Donna Gilland
Allensville,KY
Summary
Organized Team member with twenty years experience working with conservation easement programs. Ready to take on a new challenge and apply extensive knowledge and organizational skills as an Easement Specialist. Efficient, focused and team oriented.
Overview
34
34
years of professional experience
Work History
Easement Team Coordinator
USDA-NRCS
Mayfield, KY
10.2001 - 10.2021
- Resource Conservationist responsible for leading a staff of USDA NRCS and partnering conservation agency employees in the completion of easement program implementation activities according to state and federal policy and national easement program guidelines on 164 easements (ACEP WRE, WRP, EWP FPPE, WREP Batture, WREP TNC, GRP) that encompassed over 24,000 acres located in the westernmost eight counties in Kentucky.
- Trained six easement staff members in program implementation activities including national conservation easement program manual, warranty easement deed in perpetuity language, landowner application and eligibility: AGI/HELC- WC, land eligibility and ranking: CART, Geographic Area Rate Cap/appraisal, Agreement for the Purchase of a Conservation Easement, contracted title opinions, natural resource concerns and the environmental evaluation :NEPA/CPA 52, quality review of easement survey plats, conservation practice standards and restoration planning, compatible use authorization, stewardship lands monitoring, National Easements Staging Tool, Conservation Desktop
- Coordinated annual workload activities with the development of a Team Responsibilities document communicating assigned responsibilities of each staff member according to their strengths and/or needs to delegate tasks and complete workload for the Team. Program implementation activities were summarized and outlined to increase efficiency while allowing assigned staff to enhance their professional development. Staff meetings held periodically allowing staff to provide a status of assigned tasks.
- Developed and maintained a variety of databases to aid in tracking progress of projects from acquisition, surveying, cultural resource review, engineering review for planning and designs, restoration planning, contracting for hydrology and vegetative restoration implementation and to allow for better communication with engineers and easement personnel throughout the state.
- Member of Kentucky NRCS Field Office Technical Guide Technical Committee and the Damage Assessment Response Team.
- Cultivated essential relationships with partnering agencies such as, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, Graves and Marshall County Conservation District, The Nature Conservancy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Animal Plant and Health Inspection Services, University of Kentucky, Murray State University, Kentucky Division of Water, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Kentucky Division of Forestry. Agencies provided assistance with marketing, cost share agreements for personnel assistance, environmental evaluations and ranking, annual easement monitoring, edge of field monitoring, water quality monitoring, forest stand improvement, pest management, planning impacts to floodplain and potential permitting.
Soil Conservationist
USDA-SCS and NRCS
Hopkinsville, Mayfield, Murray, Paducah, KY
09.1987 - 09.2001
- Conservationist as part of field office staff providing assistance with natural resource concerns to landowners in Christian, Graves, Calloway and McCracken counties through conservation and water quality planning and contracting for farm bill programs such as Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Conservation Reserve Program, Kentucky State Cost Share Program and Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program. Assisted landowners through the application, ranking, planning, and contracting stages following NRCS program guidelines helping to achieve the completion of field office goals established in the Annual Plan of Operation for each county.
- Provided field assistance to the District Conservationist and Soil Conservationist Technician with landowner requests for technical assistance, design layout and follow up of applied conservation practices.
- Independently conducted quality status reviews and monitoring of contracted conservation practices.
- Coordinated the Damage Assessment Response Team with the Emergency Watershed Protection Program for 14 western Kentucky counties
Education
Bachelor of Science - Agriculture
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, KY05-1986
Skills
- Thorough Understanding and Technical knowledge of Easement Programs
- Team Leadership and Coordination
- Employee Training
- Goal Oriented
Timeline
Easement Team Coordinator
USDA-NRCS
10.2001 - 10.2021
Soil Conservationist
USDA-SCS and NRCS
09.1987 - 09.2001
Bachelor of Science - Agriculture
Western Kentucky University
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