The West Virginia Land Protection Manager will conduct landowner outreach to design, develop, and execute on land protection and forest carbon projects and agreements in West Virginia, and as needed in the Central Appalachians. The Land Protection Manager works as part of a team with West Virginia Business unit staff, as well as with the Allegheny Front Lands Protection Manager and with the Central Appalachians Lands Protection Director.  They will work to create a network of engaged landowners, agencies, forest carbon entities, investors, funders, and other critical entities to protect critical ecological areas and climate resilient and connected corridors that drive West Virginia, Central Appalachians, and Appalachians importance for global biodiversity, forest carbon, and climate adaptation.  The current focus of this position will be to acquire fee-title and conservation easements and to assist in forest carbon agreements/projects on priority parcels. S/he will work with local, regional and state agencies and organizations across the region to support of the land protection goals of the Central Appalachians Program.

The Land Protection Manger (LPM) plays a critical role in analyzing, prioritizing, and negotiating fee acquisitions and conservation easements, forest carbon agreements, cooperative acquisition with government partners, developing and implementing landscape level land protection plans, and, where appropriate, transferring land interests to partner agencies.  The LPM will work with corporate and private landowners; Conservancy staff; federal, state, and local agency professionals and other interested parties to promote protection programs on public and private land. This preferred position location is Elkins, WV, but other locations in the project area may be considered for the right applicant. The LPM implements variety of conservation strategies and employs a full range of protection tools to acquire varying degrees of legal interest in land.

• Protect significant natural areas and priority landscapes in WV and the Central Appalachians using the full range of protection and forest carbon tools.
• Participate in the Central Appalachians Program to implement landscape conservation and protection plans in cooperation with public and private partner organizations, agencies, and individuals.
• Conduct outreach to priority landowners in West Virginia in support of WV, Central Appalachians, and/or Appalachians scale goals.
• Negotiate complex and innovative solutions with various partners and stakeholders to protect land and carry out forest carbon projects.
• Respond to land protection and forest carbon inquiries and opportunities as appropriate and represent the Conservancy to landowners, members, citizen groups, business entities, investors, funders, and local officials.
• Exercise proper financial management – meeting budgets, controlling costs and recovering costs on cooperative transactions.
• Identify and help secure public and private funds to support the program.