It’s hard to say goodbye to a great staff member, let alone two at the same time. This is especially true for an organization like Placer Land Trust where staff feel more like family. Land Managers Justin Wages and Jim McBride served PLT’s mission exceptionally well for over 12 and 5 years respectively. And although we are sad to see them go, we are forever grateful for the accomplishments they are leaving us with!
Justin and Jim ensured the permanent protection and sound management of thousands of acres of natural and agricultural lands, and advanced Placer Land Trust’s habitat restoration strategy utilizing larger-scale, ecology-driven techniques. In the process, they built strong partnerships with the US Fish and Wildlife Service through restoration projects on PLT preserves, and engaged the community in land conservation by giving tours to partners and the public. They also helped get more people on the land by building and maintaining 38 miles of trails for the public to enjoy.
Justin and Jim have worked with ranchers to facilitate cattle grazing on several PLT preserves, and with AmeriCorps NCCC crews on trail building, invasive weed removal, trash pickup, and more. In addition, Justin contributed the several artificial burrowing owl nests that he painstakingly built, and files full of his beautiful photographs from his time on the preserves. Jim is leaving us with the hand-built beaver dams he constructed at Doty, and with a new annual tradition—PLT’s now infamous Pie Party! The list goes on, with more accomplishments by these two valued team members than we can possibly name here.
Whether tromping across Placer County to learn how different lands are managed, or floating down the American River on and inflatable snail to monitor a preserve (yes, that actually happened), Justin and Jim’s passion for the land and willingness to do anything to protect it shown through. We are so grateful for their service to PLT and our region, and wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors!
