Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Longtime conservation leader takes the helm as the organization continues expanding land protection across Northwest Arkansas
The Northwest Arkansas Land Trust has named longtime staff member and conservation leader Marson Nance as its new Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, placing him at the helm of an organization that has significantly expanded its conservation work as Northwest Arkansas continues to grow.
Nance becomes the fourth CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Land Trust, or NWALT, following a national search. He succeeds Grady Spann, whose tenure included significant growth in the organization’s conservation portfolio and regional partnerships.
The transition comes during an active period for the organization, with recent projects protecting forests, watersheds, wildlife habitat and public recreation areas across the region.
Nearly a Decade with the Land Trust
Nance joined NWALT in 2018 and is the organization’s longest-tenured staff member. He has more than 15 years of conservation experience across nonprofit, government and private-sector positions.
During his time with NWALT, he has served as the organization’s first Director of Land Protection, first Director of Land Stewardship and, most recently, Director of Philanthropy.
According to the Land Trust, Nance helped conserve more than 3,000 acres, doubled the organization’s conservation portfolio within three years and helped secure or unlock more than $2 million for conservation projects. He also helped open four NWALT preserves, including Wilson Springs Preserve, the organization’s first public nature preserve.
His experience also includes overseeing stewardship, restoration and monitoring of more than 6,000 acres of protected land.
“Marson’s deep understanding of land conservation, his commitment to Northwest Arkansas, and his demonstrated leadership across every aspect of our organization make him uniquely qualified to guide NWALT into the future,” NWALT Board President Steve Adair said in announcing the appointment.
Nance has also been involved in the organization’s strategic planning, governance, budgeting and two Land Trust Alliance reaccreditation processes. NWALT recently again received national accreditation from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, a process evaluating areas including governance, financial management and permanent land protection.
Conservation Work Continues to Expand
The leadership change follows several years of significant conservation activity.
NWALT began 2026 with 19 active conservation projects representing 1,558 acres. At the time, the organization had permanently protected more than 9,600 acres across Northwest Arkansas.
One of those recent projects was the protection of the 30-acre Mowry Property in Washington County. The landowners donated a conservation easement that permanently limits development while allowing the property to remain privately owned.
The property lies in the War Eagle watershed and Beaver Lake source-water protection area. It contains more than 1,100 feet of stream, natural springs, ponds, forested ridges, bottomland hardwoods, caves and potential habitat for federally listed bat species.
NWALT also announced another project in the War Eagle Creek watershed, permanently protecting 66 acres of Madison County forest through a conservation easement. The project protects forest, streams and wildlife habitat within the larger Beaver Lake watershed.
Growing Mill Branch Park
Another project covered by Arkansas Outside this year combined conservation with public outdoor recreation.
In June, the City of Goshen added 50 acres to Mill Branch Park through a partnership involving NWALT, private landowner Dick Bennett and the city.
Bennett donated the land to NWALT, which placed a permanent conservation easement on the property before transferring it to Goshen. The addition increased the park’s size by approximately 50 percent.
The property contains mature oak-hickory forest, a pond and a stream flowing into Mill Branch, a tributary of Beaver Lake. The project coincided with improvements to the park that included an ADA-compliant trail and plans for additional recreational facilities.
The project demonstrates one of the different ways a land trust can protect property. Conservation easements can preserve privately owned land, while partnerships with governments and other organizations can also protect land intended for public recreation.
Protecting the White River Headwaters
Among NWALT’s largest recent conservation efforts was the permanent protection of the 769-acre White River Headwaters Preserve in southern Madison County.
Announced in December 2025, the property contains upland hardwood forest in the Ozark Highlands Karst region and lies within the Beaver Lake watershed. The project involved the U.S. Forest Service Forest Legacy Program, Beaver Water District, The Conservation Fund and the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission.
NWALT also completed a multiyear project that permanently protected 692 acres within the Beaver Lake watershed.
The projects are particularly significant because conservation around Beaver Lake protects more than habitat and scenery. The reservoir is a major drinking-water source for Northwest Arkansas.
A Record of Larger Conservation Projects
Arkansas Outside has followed NWALT’s expansion for several years.
In 2023, the organization established a 580-acre conservation easement in Crawford County with landowners Philip and Rebecca Thompson. The property lies within the Boston Mountains Scenic Wildlife Corridor and between blocks of U.S. Forest Service land, helping maintain habitat connectivity across the region. It also protects two headwater streams flowing into Clear Creek and Frog Bayou.
Later that year, NWALT announced a 130-acre conservation easement in southern Washington County near the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest. The property contains more than 3,700 feet of streams and springs within the Upper Frog Bayou watershed, which ultimately contributes to Lake Fort Smith.
One of the organization’s most visible acquisitions came in 2022, when NWALT purchased approximately 830 acres of the historic Lake Frances property near Siloam Springs. Now known as Lake Frances Preserve, the property includes extensive forest, streams and a regionally significant post oak savanna. Nance, then NWALT’s Director of Land Stewardship and Research, was directly involved in the project.
NWALT has also participated in partnerships connecting conservation with recreation, including the development of the WOKA trail system near Siloam Springs.
Leading NWALT’s Next Chapter
As CEO, Nance will oversee the Land Trust’s conservation strategy, fundraising, community partnerships and efforts to accelerate permanent land protection.
“It is such an honor to serve as NWALT’s fourth CEO,” Nance said. “Permanent land conservation is vital for the well-being of our economy, resiliency, and health of our communities.”
Nance said Northwest Arkansas has an opportunity to demonstrate how continued growth and conservation can coexist.
“Conservation is ultimately about legacy,” he said. “The decisions we make today determine what future generations will inherit.”
The Northwest Arkansas Land Trust uses voluntary conservation easements, property acquisitions, nature preserves and long-term stewardship to protect working lands, wildlife habitat, waterways, scenic landscapes and outdoor resources.
With Northwest Arkansas continuing to experience substantial development pressure, Nance now takes responsibility for guiding an organization whose conservation portfolio has grown alongside the region itself.
This article was originally published on ArkansasOutside.com, your trusted source for outdoor news and updates in The Natural State. Unless otherwise credited, all photos included in this piece are the property of Arkansas Outside, LLC. We take pride in sharing the beauty and adventures of Arkansas through our lens, thank you for supporting our work!