Raleigh Native Sets Sights on Triangle

From TLC News, February 2008

Jon Scott

When Jon Scott joined the TLC staff in October 2007, he hit the ground running.  One of three land protection specialists, Jon immediately took on the responsibility of finalizing several projects that were slated to close by year’s end.  Luckily, he was well-equipped for the challenge, having worked as a land protection specialist for two and a half years with Tar River Land Conservancy, based in Louisburg. 

While at the Tar River Land Conservancy, Jon enjoyed the variety in his daily work.  “One of the great things about conservation work is that you are able to spend time working in the field as well as in the office,” he says.  “While at Tar River, my work took me all around the Conservancy’s eight-county working area, which includes both the piedmont and coastal plain ecoregions.”

A Raleigh native and frequent visitor to Umstead State Park during his childhood, Jon earned a bachelor’s degree at NC State and stayed there for graduate school, earning a Masters in Natural Resources with a concentration in policy and administration.  After school, he held several positions, including working for the NC Department of Transportation as an environmental specialist, where he wrote Clean Water Act permit applications for bridge projects and performed surveys on endangered species and streams.

At TLC, Jon’s conservation work is focused on Wake and Johnston Counties, including the Marks’ Creek Initiative.  His first project involved working with a landowner to protect 38 acres near TLC’s Swift Creek Bluffs Preserve.  (See related story here.)  Jon is excited about the vision of the Mark's Creek Initiative, which includes helping develop a segment of the Mountains to Sea Trail, as well as pursuing farmland preservation in Johnston County. 

Every project offers Jon the opportunity to meet landowners and learn more about their relationship with their property.  “I really enjoy getting to learn about the history behind the landscape, and learn more about how a family or individual is connected to their land,” he says.  “It’s very rewarding to help landowners meet their goals for their property while balancing that with TLC’s goals for conservation.  As a private land trust, we have lots of conservation tools at our disposal.  Not only do we help protect land for parks and public space, but we also have a unique ability to work with private landowners to protect their land and help ensure that it’s available to their family for future generations.”

This Triangle native is happy to be contributing to conservation in this familiar landscape.  “Working with TLC gives me the great opportunity to do conservation in my backyard, and that’s important to me,” says Jon. 

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