The Trust for Public Land Appoints Shelby Semmes Vermont/New Hampshire State Program Director

The Trust for Public Land today announced that Shelby Semmes has rejoined the national parks and conservation nonprofit as Vermont/New Hampshire State Program Director, overseeing programmatic and philanthropic activity in New Hampshire and Vermont. The organization’s active program in the two states includes long-standing partnerships to establish community-owned forests, conserve land for trails and recreation, and set aside environmentally sensitive natural lands, including in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, the Green Mountains of Vermont and within the Appalachian Trail landscape.

Since 2015, Shelby Semmes has been serving as principal consultant for Intervale Advisors, a Waitsfield, Vermont, conservation consultancy specializing in farmland and forest protection, philanthropic advisory, and the development of impact investment-geared approaches to private conservation finance. Prior to that, Semmes served as project staff in The Trust for Public Land’s California office, where she helped shepherd the conservation of nearly 9,000 acres. She has also worked for the Conservation Fund and the Earthwatch Institute.

Shelby Semmes holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Barnard College of Columbia University and a Master of Forestry from the Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, where she was the 2011 Conservation Fellow of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

“New Englanders prize our public and private forests, trails, and open lands as important for recreation, wildlife conservation, local economies, climate resilience, and our way of life,” Shelby Semmes said. “I am pleased to be rejoining The Trust for Public Land in a position where I can help conserve land for people and promote the conservation value proposition across Vermont and New Hampshire, and beyond.”

Jeff Danter, Senior Vice President and The Trust for Public Land’s East Division Director extolled Semmes’s experience. “Shelby’s deep knowledge of forestry and conservation funding issues make her the ideal choice to lead our efforts to conserve land for human benefit in this rare and beautiful part of the country.”

About The Trust for Public Land
The Trust for Public Land creates parks and protects land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come. Millions of people live near a Trust for Public Land park, garden, or natural area, and millions more visit these sites every year. To support The Trust for Public Land and share why nature matters to you, visit www.tpl.org.