Stewardship Coordinator

About Five Valleys Land Trust

Five Valleys Land Trust works to protect the western Montana landscapes that shape our lives—clean rivers, working ranchlands, wildlife habitat, and the open spaces people return to again and again. Based in Missoula, we’ve been a trusted local partner in conservation for more than 50 years.

We work alongside private landowners, communities, and partners across the Bitterroot, Blackfoot, Upper Clark Fork, Missoula/Lower Clark Fork, and Mission–Jocko valleys to protect land in ways that respect both people and place. Through more than 200 conservation easements, we’ve helped safeguard over 83,000 acres of private land, ensuring working lands stay productive, wildlife has room to move, and water stays clean.

Five Valleys also owns and manages more than 3,000 acres of land open to the public, including well‑loved places like the Rock Creek Confluence near Clinton and Lincoln Community River Park. Our work extends to community‑driven projects such as the Mount Dean Stone Community Forest in Missoula, where conservation, access, and long‑term stewardship come together.

At our core, Five Valleys is a community institution—rooted in place, grounded in expertise, and committed to protecting land in perpetuity as western Montana continues to grow and change.

Position Overview

Stewardship is how Five Valleys keeps its promise – to landowners, to communities and to future generations. The Stewardship Coordinator helps to ensure that the lands protected by Five Valleys stay healthy, productive, and true to the promises made when they were conserved. The Stewardship Coordinator is a key team member responsible for overseeing annual monitoring, communication, record-keeping, and related stewardship activities for conservation easements held or monitored by Five Valleys Land Trust. Working under the direction of the Stewardship Director, this position exercises independent professional judgment within established policies and program direction in interpreting and applying conservation easement terms, responding to landowner requests, addressing compliance issues, and advancing stewardship outcomes in alignment with Five Valleys’ policies, Land Trust Alliance Standards, and legal guidance. 

The Stewardship Coordinator serves as a primary point of contact for conservation easement landowners and managers and may interface with legal counsel on interpretation, compliance, and enforcement issues in coordination with the Stewardship Director. The Stewardship Coordinator’s work is guided by Five Valleys’ Strategic Business Plan, policies and procedures, mission, and core values of excellence, integrity, cooperation, and patience. 

Responsibilities

The major responsibilities associated with this position are outlined below. The time allocation provided here is approximate. The Stewardship Director, informed by annual work planning and operational input from the Stewardship Coordinator, will determine precise allocations.

Conservation Easement Stewardship (80%)

This work ensures conservation easements remain strong, respected, and effective—today and decades from now—by applying clear standards, consistent practices, and sound professional judgment. Stewardship at Five Valleys is built on relationships. This role is often the face of Five Valleys for landowners.

Compliance and Risk Management:

• Monitor Five Valleys Land Trust’s easements annually
• Schedule, conduct, and document annual monitoring of all Five Valleys’ conservation easements, including in‑person and remote monitoring, in coordination with the Stewardship Director
• Work with landowners and partners to ensure conservation easement terms are understood, respected, and upheld, escalating compliance concerns to the Stewardship Director and legal counsel, and to the Executive Director as appropriate for high‑risk matters
• Interpret conservation easement terms and related legal documents to apply established policies and best practices to specific stewardship situations, and communicate interpretations to landowners and partners in coordination with Stewardship Director awareness
• Produce necessary reports and accompanying documentation for each monitoring visit, including reporting to third‑party entities as required by funding agreements
• Work with landowners and partners to evaluate and respond to conservation easement interpretation questions, prior approval requests, and other technical stewardship matters, documenting Five Valleys’ responses in accordance with easement terms and internal policy
• Track reserved rights and other easement data; support enforcement documentation; and assist with resolving easement violations through investigation, documentation, and coordination with the Stewardship Director and legal counsel
• Compile, organize, and maintain permanent stewardship files and monitoring documentation in accordance with Five Valleys’ Standards and Practices
• Track and summarize recurring compliance issues, landowner requests, and stewardship risks to inform program‑level planning, organizational best practices, and risk management
• Implement Five Valleys Land Trust’s stewardship policies and procedures that support Land Trust Alliance Standard 11—Conservation Easement Stewardship—and participate in ongoing staff training and policy refinement

Relationship-Based Stewardship and Communications:

• Serve as a primary point of contact for conservation easement landowners and land managers
• Build relationships with conservation easement landowners and land managers, maintain open communication, and respond in a timely manner to questions
• Coordinate preparation and distribution of the annual pre‑season monitoring letter and questionnaire to conservation easement landowners and land managers
• Respond to inquiries from real estate agents and prospective buyers regarding conservation easements
• Establish relationships with successor landowners and orient them to Five Valleys and their conservation easement
• Coordinate with tribal natural resources staff to conduct annual monitoring on tribally owned conservation easements, in alignment with established consultation practices

Proactive Land Stewardship, Partnerships & Conservation Outcomes (15%) 

This work supports landowners as active stewards of their land by connecting them to practical tools, funding, and expertise that help working lands stay productive and wildlife habitat stay intact—today and for the long term.

