The Equine Land Conservation Resource (ELCR), recent recipient of the 2012 Equine Industry Vision Award for its dedication to the preservation of land for equestrian activities, announces the addition of Tom Daniels, Jan Hancock, and Cathy Laws to its team of experts on the ELCR Advisory Council.

Consisting of leaders from the equine industry, trail groups, land conservation and stewardship organizations, government agencies, and equine-related business backgrounds, this Council provides invaluable support to ELCR’s growth and development by advising staff and board members on complex or specialized issues, as well as general goals and direction of the organization.

Tom Daniels, MS, PhD, is a professor of city and regional planning at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, where he teaches land use planning, growth management, environmental planning, and land preservation. With degrees in agricultural economics from Oregon State University and the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, as well as a BA in economics from Harvard University, Daniels frequently serves as a consultant to state and local governments and land trusts and has taught at colleges around the country. He managed Lancaster County, Pennsylvania’s nationally-recognized farmland preservation program for nine years, and is the author/co-author on numerous published works and books, including Holding Our Ground: Protecting America’s Farms and Farmland, The Small Town Planning Handbook, and The Environmental Planning Handbook.

"It is an honor to serve on the ELCR Advisory Council," said Daniels. "The Board and staff are truly outstanding, and the effort to keep land available for raising and riding horses is important for communities all across the country