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Conrad Motyka Appointed as Trustee of Vermont Chapter of The Nature Conservancy

Montpelier, Vermont—9 June 2003—Conrad "Connie" Motyka has been appointed to be a member of the Board of Trustees of the Vermont chapter of The Nature Conservancy.

Motyka retired in January as Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, a position he held for over 12 years. He had served twice as interim commissioner prior to assuming the role permanently.

The Conservancy’s Trustees agreed to a recommendation from their nominating committee to appoint Motyka following the departure last winter of longtime Trustee Jonathan Wood. Wood was tapped in January to serve as Commissioner of Forests, Parks and Recreation in the new Douglas administration.

"We were very pleased when Jonathan was chosen to serve Governor Douglas," stated Bob Klein, the Conservancy’s State Director. "There was no particular design to having Connie and Jonathan swap places, but Connie is a highly respected forestry professional and a good friend of the Conservancy. In a small state like Vermont, there’s a close community of experienced people doing the kind of work for which both Connie and Jonathan are known and respected. Just as Jonathan did, Connie will bring valuable experience and wisdom to the Conservancy’s efforts.

Motyka worked for most of his professional career in the Department of Forest, Parks and Recreation, and was named Commissioner by the late Governor Richard Snelling. Motyka was instrumental in developing the first working forestry conservation easements in Vermont under the federal Forest Legacy Program and oversaw the growth of Vermont’s state forests and state parks into a state-of-the-art public lands and recreation resource. Motyka also played a lead role in establishing the 12,500-acre ecological reserve at West Mountain on the former Champion lands in the Northeast Kingdom, and served a term during his tenure as President of the National Association of State Foresters.

Since retiring, Motyka has kept busy in his sugarbush in Northfield, where he produces maple syrup from a 1500-tap operation. He also owns a portable sawmill and custom saws timber from his woodlands for personal use.

"I was really happy to be asked to be on the Conservancy’s Board," Motyka says. "I’m glad to have more time to be outdoors since retiring, but the chance to work with Bob Klein, his staff, and other Trustees is one I just couldn’t pass up. I remain deeply interested in forestry and land conservation issues in Vermont, and there’s no better place to stay engaged in these matters than with The Nature Conservancy."