Nonpro t
BY KARA WILLIS
Jill Boullion reects on 10 years as Bayou Land Conservancy director After planning to retire from 10 years as Bayou Land Conservancy’s executive director, Jill Boullion reected on her time spent in leadership and the progress the conservancy has made. According to its website, the conservancy works to preserve land along streams for better ood control, clean water and wildlife. It preserves land within watersheds that feed into Lake Houston in north Harris and Montgomery counties, according to the website. What motivated you to pursue your role? Before I came here, I was at the Greens Bayou Coalition. ... I didn’t know anything about conser- vation easements, and I thought, how often do you get to have a job that you get to do something really good and impactful for the community? I could have a bigger impact in the community than what I was doing. What are some of the biggest projects you’ve tackled during your time at the Bayou Land Conservancy? We preserved about 4,000 acres in the time that I’ve been here, which is about 400 acres a year, and it is pretty good because we’re doing less mitigation projects and more projects with private landowners. The rst one would be our 15 miles for Spring Creek Nature Trail, which isn’t a conser- vation project per se ... It’s here in The Woodlands area, and it’s built on land that’s owned by other entities, like Howard Hughes, The Woodlands Township or Montgomery County Precinct 3. Another project that was really fullling was our
Arrowwood Preserve, which is located in Tomball right across the Spring Creek from Lone Star College, Tomball campus, and that is a property that we own. What do you wish more people knew about the Bayou Land Conservancy? A lot of people don’t realize where we get our support and what makes us run. A big part of what we do is connecting people with nature so that we’re a sustainable organization. A lot of people don’t understand how conservation benets them ... it keeps their water cleaner, their air cleaner; it allows habitat for animals that are threatened or are losing their places to live. Over the past 10 years, what growth have you seen at BLC? We’re a small organization, but we have grown. We’ve added sta over the time I’ve been here. We have more resources, we can do more. That’s really the bottom line. And there are some species of greatest need here in the Houston area that additional conservation would be so benecial for. ... I think people in Montgomery County are starting to realize that the county has really grown population-wise. What legacy or impact do you hope to leave with the community as you retire? I hope my impact will be remembered not neces- sarily for a specic project; although if I did, we did Arrowwood [Preserve] while I was here, which was great. ... I want people in the community to feel like they can go to our public preserves and our trails and feel safe and feel welcomed.
Jill Boullion is preparing to leave her role as Bayou Land Conservancy’s executive director in August.
COURTESY BAYOU LAND CONSERVANCY
Bayou Land Conservancy
Public preserves Focus area Lake Houston watershed streams
Livingston
69
LAKE CONROE
45
249
290
99 TOLL
LAKE HOUSTON
To read the full interview, visit communityimpact.com .
Houston
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SOURCE: BAYOU LAND CONSERVANCYCOMMUNITY IMPACT
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THE WOODLANDS EDITION
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