Gold Hill’s Fulk new leader of Working Lands Trust in Raleigh – Salisbury Post

RALEIGH – Working Lands Trust (WLT) has selected Michael “Mikey” Fulk as its new Managing Director.

WLT began in 2013 as a collaboration between the North Carolina Forestry Association, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and conservation leaders. This group collectively noted that agricultural and forest landowners have an increasing interest in exploring conservation options for agricultural land. Since its inception, WLT has conserved over 15,000 acres. WLT works to preserve North Carolina’s labor landscape, enrich the state’s food and fiber industries, privately hold land holdings, and achieve economic benefits.

“We are delighted to have Mikey on board at WLT. She brings decades of experience working with federal, state and private organizations on conservation issues across the country. We look forward to seeing where WLT takes it in the future,” said CEO Bob Schaefer in a press release.

Fulk grew up in Orrum, Robeson County and has worked in wildlife and land conservation for over 20 years. She attended North Carolina State University, where she earned a degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences with a minor in Environmental Studies. She worked as a wildlife biologist in Wyoming and later in Montana as the regional coordinator for improving hunting access for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, managing over 1.5 million acres of private and public land intended for public hunting and recreation. She now lives in Gold Hill.

Her career brought her back to North Carolina as the Southern Piedmont Hunter Training Coordinator for the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Fulk was then Deputy Director of the Three Rivers Land Trust based in Salisbury and later President of Conservation for The Barn Group. Her work in the Land Trust area has helped ensure that thousands of acres are permanently protected by conservation easements.

“I am so honored to have been selected to lead WLT into the future. WLT is uniquely positioned as NC’s only land trust solely focused on preserving our rural lands, family farms and managed forests,” Fulk said. “Having grown up in rural NC, I understand the dynamics and importance of protecting our farmlands and forests. I look forward to building on the successes WLT has already seen and securing the legacy of North Carolina’s areas of work.”

For more information, contact Fulk at 336-460-2562 or [email protected] or visit www.workinglandstrust.org