Nomination Statement for New England Region Candidate
Alex Chuman

I accepted the nomination because I think Terrafirma has been an extremely important and useful program for the land trust community. If elected to the Board I would listen to land trusts in our region, and using that input, do my best to help Terrafirma run smoothly according to our land trust’s needs. I would be honored to serve on the Board and represent our region.

As the Conservation Director at Aquidneck Land Trust (ALT) I work on both land acquisition and stewardship. ALT is one of the largest land trusts in Rhode Island and we protect all types of open space mixed in with a developed landscape.  We have experienced a range of violations many land trusts see including third party encroachments, issues with successor landowners, and adverse possession claims. As a result, I have been before the Terrafirma Claims Committee on numerous occasions. We’ve experienced the relief of having cases covered and also the frustration of having a claim denied. I believe my work overseeing our stewardship program, dealing with violations on the ground, and navigating the Terrafirma claims process provides useful experience for Board service.