The board of directors of Catoctin Land Trust is pleased to announce the appointment of David Lillard as the group’s executive director. Founded in 2000, CLT is a nonprofit organization based in Frederick, Md., that preserves and protects the rural landscape and cultural heritage of Central Maryland, with special focus in Frederick and Washington counties. CLT works with private landowners who wish to voluntarily conserve their land through conservation easements, which, at the landowner’s request, place permanent development restrictions on the land. To date, CLT holds or co-holds easements totaling over 3,000 acres.
“We are excited have David on board at Catoctin Land Trust,” said Jim Draper, CLT treasurer. “As our region’s population grows, we need to preserve the special character of our landscape that are drawing people here.”
“When you stop and think about what we have here, it’s breathtaking,” said Lillard. “The parks, Civil War sites, the Appalachian Trail and C&O Canal. Part of experiencing these treasures is the rural landscape surrounding them. We need both — amazing public lands and forward-looking landowners who want their land to be part of that future.”
In addition to serving as chief operating officer of CLT, Lillard will coordinate the Heart of Maryland Conservation Alliance (HMCA). This network of local and statewide organizations and agencies was formed in 2018 to collaborate on conservation efforts. Land conservation partners include the Central Maryland Heritage League, Sugarloaf Countryside Conservancy, the Mid Maryland Land Trust, Maryland Environmental Trust, and the Frederick County Agricultural Land Preservation Office. He serves on the board of directors of the Land Trust of the Eastern Panhandle in West Virginia.
Lillard has been active in conservation for nearly 30 years. From 2014 through 2018, he served as special projects manager for West Virginia Rivers Coalition, where he coordinated the Safe Water Conservation Collaborative. Most recently, at The Downstream Project, he was co-coordinator of a regional conservation partnership focused on a 5-county region of the Blue Ridge from Front Royal, Va., to Harpers Ferry, W.Va.
For information on Catoctin Land Trust and the Heart of Maryland Conservation Alliance, visit www.CatoctinLandTrust.org.