Erin Tarr, Bear Yuba Land Trust — President
Erin is the Co-Executive Director of Bear Yuba Land Trust. Erin brings over eight years of land conservation experience to Bear Yuba Land Trust. After graduating from CSU Sacramento with a degree in Environmental Studies and Biology she began working with CA Department of Fish and Wildlife on the American, Cosumnes, Mokelumne, and Sacramento Rivers, conducting fish research and angler surveys. In 2010, she took a job with The Nature Conservancy at Cosumnes River Preserve as a Vegetation Monitoring Technician, collecting data on much of their 40,000 acres of protected land. This is where she realized the true value and importance of permanently protected open space for wildlife and healthy ecosystems as well as for the enhancement of sustainable agriculture and forestry practices. Just before joining Bear Yuba Land Trust, Erin worked with Placer Land Trust in Auburn as their Stewardship Assistant. She is currently working towards her Master’s of Natural Resources degree at Oregon State University. Erin is an avid outdoor enthusiast who enjoys snowboarding, hiking, camping and spending time locally on the rivers with her three children.
Shelton Douthit, Feather River Land Trust– Vice President
Shelton, co-founder of Shelton Douthit Consulting (with wife Zoe Ann Ahnstrom), has been working in the land conservation field for more than thirty years. Shelton has played many roles in the land trust movement. From field coordinator with the Sempervirens Fund, to Executive Director of the Riverside Land Conservancy and Project Coordinator of The Wildlands Conservancy, he has helped protect and restore over 800,000 acres of wilderness, parkland, rangeland and forest throughout California. His specialty has been land acquisition and due diligence and he has assisted nonprofit land trusts and public agencies nation-wide to complete a wide variety of land conservation transactions, from ¼ acre lots within the Carrizo Plain National Monument to the 430,000 acre Catellus acquisition (former railroad land grant lands) in California’s Mojave Desert. Shelton is honored to join the Feather River Land Trust team and carry on the land saving mission Paul Hardy and a dedicated band of volunteers initiated.
Elena Delacy, American River Conservancy– Secretary
Elena was hired as American River Conservancy’s (ARC) Executive Director in January 2019. She began her career at ARC as a Project Intern in 2003, designing a habitat restoration project for the threatened California red-legged frog. She has held the roles of Stewardship Director and Associate Director at ARC. Born and raised in Sacramento, Elena received her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology and Management from UC Davis. Elena resides in Placerville with her husband, three daughters and three rescue dogs. Her passions include reading, gardening, hiking and playing her violin. Elena also serves on the Board of Directors of Friends of Sly Park.
Jeff Darlington, Placer Land Trust — Treasurer
Hired in May 2002, Jeff is the first Executive Director of Placer Land Trust and has dramatically increased the pace of land conservation for the Trust. Jeff grew up in Auburn and is the 4th generation of his family to reside in Placer County. His great-grandparents settled in Penryn in the 1920s, and his family has resided in Auburn since then. He lives in Auburn with his wife Christa and their sons Connell, Paul and Spencer. Jeff is a graduate of Placer High School and has a BA in History with a Minor in Geography from the University of California, Berkeley. He came to Placer Land Trust from the Mono Lake Committee, a highly successful nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to the preservation of the Mono Lake Basin in the Eastern Sierras. Prior to that he worked for Electronic Data Systems in Rancho Cordova, First Health Services in Alaska, the California Department of Conservation, and two Northern California outdoor news publications (Western Outdoor News and Fishing & Hunting News) based in Sacramento. He is also a freelance writer and has been published in several regional and national publications.
Amy Holman, Lassen Land and Trails Trust
Amy Holmen has been working for Lassen Land & Trails Trust and living in Susanville since 2011, and is currently the Project Manager for the Trust. She is responsible for stewardship policy and conservation activities, including land acquisition and conservation easements, and has enjoyed working with partners and private landowners on a variety of conservation and trails projects through the Trust. A native of New Mexico and a graduate of Colby College in Waterville, Maine, Amy is thrilled to be back in the West, where she is able to camp, hike, and explore the amazing recreational opportunities of northeastern California and beyond. Amy is involved in a variety of community activities, including serving as a Director for the Lassen County Cattlewomen and playing violin in the Susanville Symphony.
Bridget Fithian, Sierra Foothill Conservancy
In January 2014 Bridget became the Executive Director for Sierra Foothill Conservancy. Bridget joined the SFC staff in 2008 to manage programs in her hometown, Mariposa. In 2011, Bridget became SFC’s Conservation Director, working on land acquisition & mitigation projects, and building relationships with conservation partners & funders. Bridget received her bachelor’s degree in Literature from UC Santa Cruz. Bridget enjoys gardening, photography and hiking.
Kay Ogden, Eastern Sierra Land Trust
Kay was appointed to the position of Eastern Sierra Land Trust Executive Director in May 2013 after working as Associate Director for the Sierra Nevada Alliance. She brings great passion for the Eastern Sierra landscape and experience in project management, strategic planning, fundraising, building connections, and leading effective programs. Kay also has extensive creative experience: she spent 18 years operating her own design and marketing firm, and two years as a board member of the Mono County Arts Council. Kay is a participant in the Land Trust Alliance’s two-year Leadership program, and is a board member of the California Council of Land Trusts. She also enjoys gardening, canning fresh food grown in her garden, and hiking and cycling with her husband, Jeff Boone, and their rescued German Shepherd, Rush Creek.
