Michael Whitfield of the Heart of the Rockies Initiative Wins the Kingsbury Browne Fellowship and Conservation Leadership Award

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Michael Whitfield, a conservation leader who has built partnerships among landowners, civic leaders, government officials, and scientists to protect iconic landscapes in the Rocky Mountain West, has been named the new Kingsbury Browne Fellow at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and the winner of the Kingsbury Browne Conservation Leadership Award from the Land Trust Alliance.

A native of Teton Valley, Idaho, Whitfield recently retired after a decade as executive director of the Heart of the Rockies Initiative, a partnership of 23 land trusts in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and southern British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. During his tenure, he led the creation of the High Divide Collaborative, which built a conservation vision for the region bordering Yellowstone National Park and attracted millions of dollars in federal funding.

Previously, Whitfield led the Teton Regional Land Trust for 17 years, taught wildland ecology, and worked as a U.S. Forest Service biologist and wildland recreation manager.

"Michael Whitfield's career is a testament to the power of building coalitions, finding common ground, and engaging the public, private, and civic sectors in large landscape conservation efforts," said Jim Levitt, manager of the Lincoln Institute's land conservation programs and co-founder of the International Land Conservation Network. "We congratulate Michael on his exemplary leadership in the field and look forward to his continued contributions."

As the Kingsbury Browne Fellow at the Lincoln Institute for 2018–2019, Whitfield will engage in research, writing, and mentoring.

The Kingsbury Browne fellowship and award are in their 13th year. The award will be presented during Rally 2018: The National Land Conservation Conference, the nation's largest annual gathering of land conservation professionals. This year's conference takes place October 11 to 13 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh.

Previous winners were Will Rogers, head of The Trust for Public Land; David Hartwell, an environmental leader who has helped mobilize billions of dollars for conservation projects across Minnesota; Steve Small, a legal pioneer who paved the way to make conservation easements tax-deductible in the U.S.; Jean Hocker, a former president of the Land Trust Alliance and longtime board member at the Lincoln Institute; Larry Kueter, a Denver attorney specializing in agricultural and ranchland easements in the West; Peter Stein, managing director of Lyme Timber Company; Audrey C. Rust, president emeritus of the Peninsula Open Space Trust based in Palo Alto, California; Jay Espy, executive director of the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation; Jamie Williams, president of The Wilderness Society; Laurie A. Wayburn, co-founder of the Pacific Forest Trust; Mark Ackelson, president of the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation; and Darby Bradley, president of the Vermont Land Trust.

About the Lincoln Institute
The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy seeks to improve quality of life through the effective use, taxation, and stewardship of land. A nonprofit private operating foundation whose origins date to 1946, the Lincoln Institute researches and recommends creative approaches to land as a solution to economic, social, and environmental challenges. Through education, training, publications, and events, we integrate theory and practice to inform public policy decisions worldwide. For more information visit www.lincolninst.edu.

About the Land Trust Alliance
Founded in 1982, the Land Trust Alliance is a national land conservation organization that works to save the places people need and love by strengthening land conservation across America. The Alliance represents 1,000 member land trusts supported by more than 200,000 volunteers and 4.6 million members nationwide. The Alliance is based in Washington, D.C., and operates several regional offices. More information about the Alliance is available at www.landtrustalliance.org.

SOURCE Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

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