• Consult with and support landowners and land managers on stewardship and management issues, including connecting them with funding programs, technical experts, and stewardship and land management tools
• Assist landowners with resource management and enhancement projects when appropriate
• Assist landowners in developing forest and grazing management plans when needed
• Collaborate with Outreach staff to sponsor networking and educational events for landowners and partners, including logistical coordination and content support
• Communicate with landowners about stewardship and natural resource management topics using a variety of media, including Five Valleys’ website, blog, email, in‑person trainings, annual gatherings, or workshops
• Consult with tribal natural resource staff and government officials on Five Valleys stewardship matters, as delegated by the Stewardship Director
• Work with the Stewardship Director, Fee Land staff, and Outreach staff to plan, organize, and implement Hands on the Land volunteer stewardship projects and events on conservation easement lands
• Support fundraising and outreach efforts through event participation, public speaking, and grant support, as appropriate

Organizational Support & Professional Responsibilities (5%)

Stewardship work is closely connected to Five Valleys’ land protection, outreach, and fundraising efforts and requires strong coordination, accountability, and professional practice across programs.

• Support Lands Program staff in project development by providing a stewardship perspective when appropriate

• Develop an annual work plan aligned with Stewardship Program priorities

• Provide input to the preparation of the annual Stewardship Program budget, as requested by the Stewardship Director
• Participate in professional development and training opportunities
• Support Land Trust Alliance accreditation and audit processes by assembling stewardship documentation, responding to information requests, and maintaining accreditation‑ready records
• Assist with stewardship‑related staff training by developing guidance, templates, or reference materials as directed by the Stewardship Director
• Other duties as assigned by the Stewardship Director

Essential Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or greater in Natural Resources, Agricultural Sciences, Wildlife Biology or other related field
• Minimum 2-4 years of experience in land trust stewardship, conservation, natural resource or a closely related field
• Genuine enthusiasm for private land conservation and the mission, goals and values of Five Valleys Land Trust
• Excellent interpersonal skills and genuine interest in working with people; ability to meet new people and appreciate a wide range of perspectives, views, and ideas
• Demonstrated ability to apply policy and professional judgment to real‑world situations and to recognize when escalation is required
• Working knowledge of topics and issues relevant to working lands and natural resource management in western Montana, such as noxious weeds, livestock grazing, fish and wildlife habitat, and forest management
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Trustworthy, ability to build and maintain strong relationships with people
• Demonstrated ability to resolve disputes
• Desire to work in a highly collaborative, team-based environment, but ability to work independently
• Willingness and ability to travel throughout the Five Valleys service area
• Willingness to work irregular hours, particularly during the peak easement monitoring season (April-October)
• Valid, insurable driver’s license and clean driving record
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office; ability to learn new computer programs and database management systems; Mac(iOS) experience preferred
• Experience using GIS and GPS technology

Preferred Qualifications

• Graduate‑level coursework in natural resources, law, planning, or related field
• Experience with conservation easement compliance or violation resolution
• Familiarity with Land Trust Alliance Standards and accreditation
• Experience working with Tribal governments or sovereign entities
• Advanced GIS or stewardship database experience

Physical Work Requirements

• Ability to drive and ride in vehicles for long periods of time
• Ability to walk and work outdoors for extended periods of time in all weather conditions
• Ability to hike over rough terrain and up to several miles in a day

Scope & Authority

The Stewardship Coordinator is responsible for implementing stewardship activities and making routine stewardship determinations consistent with Five Valleys Land Trust policies and procedures. The position does not set policy or make final determinations on high‑risk or novel matters, which are escalated to the Stewardship Director and Executive Director as appropriate.

Workload and Time

The Stewardship Coordinator will work closely with Stewardship Director. Job responsibilities are a mix of in-office and field work, and the ideal candidate will be comfortable in both settings. The position requires irregular hours at times, including some evenings and weekends, to attend meetings or events or to accommodate landowner, partner, or volunteer schedules. The position generally does not require overnight travel.

As a professional, exempt position, the Stewardship Coordinator is expected to balance the responsibility and flexibility in the job through annual work planning and regular communication with team; be responsive to organizational needs for accountability and presence in the office; and complete work generally within the time allocated for the job. The Stewardship Coordinator should inform the Stewardship Director of difficulties in meeting the expectations of the job description.