Nature Conservancy Hires Conservation Programs Director

Climate Change Intensifies Conservation Urgency in Vermont

Montpelier, VT — November 15, 2007 — The Nature Conservancy announced today that Phil Huffman from Waitsfield, VT has joined the Vermont chapter as Director of Conservation Programs. Huffman has more than 20 years of experience with the National Park Service and as an independent consultant, and has been involved in a number of prominent conservation initiatives in Vermont over the last 10 years.

Huffman helped establish a broad conservation partnership for the Champlain Valley in Vermont, New York and Quebec which culminated in 2006 with a Congressional designation of the valley as a national heritage area. While consulting for Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, in Woodstock, he was responsible for the integration of sustainable forestry, ecological protection, historic character, and public recreation into management plans for the Park’s 550-acre forest. In the Mad River Valley where he lives, Huffman promoted the use and conservation of town forests.

The Nature Conservancy recognizes that society’s greatest challenge is to find ways for people and nature to coexist. The organization has pioneered new water release strategies for dams from the Connecticut River to the Yangtze, better grazing regimes in grasslands, and more sustainable timber harvest in forests all over the world. In Vermont the Conservancy co-owns and manages more than 26,000 acres of Atlas Timberlands with the Vermont Land Trust, where the partners are ground testing sustainable forestry practices.

Huffman is no stranger to the challenge of integrating conservation with other pressing needs, having played an important role in facilitating public dialogue and developing use and management plans for the former Champion International lands in the Northeast Kingdom. The acquisition of these lands totaling more than 130,000 acres nearly a decade ago is widely recognized as one of the most significant conservation initiatives in Vermont’s history.

“Conservation comes down to people,” Huffman observes, “and people’s conservation ethic often stems from their personal connection to the land and places they love. Here in Vermont we’re fortunate that those connections remain strong, providing the foundation for a deep-rooted stewardship ethic that extends across generations.”

“I am excited to join The Nature Conservancy’s Vermont chapter at this critical juncture,” says Huffman. “We are now entering a new era of environmental responsibility, acknowledging the many demands we place on our natural resources and recognizing that the health of our natural systems is inherently connected to our own wellbeing. Threats like climate change compel us to reexamine our relationship with the natural world. I look forward to working with people across Vermont on practical solutions to address these important challenges.”

Huffman does not see climate change as an insurmountable problem. “We are already experiencing changes to our climate, and actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will take years to implement,” he admits. “However there are many ways in which we can help nature during this transition. The key to success is to give Vermont’s plant and animal species the best possible chance of adapting to natural disturbances and their changing environment.”

As Director of Conservation Programs at the Vermont chapter, Huffman will be responsible for turning these strategies into tangible conservation actions across Vermont.

“Climate change is intensifying the need for cooperative and timely conservation in Vermont,” said Bob Klein, Executive Director of The Vermont Chapter. “If our forests, lakes, rivers and farm lands are healthy they will be more resilient and better able to adapt to impending changes. We are delighted to have Phil on board to lead this effort, and to be in the midst of the conservation community here in Vermont, where we have the expertise and the will to make a difference.”

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The Nature Conservancy is a leading international, nonprofit organization that preserves plants, animals and natural communities representing the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. To date, The Nature Conservancy and its approximately one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 14 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 83 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific.

The Vermont Chapter, chartered in 1960, has helped conserve over 170,000 acres of significant natural areas throughout the state, and maintains 44 nature preserves. Visit the chapter on the Web at www.nature.org/vermont.