Blue Mountain Land Trust

Blue Mountain Land Trust (BMLT), located in Walla Walla, has reorganized its business activities by creating a separate position that emphasizes conservation and stewardship activities in addition to the position of executive director.

Assuming the position of Executive Director is Tom Dwonch. Tom most recently was the development director for the land trust. As executive director he will be responsible for management of the organization, fund raising, and communications. Tom worked many years for the Bonneville Power Administration in public affairs and customer relations and for Columbia Rural Electric Association as manager of marketing and member services.

Beth Thiel assumes the responsibilities for conservation and stewardship activities. Beth has served with the Blue Mountain Land Trust for the past six years as the manager of the organization as well as being responsible for conservation and stewardship activities. In her new position she will be responsible for working with interested landowners to establish conservation agreements that will help protect unique qualities on their land and for oversight of the agreements once they have been finalized.

 “We are in the midst of a significant increase in development pressures on our rural lands and in landowner interest in conservation,” says Carl Scheeler, BMLT Board President. “We believe this change will better position us to respond to the increased interest, and to assist landowners in achieving their conservation goals. We’re excited to have Tom and Beth working together to help protect the unique qualities of land in the Blue Mountain region.”

BMLT is a non-profit organization that assists private landowners who desire to protect unique agricultural, cultural, scenic, or natural resources on their land. The organization was established in 1999 by local citizens and is one of over 1600 land trusts in the United States. The Land Trust is governed by a board of eleven local citizens who represent a diverse cross section of the community. BMLT helps interested landowners realize financial benefits in return for placing conservation agreements on their land. At the same time the landowner continues to own and use the land for purposes compatible with conditions contained in the agreement.