Travel is required to various locations statewide for meetings, conferences, workshops and speaking engagements. Evening and weekend work is occasionally necessary. South Carolina Farm Bureau Land Trust ("the Company") is an equal opportunity employer and maintains a policy of non-discrimination with employees and applicants for employment. The Company will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, ge, national origin, disability, marital status or any basis prohibited by State or Federal laws.  How to Apply: Email resume to Charles Ambos at charlesambos@scfbins.com.

STRATEGIC CONSERVATION PROJECTS DIRECTOR Position Type: Full-time Reporting: Chief Conservation Officer Location: Negotiable within the Coastal Plain of South Carolina POSITION SUMMARY The Strategic Conservation Projects Director is a senior-level, mission-driven, and highly motivated land protection staff member who plays a key role on the Lowcountry Land Trust Conservation Team. This person is instrumental in ensuring the Land Trust’s long-term success by focusing on catalyzing and leading large, complex, and/or highly strategic land protection projects across South Carolina’s coastal plain. Central to this effort is the building, nurturing, and maintenance of strong relationships with key stakeholders, including but not limited to landowners, nonprofit and government partners, and funders. This position regularly engages with a portfolio of owners of strategically important unprotected land; cultivates Lowcountry Land Trust’s use of new, untapped, and/or complex sources of land protection funding; leverages impact capital and conservation investor capital for land protection; develops innovative partnerships and methods for leveraging protection by other entities; provides guidance to other Lowcountry Land Trust project managers; and otherwise contributes to Lowcountry Land Trust’s collective conservation strategies. Click here for more information .

Camp Awanita permanently protected by The Nature Conservancy

State and local leaders along with outdoor enthusiasts gathered today to get a first glimpse from the scenic ridge of the 1,090-acre Saluda Bluff property acquired by Naturaland Trust earlier this year. Located in the bullseye of decades of conservation work and public lands that defines the upcountry of South Carolina, visitors to Saluda Bluff can get a birds’ eye view of more than 10,000 acres of protected properties. Additionally, the significant amount of frontage along the Saluda River along with the adjoining floodplain made this project a priority for the South Carolina Office of Resilience. The southern property line contains nearly a mile of Scenic Highway 11. By utilizing $7 million of State Appropriated funds, SCDNR expects to receive ownership of the property no later than early 2025.

Beginning her career in conservation almost thirty years ago, Ashley Demosthenes now serves as President and CEO of the Lowcountry Land Trust (LLT) and brings a wealth of knowledge to the South Carolina Land Trust Network (SCLTN).

Pee Dee Land Trust works with landowners to protect 3,708 acres on the Great Pee Dee River

South Carolina is a uniquely conservation-minded state with abundant opportunities to not only enjoy recreational activities on protected land, but also to join the growing workforce behind land protection. Often, park rangers, the forest service, or the DNR stand out as the obvious routes for young folks entering the conservation field. Such organizations are essential. But perhaps less commonly considered is the world of land trusts, and specifically stewardship. For those interested, here’s a look inside.

September 5, 2024 - Columbia, SC - The South Carolina Land Trust today honored Senator Nikki Setzler for his lifetime of contributions to conservation in South Carolina. During the organization's Fall Member meeting, Setzler was presented with a coffee table book on the Cowassee Basin, an expansive area in the heart of Senate District 26 which he has represented for the last forty-eight years. Inside the front cover was a signed Board Resolution that read: In recognition and profound appreciation of Senator Nikki Setzler’s Service to the State of South Carolina Whereas South Carolina is blessed with rich and abundant natural, historical, and cultural resources and remarkable beauty; Whereas protecting these special places is paramount to our enviable quality of life and to the thousands of jobs provided by industries that depend on natural places; Whereas effective land protection work relies on committed people and proactive policies; Whereas for forty-seven years, Senator Nikki Setzler has served the people of South Carolina through his leadership in the South Carolina Senate, notably as Chairman of the Senate Finance Natural Resources and Economic Development Subcommittee; Whereas his bipartisan efforts to reauthorize the South Carolina Conservation Bank have ensured the permanent protection of hundreds of special places, including the recently expanded Congaree Creek Heritage Preserve; Whereas he has championed conservation funding and voted in support of policies that financially incentivize private landowners to permanently protect their working farm and forestlands; Whereas his steadfast leadership has positioned investment in voluntary land conservation as an essential aspect of state governance to balance growth with quality of life today and for future generations:  Now, therefore, be it Resolved that the South Carolina Land Trust Network Board of Directors this fifth day of September 2024 formally acknowledges and extends its deepest appreciation for Senator Nikki Setzler’s exemplary service to the people of South Carolina.

In McCormick County, near the banks of the upper Savannah River, 991.8 acres of undeveloped land will soon be protected by conservation easement. Ms. Della Coulter of Columbia, SC and a fifth-generation owner of the land, has partnered with the Upper Savannah Land Trust to obtain this easement and ensure her land legacy endures.