Bill Labich, Regional Conservationist

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Following a national search, Highstead has selected Bill Labich from Shutesbury, Massachusetts to fill a new position advancing regional and landscape-scale conservation efforts across Southern New England and New York. By researching and communicating lessons on successful models of collaboration at the regional and national levels, Bill will seek to strengthen existing partnerships of individuals and organizations at the local, regional, state, and multi-state levels intent conserving regional forest landscapes. Bill brings to this position considerable familiarity with the Redding region as well as conservation experience from across New England. Originally from Fairfield, Connecticut, his first job was at the Connecticut Audubon Society where he worked as Sanctuary Operations Coordinator. Since 1985 he has been in community and land use planning, environmental education, and forest management working with local, state and regional governments, non-profits, and private landowners. For the last nine years as a regional land use planner Bill has assisted communities across Western Massachusetts to retain the vibrancy and character of their communities, watersheds, and landscapes. Previously, Bill served as Director of Education and Resident Forester for the New England Forestry Foundation.

One focus of this new initiative at Highstead will be to facilitate the development and activity of conservation partnerships in local, regional and state-wide settings where strong groups, opportunities for conservation, and the will to work together exist. As the Regional Conservationist at Highstead, Bill will be working with organizations across four states that are interested in increasing the constituency, diversity, and effectiveness of their forest conservation efforts. He will also be communicating conservation- related lessons to landowners, organizations, the media and public by conducting workshops, meetings and educational programs regionally and through web-based products and publications and public events.

Bill is on the boards of the Massachusetts Watershed Coalition and Eagle Eye Institute, which use experience with nature to transform urban youth. He is also a member of the Quabbin to Cardigan Conservation Collaborative Steering Committee, the Massachusetts Wildlands and Woodlands Partnership and served as the Co-Chair of the North Quabbin Regional Landscape Partnership from 2002-2006. He has a Masters in Regional Planning from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a Bachelors of Science in Forestry from the University of Maine at Orono. One formative experience in Bill’s career involved working as an agroforestry extension agent with the Peace Corps in Haiti from 1985 to 1987.

Bill can be reached at blabich@highstead.net.