Mike Ford

Nevada and Southwest Director, Conservation Acquisition

Mike joined The Conservation Fund (the Fund) in 1999, after a 25-year career with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. He continues today to serve as the Nevada and Southwest Director. He has been responsible for some of the Fund’s largest projects, including acquisition of the Kane and Two Mile Ranches that encompass nearly 100 miles of the Grand Canyon’s North Rim. The expansive inholding connects three national monuments, two national recreation areas, eight wilderness areas, and controls extensive inholdings and grazing permits across nearly 900,000 acres of federal land.

During his career with BLM he served as the Branch Chief in the National Land and Realty Division in Washington D.C., Deputy State Director in Nevada, District Manager in Albuquerque, NM, and Area Manager in Lake Havasu City, AZ. Mike also served (1991-93) as a Congressional Fellow and Legislative Assistance for U.S. Senator Pete V. Domenici (R-NM) where he was responsible for public land and environmental issues.

Mike has played a leading role in the Fund's national mitigation efforts and with the Department of Defense’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program where he has protected over 30,000 acres around military installations in the West. Mike has served on numerous Boards and Committees at the local, state, and national level, including:

Clark County Nevada Desert Conservation Plan
Policy Analysis Center for Western Public Lands
NCBA National Environmental Stewardship Committee
USFWS Mexican Wolf Coexistence Council
SRM National Partnership Committee

Mike continues to work on a variety of issues developing effective land and resource management strategies that balance economic development and achieve conservation objectives. When not working you can generally find him on a golf course, near the beach, or watching his beloved Los Angeles Dodgers.

Contact: mford@conservationfund.org Phone: 702-655-8167 Office: Southwest Regional Office