EP 33: Gallatin Valley Land Trust, Balancing Conservation and Recreation, and Building For The Future with EJ Porth

Hello, and welcome back to the Shadows Run Podcast! 

Today’s episode features a conversation with EJ Porth, representing the Gallatin Valley Land Trust. EJ has been with the Gallatin Valley Land Trust (GVLT) for the last 11 years, most recently as the Associate Director. Just after we recorded this conversation EJ left her role at GVLT to pursue something new, so I was happy to catch her right at the end of her time there!

In her role as Associate Director, EJ "supported the organization's operations, communications, outreach, strategy, organizational culture, and fundraising. She worked with local governments to advocate for trails and conservation in land-use planning policies and decisions. EJ founded and facilitated GVLT's NextGen Advisory Board, a group of rising trails and conservation leaders and GVLT ambassadors. EJ led GVLT's efforts on the 2018 ballot measure to renew funding for the Gallatin County Open Lands Program.”

Over the 35 years that they have been in operation, GVLT has done some incredible work in the Bozeman community, conserving working farms and ranches, healthy rivers, and wildlife habitat, while also creating trails for public recreation. EJ and I talk about the various tools GVLT uses to make their work possible, and we get into some of their major challenges and successes over the years. We also talk about the future of GVLT and the Gallatin Valley as a whole, and EJ shares some inspiring thoughts about building strong community.

Thank you for joining us - I am so happy you are here. 

Gallatin Valley Land Trust Website: https://www.gvlt.org/ 

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