Maine Coast Heritage Trust, a statewide land conservation group, announced this week that it has named a longtime staff member as its interim president.

David MacDonald, who has been employed with the Topsham-based organization since 1991, will begin his new duties starting Dec. 1.

MacDonald takes over for Jay Espy, who served as president for 22 years before announcing his retirement last month.

The group has begun the process of replacing Espy permanently and is working with a firm to conduct a national search.

“We’re very pleased that David has agreed to lead the Trust during this transition period,” Tom Ireland, MCHT’s board chairman, said in a statement released this week. “I am confident that he will successfully lead us as we carry out our land conservation mission in the months ahead.”

MacDonald has been the group’s director of land protection since 1999 and works from the organization’s office on Mount Desert Island.

“With all of the exciting conservation work now happening statewide, it will be a fun and challenging assignment,” MacDonald said in the statement. “We have a great team here, and I look forward to helping to meet the goals and opportunities that lie ahead in the coming months.”

Maine Coast Heritage Trust is a statewide conservation organization dedicated to protecting land that is essential to the character of Maine, its coastline and its islands in particular. Since 1970, more than 125,000 acres and 270 entire coastal islands have been permanently protected.

For information about the trust, visit its Web site at www.mcht.org.