A Fond Farewell to a Founding Team Member

The Hellbender Working Lands for Wildlife (WLFW) program was first initiated in 2018. Its creators had a vision and concrete goals, but restoring hellbender habitat on privately owned lands had never been attempted before and there was no roadmap for how to actually get the work done. It was not until the first group of Private Lands Biologists (PLBs) was brought onboard in 2019 that the program truly started to find its footing and begin delivering results for hellbenders and farmers. Mike Knoerr was one of the original three PLBs, and has been responsible for many of the hellbender WLFW program’s successes. After five years, Mike is moving on to exciting new career opportunities, but first he took some time to reflect on his journey and the path the program has taken.

Kat: “You came on when the program was just taking off. What was it like then?”

Mike: “It wasn’t like anything. We knew what we had set out to do and had some ideas about how to do it, but there was no guidance and no rules. That kind of blank page can be exciting but it was also a little intimidating. We sort of had to build the plane as we were flying it.”

Kat: “What are some examples of the kinds of things you had to figure out in those first days and months?”

Mike: “Well the first big challenge was figuring out the most effective way to reach landowners. We tried mass mailings, giving presentations at Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) and Cattlemen’s Association meetings, tabling at fairs and festivals, you name it. We learned pretty quickly that often the best way to reach landowners who might have interest in our program was to build relationships with the staff in all of the local SWCD offices. Those folks already know the producers in their communities and have often worked with them to put conservation practices on their lands in the past. Once the SWCD folks learned what we had to offer, they were able to connect us with landowners who were a good fit for the program. Eventually we became sort of known entities in the communities where we worked, and other players involved in agricultural conservation started to seek us out.”

We also had to just figure out the mechanics of the program we were working with and how to fit hellbender conservation into it. The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a lot more complicated and bureaucratic than it might seem at first glance. Developing a conservation plan for a landowner that addressed their concerns while also improving habitat conditions for hellbenders is challenging enough. Doing it in such a way that it would successfully compete against all the other applications for EQIP funding each year took a lot of trial and error, and a lot of working with NRCS staff to find ways within the structure of the program to prioritize our projects. I was privileged to be able to work through a lot of these challenges with Morgan [Harris, the other original PLB stationed in NC] in real time. We both brought different skill sets to the job and it was nice to be able to lean on each other.

Kat: “What challenges remain for those who come after you?”

Mike: “I think under Morgan’s leadership the Hellbender WLFW program is in great hands. But there will always be programmatic and structural things to work on. Whether it’s figuring out a new way to install a practice that generates a better result on the ground or working with NRCS to prioritize funding for the landowners we want to work with. NRCS programs weren’t necessarily designed with aquatic species conservation in mind so we will always have to be looking for ways to tweak them to make them a bitter fit for our conservation objectives. There’s also the projects themselves. Landowner relationships don’t just come overnight, they take time to build up. And hellbender projects aren’t “one size fits all.” They each require a really tailored approach. Any PLB coming into this role needs to be prepared to be super hands-on in order to cultivate those relationships and ensure that the projects get done right.”

Kat: “Is there anything you really loved about the job?”

Mike: “I don’t know a lot of people whose jobs give them the luxury to receive a call from a client and be able to say, “Sure, let’s me come out there to you and we’ll walk the property and talk about your concerns.” I wasn’t confined to just writing conservation plans behind a desk. I got to see and fall in love with so many special places in Western NC. I got to engage with interesting and knowledgeable farmers and to learn from them about their relationship with their land and how they make their living. I came from a biology background and didn’t really know anything about how farming operations work or the typical issues that farmers deal with. I’ve learned a ton and I have a better appreciation for how intrinsically linked agriculture and conservation are.

Kat: “What do you see as your legacy? Do you have any accomplishments that you’re particularly proud of?”

Mike: “Even though I’m shifting out of this position, you can’t help but want to cheerlead for certain projects from afar. I’ve been working with a couple of landowners in Ashe County that are really just so excited to be doing projects that will benefit hellbenders. They’re the type of people that want to do right by the land. I met them at a farmers market and we got to talking. They qualify as “new and beginning farmers” and they are really still trying to figure out how to make it all work. They had over 3000 linear feet of stream that was in pretty poor condition but it ended up being a great location for hellbenders and other aquatic species. Once their project gets installed later this year, we’re going to see huge improvements in the habitat quality there. Of course I’m excited for that part, but also I really value that these landowners had these challenges and really didn’t know what to do or where to start, and I was able to help them. It felt really good. It’s nice to know that you’re not just helping the land and the water, but also having a meaningful impact on people’s outlooks. These folks still text me to give me progress updates and invite me to come out and see the work they’ve done. I’m invested in them and glad I got to know them.

Kat: “Is there anything that you will take away from this work into the next phase of your career?

Mike: “It was a good lesson in developing patience! The really big changes we’re pushing for can take a lifetime to come about. You have to learn to appreciate incremental change, find joy in the small wins, because they do add up. I also learned how to develop partnerships and navigate relationships with many different kinds of partners. I will be working for the US Forest Service as the wildlife biologist for the Pisgah National Forest, and I’m really happy that I will be staying in Western NC. The conservation community is pretty small here and I hope I’ll still be able to lean on many of those partnerships I developed during my time with the hellbender WLFW program.”

Mike has left an indelible mark on the Hellbender WLFW program and he will be missed by many partners and landowners who have come to rely on him. It will not be easy to fill his shoes, but we wish him the best of luck in the next leg of his career journey. Thanks for everything, Mike!