10/16/2008
Local cyclist and trails advocate joins nonprofit Board of Directors
Placer Land Trust is very pleased to announce the newest member of its Board of Directors, Jim Haagen-Smit.
Haagen-Smit is a Newcastle resident who recently retired from a 25-year career as a software engineer for Hewlett Packard in Roseville.
“Enjoying and protecting the outdoors is a major part of my life,” said Haagen-Smit. “Placer County is a special place – I’ve hiked and ridden bicycles all over Placer County and realized that many might not be around for future generations to enjoy without the help of Placer Land Trust and programs such as Placer Legacy. I’m honored to be able to help in this protection and increase public access with trails by serving on the board of Placer Land Trust.”
Haagen-Smit has worked with various public agencies and private organizations to improve the quality of life in Placer County. In addition to being a long-time member of Placer Land Trust, he has worked with the Placer County Parks & Trails Forum, Placer County Transportation Planning Agency, Dry Creek Conservancy, the Auburn State Recreation Area, and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
As a cycling advocate, he founded the California Bicycle Coalition, was the first president of the award-winning Folsom Auburn Trail Riders Action Coalition (FATRAC). He and his wife Cathy are avid cyclists who put in countless hours of trail maintenance work across the County. Haagen-Smit received national recognition in 2004 for his advocacy work with the International Mountain Bicycling Association.
“Jim has a long and successful history working with diverse groups to achieve collaborative solutions to improve the quality of life in Placer County,” said PLT Executive Director Jeff Darlington. “He’s well connected in the community, and his experience makes him a real asset to our organization.”
The Haagen-Smits have been Placer County residents for 25 years; they currently live in rural Newcastle where they tend to a testy fruit orchard and enjoy the pastoral setting among local farms and ranches.
Haagen-Smit was elected to the Trust’s Board of Directors in October.
Placer Land Trust is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in 1991 and dedicated to working with willing landowners and conservation partners to permanently preserve natural and agricultural lands in Placer County. To date Placer Land Trust has worked with willing landowners across the county to preserve 4,654 acres of land for future generations. For more information about Placer Land Trust, call (530) 887-9222 or visit www.placerlandtrust.org.
