Chris Jage (Photo provided)

KEENE — In July, Chris Jage will join the staff of the Adirondack Land Trust as conservation program director, overseeing its land protection and land stewardship teams.

Since 2016, Jage worked as land protection manager with the Adirondack Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, where he led the conservancy’s efforts to identify, research and negotiate conservation of farmlands, forests, water quality and wildlife habitat in northern New York. As part of a staff-sharing partnership, he devoted a portion of his time to leading the Adirondack Land Trust’s land-protection work from 2016 to 2018.

Previously, he worked for the New Jersey Conservation Foundation as assistant director for South Jersey, where he was responsible for land protection activities in the New Jersey Pine Barrens and surrounding areas, and he shared his time in support of land trusts of many sizes.

He was awarded the Rancocas Conservancy’s Dr. Mark Thomas Award in 2015 for his role in creating a conservancy preserve and negotiating the protection of more than 12,000 publicly accessible acres across South Jersey. He was also awarded an EPA Environmental Quality Award in 2010, in part for his ability to work with landowners and governmental agencies.

He also has worked as a wilderness manager with the Bureau of Land Management in Yuma, Arizona, and as a Peace Corps volunteer in rural Guatemala. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental resource management from Penn State, an Master of Science degree from Virginia Tech in crop and soil environmental sciences, and a certificate in nonprofit management from La Salle University.

“Having known Chris in connection with some joint projects the Adirondack Land Trust has worked on with the Adirondack Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, we hold his skills in high regard,” said Adirondack Land Trust board Chair Bill Paternotte. “We are excited to have the opportunity to work with him again — this time on a full-time basis.”

The Adirondack Land Trust has 11 full-time staff and is currently seeking candidates for the positions of farmland and stewardship specialist, and stewardship manager.