News: NCLT Expands Expertise in Land Conservation

Nevada County Land Trust Names Coleman-Hunt As Executive Director; Macon Moves To Director Of Conservation Programs

GRASS VALLEY, CA -- January 9, 2007 - In a move to expand its focus on land conservation, the Nevada County Land Trust (NCLT) Board of Directors have made changes in executive management. Marty Coleman-Hunt has been named Executive Director, and Dan Macon is moving to a newly created position of Director of Conservation Programs. In addition, a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) has been formed, which is made up of 30 local and regional professionals in a variety of specialized disciplines. The purpose of the TAC is to lend expertise and counsel to the NCTL on issues such as land use, riparian restoration, habitat protection, agriculture, forestry, recreation and others.

Marty Coleman-Hunt is a five-year resident of Nevada City. She has a passion for Nevada County and the high quality of life we enjoy as a rural community. Coleman-Hunt brings strong business management skills from her 30 years in corporate business and marketing management, and has served on a variety of non-profit boards. Most recently as an NCLT Board member, she directed the work on its long-range strategic plan. Coleman-Hunt plans to build closer ties between the Land Trust, its membership, and the community. Coleman-Hunt will work to ensure a broader understanding of the NCLT mission, charter, and expertise offered, and will manage day-to-day operations.

Dan Macon joined the Land Trust as Executive Director a year ago to help create a closer relationship with farmers and ranchers, who are facing significant decisions about their working lands. In an effort to assist farmers in learning how to run their small-scale operations, Macon organized the first Small Farm Progress Days held last October. Macon, a farmer himself, also worked with the local farm community to expand agricultural tourism and local marketing programs. In addition, Macon helped coordinate a land stewardship class for small scale forest owners in Nevada County where 20 families who attended learned all aspects of forest management - wildlife management, fire risk reduction, water quality enhancement, etc. Macon's new role will be as Director of Conservation Programs, where he will broaden his focus to work with landowners on all types of land issues.

The Technical Advisory Committee was convened by the Board to provide input to the Land Trust on area land issues - initially during the strategic planning process, but will also be called upon over time. The TAC comprises experts in a variety of disciplines who will assist in providing specialized assessments, give advice on land management issues, and broaden volunteer expertise made available to the community through the Land Trust. The staffing changes, effective February 1, 2007, are designed to increase the capacity of the Land Trust to reach out to the community, both in terms of creating a dialog on needs and in providing specialized expertise on lands conservation issues.

The Nevada County Land Trust is focused on conserving foothill agricultural land and natural habitats in western Nevada County and the Yuba County foothills. Currently more than 6,000 acres of land within Nevada, Yuba, and Sierra counties have been placed into conservation easements with help from NCLT. In addition easements have been secured on more than 10 miles of trails throughout the area.

The Nevada County Land Trust is a 501c3, for the public benefit organization.

The Nevada County Land Trust exists to create a balance between nature and the needs of the people who make a life and a livelihood here. Our mission is to enrich the deep community connection with our land - today, tomorrow and forever. For more information, see our website, http://www.nevadacountylandtrust.org.