Western Reserve Land Conservancy has an immediate opening for a Fee Land Steward. The position reports to the Parks and Preserves Manager and is located at the Land Conservancy’s main office in Moreland Hills, Ohio. This is a full-time position with a salary range of $46,000 to $55,000 annually, commensurate with experience, and the position is eligible for benefits.

Western Reserve Land Conservancy provides people with essential natural assets through land conservation and restoration. Headquartered in Moreland Hills, Ohio, we are a non-profit organization, the largest land conservancy in Ohio and nationally accredited by the Land Trust Alliance. Serving an area of 29 counties from the Pennsylvania line to the Sandusky Bay, the Land Conservancy has permanently conserved more acreage than Cleveland Metroparks and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park combined. We work with private and public landowners, farming families, neighborhood development corporations, corporations, county park systems, local residents and many more to help create communities nourished by vibrant natural lands, working farms and healthy cities. Thriving Communities, our urban revitalization program, is nationally recognized for thought leadership on removing blight; creating land banks statewide to find productive uses for vacant properties; and revitalizing communities through greening strategies. Our mission is funded through a combination of program revenue, government grants, and philanthropic gifts from individuals, foundations and corporations.

Reporting to the Parks and Preserves Manager, the Fee Land Steward (“Steward”) is responsible for activities related to the management of the Land Conservancy’s fee-owned properties. The Land Conservancy owns around 100 properties and 7,000 acres of land in northern Ohio. Several large preserves make up the majority of the land, but many other properties are located throughout our 29-county service area, including some properties that the Land Conservancy operates as public parks. Management needs on Land Conservancy properties include annual monitoring visits, mowing, trail clearing, habitat management, public park management, and many other aspects of fee land stewardship.

The Steward is responsible for annually monitoring a set number of fee-owned properties by directly visiting the properties and documenting appropriate information in accordance with Land Conservancy policies and procedures. For assigned properties, the Steward is responsible for ensuring that the terms of all conservation restrictions are upheld and property ownership rights are protected. Should issues arise, such as trespass/encroachment issues, the Steward works with the Parks and Preserves Manager and the Director of Land Stewardship to support or manage the resolution process. The Steward is also responsible for maintaining all necessary documentation of annual visits, property issues, and all property specific information in the Land Conservancy’s database and record retention systems.

The Steward works with the Parks and Preserves Manager to carry out and monitor habitat management and restoration projects associated with grant requirements and restoration projects initiated by the Land Conservancy. These types of projects include, but are not limited to, old-field management for various target species, maintenance of early-successional forest habitat, sustainable timber harvests, invasive species management, and stream and wetland restoration projects. The Steward works with the Parks and Preserves Manager to complete the necessary fieldwork and documentation to ensure the success of the habitat management and restoration projects.

The Steward assists in developing and implementing the goals of the Land Conservancy’s Land Management Plans (LMP’s) for fee-owned properties. The Steward also assists in developing operations and maintenance plans for the Land Conservancy’s Signature Parks and Preserves, which are properties owned by the Land Conservancy that are either open to the public and/or actively used for engaging constituents.

The Steward assists with property maintenance activities on fee-owned land including, but not limited to, security, maintenance, and installation of buildings and infrastructure; grounds maintenance such as mowing or cutting and removing down trees from trails and/or property boundaries; managing water control structures; managing and maintaining equipment; and other necessary maintenance responsibilities on fee lands.

The Steward is an ambassador for the Land Conservancy in the communities where we own property. The Steward works closely with other staff members to orchestrate the use of our properties for engagement activities such as hikes, hunts, fishing outings, and hosting other events on fee-owned properties

The Steward is also responsible for generally supporting the Land Stewardship program. This may include a variety of tasks such as assisting or managing the hunting program and sign program; coordinating scientific research requests on fee land; and/or pre-acquisition property assessments for property management and stewardship-related concerns and/or opportunities.

Apply for this Position