April 5, 2011
New RMEF Staffer to Focus on Wyo., S.D. and Neb. Habitat
MISSOULA, Mont.—Jeff Jones of Fort Collins, Colo., is the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s newest lands program manager, a key position in the organization’s work to conserve habitat for elk and other wildlife.
Jones will be based in Cheyenne, Wyo., to focus on RMEF land conservation initiatives in Wyoming, South Dakota and Nebraska.
The job involves working with private and public landowners in the area of land protection including purchased and donated conservation easements, assembled land exchanges, real estate gifts, disposal of lands and habitat management.
To date, RMEF has permanently protected more than 921,000 acres of habitat from loss to residential development or other land-use changes. The organization holds and monitors more than 170 conservation easements across 15 states. Most RMEF-protected lands are now publicly held and open for access including hunting.
Blake Henning, vice president of lands and conservation for RMEF, said, “I’m pleased to welcome Jeff to our staff because he brings a tremendous diversity of experience and education to help us accomplish our mission.”
Most of Jones’ career has been spent developing farm- and ranch-land protection projects for the Legacy Land Trust and American Farmland Trust. He also worked for the Conservation Practitioners Fellowship developing training curricula and conducting research for land trusts. Jones holds a law degree from the University of Denver, a master’s degree from Colorado State University in natural resource management, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Northern Colorado in political science and environmental studies.