Steve Friedman

Steve Friedman

Board Member

Steve Friedman began his land conservation career in 1998 with the Georgia Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, leading its real estate program. In 2005, he joined the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) as Chief of Real Estate, where he worked with partners including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, Department of Defense, and private foundations to expand Georgia’s State Parks and Wildlife Management Areas.

During his tenure, Steve played a key role in adding land to Panola Mountain, Black Rock Mountain, Smithgall Woods, and Vogel State Parks, as well as protecting wildlife areas such as Pigeon Mountain, Dawson Forest, and the Altamaha River corridor. He was also a driving force behind efforts to conserve enough gopher tortoise habitat in Georgia’s coastal plain to prevent a federal listing of the species. Over his career, Steve helped protect nearly 300,000 acres of land through acquisitions and conservation easements.

Steve retired from DNR in 2024 and joined the Mountain Conservation Trust board in 2025.