Ecological Land Management & Stewardship L.L.C. (abbreviated here to ELMS) is owned by me (Colby Fong). I am a NH Licensed Professional Forester, an NRCS Technical Service Provider (TSP), and a capable trail builder & land manager.
I have a diverse set of skills that I have acquired through hard work in forestry, conservation, and land management. Below is a description of my upbringing and experience in ecological management.
My experience in land management started on a family farm. As I grew up working on this farm, I picked up skills in carpentry, crop management, irrigation, invasive plant removal, tractor operation, and small engine operation.
After working on the farm, I worked on professional trail crews, establishing and maintaining recreation trails in the White Mountains and at Baxter State Park in Maine. Notably, I completed sections of dry masonry work and native timber work on the popular and steep Dudley Trail which comes down from Pamola Peak. I also aided in the establishment of the Pamola Caves Trail and contributed to the maintenance of the Imp Trail in the White Mountains and Appalachian Trail near Mount Moriah.
After professional trail work, I went on to achieve formal education in Forestry. I attended the University of Vermont’s Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources. I graduated with an accredited degree of Forestry and took other courses in soil science and agro-ecology.
During this time, I was also employed by the University of Vermont. My employment was focused around helping complete detailed forest research projects. I worked on projects to quantify climate change impacts on several different forest ecosystems across New England and New York, and longterm forest inventories & seedling survival inventories.
After graduating, I hiked the Appalachian Trail northbound and completed my hike from Georgia to Maine in 6 months.
After the Appalachian trail, I went on to work for LandVest in their Forestry Department as a Field Forester. At LandVest I gained experience laying out and marking timber harvests, ensuring BMP compliance, writing management plans, supervising other foresters in the field, monitoring for erosion concerns, laying out timber harvest closeout work, supervising contractors, and marking/identifying boundary lines.
After leaving LandVest, I then started work as the lead manager on all NH Audubon fee-owned and easement lands. As the Conservation Lands Manager for NH Audubon, I aided in the creation of All Access Recreational Trails, was instrumental in completing wildlife sanctuary infrastructure repairs, implemented a comprehensive easement monitoring system, and managed/maintained their field & forest habitat and trail systems. I managed their 8,000+ acre holdings at all levels from boots on the ground trails clearing, to project management, to planning for climate resiliency, to mapping & signage creation, and contractor supervision.
I started ELMS in early 2026. ELMS is now servicing multiple landowners and looks forward to opportunities to work with you.
Ecological Land Management and Stewardship 