Program Manager – Agricultural and Woodland Preservation

Position Description

This posting will be used to fill a full-time, permanent position as the Program Manager for the Agricultural and Woodland Preservation Program in the Office of Planning and Zoning. This position is in the Preservation Planning/Cultural Resources team and reports to that section’s Planning Administrator. This is a hybrid position, with requirements for community engagement and field visits in addition to technical oversight. This is an advanced professional and technical position in the field of land conservation, planning, and program management.

Launched in 1990, the purpose of the Agricultural and Woodland Preservation program is to preserve Anne Arundel County’s agricultural and woodland heritage. The Program Manager position will work closely with State agencies, internal and external stakeholders and departments across County government to administer the program goals, which are to:

• Promote agriculture and forestry as a viable sector of the local economy, including program expansion;
• Encourage the use of best management practices, reduce nutrient runoff, and promote healthy streams;
• Encourage the preservation of prime agricultural and forest land to development, and
• Collaborate with State agencies and property owners to increase the amount of land protected through easement acquisition.

The successful candidate will have an opportunity to expand and administer a program that operates within a local and State framework to promote and facilitate preservation of critical agricultural and woodland assets in Anne Arundel County, MD.

NATURE AND VARIETY OF WORK

The Agricultural and Woodland Preservation Program Manager administers Anne Arundel County’s Agricultural and Woodland Preservation Program, as well as supervises the Agriculture Planner on the team (“Planner I”). The position manages and promotes a program that includes Maryland Agricultural and Land Preservation Foundation (MALPF) Program; Maryland Rural Legacy Program; and Local County Program.

The position is responsible for soliciting, acquiring, managing, and monitoring agriculture easements in cooperation with program partners and participants. These duties include, but are not limited to: managing all aspects of the easement process for prospective and current applicants; providing oversight and guidance to County partners and stakeholders; and assessing properties for eligibility in the agricultural preservation programs.

At the request of County and department leadership, the Program Manager will participate in land preservation committees and stakeholder meetings, as well as proactively identify issues and policy opportunities to enhance the program’s reach. These responsibilities include advising on conservation and region/community planning efforts, which may include analysis and community engagement regarding proposed legislation.

This position will directly contribute to the advancement and identification of strategies to help with the preservation and conservation of agricultural and woodland preservation initiatives within the Office of Planning and Zoning and will actively engage with other agencies and groups across the County to meet the County’s broader land conservation goals.

Finally, this position will manage administrative functions of the program, including staffing the Agricultural Preservation Advisory Board, and will be responsible for mandated reporting in collaboration with the Office of Finance and the OPZ Administration team. This includes coordinating annual financial reports and maintaining a database that tracks program goals and relationship management with prospective applicants.

Examples of Duties and Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

(May not include all duties performed)

• Program planning and administration, economic analysis, land resource assessment, research and communications, and responsibility for the management, allocation and conduct of the County’s Agricultural and Woodland Preservation Program.
• Thorough knowledge of laws, rules, and regulations which apply to provisions and limitations of Agricultural and Woodland Preservation and of applicable easement programs,
• Ability to develop public outreach initiatives, including communications and engagement, to educate local farmers and the general public about easement acquisition programs.
• Ability to research, produce, and present reports/publications regarding OPZ land conservation programs for external and internal audiences, including County administration; department leadership; and regional stakeholders, to include tracking the amount and nature of acreage under easement.
• Supervises the Agricultural Program Planner who conducts inspections of all easements properties, which includes landowner communications and preparing inspection reports.
• Supervisory role includes enforcement of County rules, personnel policies and procedures for junior staff.
• Conducts site visits and evaluations for prospective properties, leveraging County GIS to prioritize easement acquisitions. Ability to represent the County during field visits; offsite meetings; landowner meetings/settlements; and other official duties as assigned.
• Evaluates and administers the valuation of proposed agricultural conservation easement properties, including applying the best practices in assessing values and securing appraisals.
• Knowledge of land record and title research methods to review land transactions, plats, title searches and commitments for errors and issues to be resolved prior to easement acquisitions.
• Knowledge of ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online applications to update and analyze GIS data, identify potential eligible properties, and create public and internal maps for processing easement applications and for public presentations.
• Performs related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university; and four (4) or more years of experience in a program/specialization area directly related to the assignment of the position.

Supplemental Qualifications

Preference will be given to candidates with the following:

• Four or more years of experience in agricultural/land preservation program management
• Demonstrated knowledge of land conservation easement programs, including state programs such as Rural Legacy and MALPF.
• Experience with financial reporting, legislative processes, and public engagement.
• General knowledge of comprehensive planning processes in order to support the development and implementation of applicable planning documentation, including the General Development Plan (Plan2040), Region Plans, Green Infrastructure Master Plan, and the Land Preservation Parks and Recreation Plan
• Experience in the advanced use and application of office technologies such as the Google platform and ARCGIS.
• A valid non-commercial Class C motor vehicle license.