A nationally recognized expert on the legal aspects of conservation easements, Steve Swartz has a family connection to the Panhandle in the form of his grandparents’ farm in the Middleway/Leetown area. Steve was general counsel of a national land trust for nearly 20 years before retiring in 2020. He now serves on the board of an urban agricultural land trust outside of Washington, DC, and as a pro bono adviser to a number of nonprofit organizations. He teaches regularly at the annual National Land Conservation Conference of the Land Trust Alliance and has advised the Land Trust of the Eastern Panhandle on IRS-related aspects of easement acquisitions.