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Elk Foundation trims 33 jobs, narrows focus
By SHERRY DEVLIN of the Missoulian
Hoping to quickly redouble its efforts to protect wildlife habitat, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation will lay off 33 workers next week and put that money to work "on the ground," the group's president said Tuesday.
"The clearest way to put it is that our board of directors was very adamant that we had to quickly refocus on the urgency of our mission," said Rich Lane, who took over as the Elk Foundation's president and chief executive officer on Sept. 23.
"Every day, we are losing 2,500 acres of wildlife habitat to development to housing and subdivisions that move elk off the landscape," he said. "Our board wanted someone to come in and take that sense of urgency and infuse it into the organization."
Lane said he did not know when he was hired that the refocusing would mean cutting some jobs at the Missoula-based nonprofit group. "That is the hardest part of this whole thing," he said. "But as we looked at how we are organized, it was obvious that we could streamline our organization.
"I wish we didn't have to say to people, 'Your job has been eliminated.' But in order for us to do the job we say we're doing, we have to make these changes."
To be announced next Monday, the layoffs will reduce the Elk Foundation's workforce by about 17 percent.
"Once we do those, there will be no more cutbacks," said Lane, who was previously the regional forest resources manager for Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. "The cutbacks will come on Monday, and then they'll be over."
The group also will take a hard look at its plans to build a new headquarters and visitor center in lower Grant Creek, Lane said. "That question has been raised. We've made a vow that we would not divert one penny of mission money toward the building. It will have to stand on its own."
The Elk Foundation has already sold its building on West Broadway, but could possibly rent some office space from the new owner, according to Lane. "And we haven't given up on the idea of a new headquarters. We are still planning to go ahead. It may just be delayed a little bit."
All of the changes, though, should not be seen as a sign that the group is faltering, its president said.
"That's not what is happening," he said. "This year, we will still put $27 million into land acquisitions and conservation easements. And my charge is to do even better next year. What we are trying to do is streamline the organization so more money is available for our mission activities."
In recent years, the Elk Foundation has tried to "be a lot of things to a lot of people," Lane said. "Somehow, we got off track just a little bit when it comes to mission delivery. Sometimes, we've lost that sense of urgency for getting our job done."
Since 1984, the group has invested more than $150 million into land and habitat conservation - 3.2 million acres. In the next five years, the goal is to add another 2 million acres to that total.
"We don't have forever to get our job done," Lane said. "We have a limited time. Development of our critical elk winter ranges and on our migratory routes will continue. We've got to do everything we can as quickly as we can."
The slowing national economy and fears stemming from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., did not prompt the layoffs, Lane said. "This is not a reactive move. This is about putting more money on the ground. It isn't that we have suddenly dried up or that we are pulling back in anticipation of a bad year."
"The events of Sept. 11 have probably caused us to believe that we better not rely on gifts growing tremendously," he said. "We are not budgeting for an increase in donations. But we are not budgeting for a decrease either."
What donors want to know, he said, is that their money will make it into good work - into elk habitat preserved or enhanced.
Along with the layoffs, the Elk Foundation will create some new positions and redefine others. "We are going to put more people in the field, helping to write conservation easements and making sure we provide the conservation services that we're famous for," Lane said. "We will take some positions that were in Missoula and move people to areas where they can be more effective."
Some work - in conservation education and elk reintroductions, for example - will be shared with other organizations, both to decrease costs and to take advantage of other groups' strengths.
"Our mission is very, very strong," Lane said. "We've got 10,000 volunteers who help us raise money, and we're very good at getting it back on the land. That's what drives us. That's the passion. That's the future."
Reporter Sherry Devlin can be reached at 523-5268 or at sdevlin@missoulian.com.
By SHERRY DEVLIN of the Missoulian
Hoping to quickly redouble its efforts to protect wildlife habitat, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation will lay off 33 workers next week and put that money to work "on the ground," the group's president said Tuesday.
"The clearest way to put it is that our board of directors was very adamant that we had to quickly refocus on the urgency of our mission," said Rich Lane, who took over as the Elk Foundation's president and chief executive officer on Sept. 23.
"Every day, we are losing 2,500 acres of wildlife habitat to development to housing and subdivisions that move elk off the landscape," he said. "Our board wanted someone to come in and take that sense of urgency and infuse it into the organization."
Lane said he did not know when he was hired that the refocusing would mean cutting some jobs at the Missoula-based nonprofit group. "That is the hardest part of this whole thing," he said. "But as we looked at how we are organized, it was obvious that we could streamline our organization.
"I wish we didn't have to say to people, 'Your job has been eliminated.' But in order for us to do the job we say we're doing, we have to make these changes."
To be announced next Monday, the layoffs will reduce the Elk Foundation's workforce by about 17 percent.
"Once we do those, there will be no more cutbacks," said Lane, who was previously the regional forest resources manager for Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. "The cutbacks will come on Monday, and then they'll be over."
The group also will take a hard look at its plans to build a new headquarters and visitor center in lower Grant Creek, Lane said. "That question has been raised. We've made a vow that we would not divert one penny of mission money toward the building. It will have to stand on its own."
The Elk Foundation has already sold its building on West Broadway, but could possibly rent some office space from the new owner, according to Lane. "And we haven't given up on the idea of a new headquarters. We are still planning to go ahead. It may just be delayed a little bit."
All of the changes, though, should not be seen as a sign that the group is faltering, its president said.
"That's not what is happening," he said. "This year, we will still put $27 million into land acquisitions and conservation easements. And my charge is to do even better next year. What we are trying to do is streamline the organization so more money is available for our mission activities."
In recent years, the Elk Foundation has tried to "be a lot of things to a lot of people," Lane said. "Somehow, we got off track just a little bit when it comes to mission delivery. Sometimes, we've lost that sense of urgency for getting our job done."
Since 1984, the group has invested more than $150 million into land and habitat conservation - 3.2 million acres. In the next five years, the goal is to add another 2 million acres to that total.
"We don't have forever to get our job done," Lane said. "We have a limited time. Development of our critical elk winter ranges and on our migratory routes will continue. We've got to do everything we can as quickly as we can."
The slowing national economy and fears stemming from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., did not prompt the layoffs, Lane said. "This is not a reactive move. This is about putting more money on the ground. It isn't that we have suddenly dried up or that we are pulling back in anticipation of a bad year."
"The events of Sept. 11 have probably caused us to believe that we better not rely on gifts growing tremendously," he said. "We are not budgeting for an increase in donations. But we are not budgeting for a decrease either."
What donors want to know, he said, is that their money will make it into good work - into elk habitat preserved or enhanced.
Along with the layoffs, the Elk Foundation will create some new positions and redefine others. "We are going to put more people in the field, helping to write conservation easements and making sure we provide the conservation services that we're famous for," Lane said. "We will take some positions that were in Missoula and move people to areas where they can be more effective."
Some work - in conservation education and elk reintroductions, for example - will be shared with other organizations, both to decrease costs and to take advantage of other groups' strengths.
"Our mission is very, very strong," Lane said. "We've got 10,000 volunteers who help us raise money, and we're very good at getting it back on the land. That's what drives us. That's the passion. That's the future."
Reporter Sherry Devlin can be reached at 523-5268 or at sdevlin@missoulian.com.
