Vermont Business MagazineGil Livingston, president of the Vermont Land Trust (VLT) for the past 10 years, will be leaving the organization at the end of 2017 to continue meaningful, focused work in the national conservation arena. Livingston has been with the land trust for 26 years; in that time he has contributed greatly to the conservation of farmland, forests, and land important for recreation and community, the VLT said in a press release.
Gil Livingston, left, with Mayor Miro Weinberger at the proposed Burlington College park in February 2016. Photo courtesy City of Burlington.
Livingston joined VLT in 1991 as counsel and manager of land conservation. He led a team that conserved more than 559,000 acres during his tenure. Gil also helped to create the Farmland Access Programwhen he saw the critical need to help farmers find farmland they could afford. To date, more than 50 farmers have moved into farm ownership through the program. Gil’s other accomplishments include expanding the role ofbiology and community engagement in the land trust’s conservation work. This focus has led VLT to work directly with communities to protect important gateway farms, swimming holes and town forests across our state. In Gil’s time at VLT, the organization found creative ways to serve more people, including new Americans, the Abenaki, and both rural and urban communities.
“I have had the best conservation job in America,” Livingston said. “VLT is blessed with a creative, energetic staff who are deeply committed to our mission and to serving the people and communities of Vermont.I have enjoyed getting to know so many people who steadfastly support our work and have made personal commitments to our state’s future.”
Livingston was one of the chief architects of the protection of 126,000 acres of private and public lands that once were owned by Champion International. He was the co-manager of the Atlas Timberlands Partnership, a joint project of the Vermont Land Trust and The Nature Conservancy that owns 20,000+ acres of timberland in northern Vermont. The partnership works on finding the best ways to combine economic return with ecological protection. The partnership also made the land available for public recreation. Other iconic public lands successes during Livingston’s presidency include the protection of Eagle Point in Derby, the Bolton Valley Nordic Backcountry lands in Bolton, and Molly’s Falls Pond State Park in Marshfield.
“It is so rewarding to reflect on all that we have accomplished with partner organizations in Vermont, and land trust peers across the country,” Livingston said. “VLT has helped build an ethic and vision shared by so many people in the land conservation world.”
Prior to joining VLT, Livingston worked inprivate practice as an attorney focused on municipal and environmental law. He also worked at Vermont Legal Aid, the Attorney General’s office, the Environmental Board, and as a Public Defender.Livingston served on the boards of the Black Family Land Trust and Home Share Vermont.His entire career has been focused on finding creative solutions to difficult issues for the public good.
The VLT Board of Trustees will soon begin a recruitment process for the next president. After leaving the land trust, Livingston will continue his work in three important areas: passage of a strong Farm Bill, modernization of Vermont’s revenue system, and support for community-engaged conservation around the country.
“VLT has thrived under Gil’s leadership over the last 10 years,” said Walter Poleman, VLT’s Board of Trustees Chair. “We are deeply grateful for all that he has accomplished, and appreciative of the solid foundation he has provided VLT.With a clear direction on what the organization wishes to achieve, and a strong staff who can execute, VLT willcontinue its successful and important work into the future.”
Source: VLT 5.3.2017