Whatcom Land Trust gets a new executive director after previous one retires

Gabe Epperson, Whatcom Land Trust’s long-time conservation director, became executive director of the nonprofit land conservation organization on February 1.

In a January 17 press release, Whatcom Land Trust said that Epperson will be taking over from Rich Bowers, who served as executive director since 2015 and is now retiring. During Bowers’ tenure, Whatcom Land Trust played a key role in the conservation of properties including Blaine’s California Creek.

Bowers “also solidified organizational finances and systems, built a strong team of staff, oversaw completion of both conservation and communications/outreach strategic plans, including migration to a new Land Trust website, and led the largest community-driven fundraising campaign to acquire Skookum Creek as well as the 2017 reaccreditation process through the national Land Trust Accreditation Program,” said the release.

Whatcom Land Trust’s board selected Epperson as executive director after a nationwide search conducted over the last nine months. “I am honored to be taking the helm as the new executive director,” said Epperson. “I intend to maintain and grow our reputation as the conservation leader in Whatcom County.”

Epperson led Whatcom Land Trust’s acquisition efforts over the last four and a half years, protecting over 4,000 acres of high-priority park land, wildlife habitat and farms in Whatcom County. Prior to joining Whatcom Land Trust, Epperson was the planning director for Envision Utah, a nonprofit that worked on regional conservation, land use and transportation planning. He has a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Utah and a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Middlebury College in Vermont.

Whatcom Land Trust is an accredited, community-based nonprofit organization that works with local landowners and other partners to protect the natural values and resources important to the Whatcom County community. Since 1984, Whatcom Land Trust has conserved over 24,000 acres of land. Whatcom Land Trust’s mission is “to preserve and protect wildlife habitat, scenic, agricultural and open-space lands in Whatcom County for future generations by securing interests in land and promoting land stewardship.”