RALEIGH — Working Lands Trust (WLT) has selected Michael “Mikey” Fulk as its new executive director.

WLT began in 2013 as a collaboration between the North Carolina Forestry Association, North Carolina State Department of Agriculture and community conservation leaders. This group collectively identified increasing interest among farm and forest landowners in exploring conservation options for working lands. Since its conception, WLT has conserved over 15,000 acres. WLT works to conserve North Carolina’s working landscape, enrich the state’s food and fiber industry, keep land ownership in private hands, and deliver economic benefits.

“We are excited to have Mikey on board with WLT. She brings decades worth of experience working with federal, state and private organizations on conservation issues across the nation. We look forward to seeing where she takes WLT in the future,” Bob Schaefer, board chair, said in a news release.

Fulk grew up in Orrum (Robeson County) and has worked in the wildlife and land conservation arena for over 20 years. She attended North Carolina State University where she earned a degree in fisheries and wildlife science with a minor in environmental science. She worked as a wildlife biologist in Wyoming and later in Montana as the regional hunting access enhancement coordinator for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, managing over 1.5 million acres of private and public land to be utilized for public hunting and recreation. She now lives in Gold Hill.

Her career brought her back to North Carolina as the southern Piedmont hunter education coordinator for the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Fulk then served as the associate director for Three Rivers Land Trust based in Salisbury and later as president of conservation for The Barn Group. Her work in the land trust arena has contributed to thousands of acres of permanently protected through conservation easements.

“I feel so honored to have been selected to lead WLT into the future. WLT is uniquely positioned as N.C.’s only land trust solely focused on conserving our rural areas, family farms and working forests,” Fulk said. “Growing up in rural N.C., I understand the dynamics and importance of protecting our agricultural lands and forests. I am excited to build on the successes WLT has already seen and ensure North Carolina’s working lands legacy.”

For more information, contact Fulk at 336-460-2562 or mikey@workinglandstrust.org or go to www.workinglandstrust.org