Heidi Krolick, Trust for Public Land
Heidi Krolick has over 20 years of experience in land conservation and community engagement. Prior to joining Trust for Public Land, she was the Executive Director at the Stewardship Council, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and enhancing more than 140,000 acres of watershed lands across California. Prior to her 13 years with the Stewardship Council, she acted as a Restoration Specialist and Project Manager with an environmental consulting firm where she concentrated on the development and implementation of landscape scale conservation and mitigation projects, prepared habitat restoration plans, and led environmental permitting and compliance efforts with local, state and federal agencies. Heidi holds a master’s degree in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management from Lincoln University in New Zealand, and bachelor’s degrees in Environmental Studies and Geography from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She serves as a long-standing board member of the Sacramento River Watershed Program, and in her free time, she can be found exploring the wonders of the outdoors. She especially loves hiking, camping, and skiing in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada with her husband and their two children.
Michael Delbar, California Rangeland Trust
As the California Rangeland Trust’s Chief Operating Officer, Michael Delbar oversees day-to-day operations and provide landowner outreach and legislative support to the organization. Most recently, Delbar was elected and served three consecutive terms as the First District Supervisor for the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors and was Second Vice President of the California State Association (CSAC). Delbar served on the state and national agriculture policy advisory boards for California State Association of Counties and the National Association of Counties. He is a former Lake County Farm Bureau executive director and part of a six generation Mendocino County ranching family, raising beef cattle, timber and hay where they recently celebrated 150 years of family ownership of the original homesteaded land. Additionally, Michael currently serves on the board of directors for the Potter Valley Rodeo Association, was a former director of Mendocino County Farm Bureau and was state chair of California Young Farmers and Ranchers. Michael is a member of the California Ag Leadership Program, Class XXIV.
TBN, The Nature Conservancy
Jake Jacobson, Lassen Foothills Project Director, joined The Nature Conservancy in 2000 and took up his present duties in 2004. His primary responsibility is safeguarding important watersheds in northern California by working with landowners, other conservation organizations, government agencies, and representatives of business and agriculture. The Nature Conservancy’s Lassen Foothills Project has protected more than 100,000 acres of wildlife habitat and working ranches in eastern Tehama County and southeastern Shasta County. Mr. Jacobson has an extensive background in “on-the-ground” conservation, real estate, and land-use planning. Prior to his employment with the Conservancy, he worked with local land trusts and as a park and recreation planner. Jake is a fourth-generation Californian who holds a B.A. in geography and environmental studies from the University of Washington.
TBN, Pacific Forest Trust
Logan Robertson Huecker , Sequoia Riverlands Trust
Dr. Logan Robertson Huecker joined SRT in 2020 and was appointed Executive Director in October, 2021. Logan has worked for more than two decades in the nonprofit and education sectors in California, Guatemala, and Honduras. Her work at SRT leverages her professional experience and expands upon her deep commitment to the natural and agricultural legacy of the Sierra foothills and Central Valley. She has experience leading non-profit organizations and publicly funded programs; managing staff teams, spearheading collaborative initiatives, and implementing federal, state, and local policies. Throughout her career, Logan has worked to identify and secure government and foundation funding sources, cultivate new donor relationships, and foster connections with current supporters. She holds a PhD in Education from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
John Svann, Truckee Donner Land Trust
John Svann is the Executive Director of the Truckee Donner Land Trust. John is an active member of the trails community in Truckee and North Tahoe, and is involved in local trail planning commissions. John holds a BS in Agriculture and Natural Resources Management from the University of Maryland. He and his wife Heather have made Truckee their home since 1998 and are usually found running, skiing, or mountain biking on our local trails.
Laurie Oberholtzer, Sierra County Land Trust
Laurie Oberholtzer is the Executive Director of Sierra County Land Trust, whose primary goal is to preserve the Sierra Buttes/Lakes Basin of Sierra County, located in the Central Sierra 50 miles north of Lake Tahoe.
TBN, Northern California Regional Land Trust
Ellie Routt, Mother Lode Land Trust
Ellie Routt is the Executive Director of Mother Lode Land Trust. Ellie was born and raised in Amador County where she was an active 4-H member. After high school she attended Santa Rosa Junior College with a major in Forestry/Natural Resources and Recreation. Ellie attended Humboldt State majoring in Rangeland Resource Science. After graduation she started working for MLLT. Ellie and her two boys enjoy hiking, camping, horseback riding and swimming, gardening and identifying plants.
Paul Vienneau, Shasta Land Trust
Paul Vienneau started with Shasta Land Trust in December 2015. Born and raised in Shasta County, he returned over one year ago with his fiancée after being away for nearly 14 years. He graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a degree in Politics and obtained his law degree at the University of La Verne, College of Law. After graduating in 2013 with his Juris Doctor he pursued a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. Rather than pursue a career as a practicing attorney he focused a great deal of his time during his master’s program on water conservation, technology/innovation and water ownership rights.
Megan Wargo, Pacific Crest Trails Association
Megan Wargo is Pacific Crest Trails Association‘s Director of Land Protection. She oversees a program dedicated to protecting the landscape and trail miles that are still held by private landowners. Megan brings more than a dozen years of experience leading teams and managing landscape-scale conservation projects.
Paul Hardy, Hardy Conservation
Paul is widely published in habitat selection by owls and migratory birds and an expert on the native flora, fauna, and ecosystems of the Feather River Watershed and Sierra Nevada. Paul’s strengths and interests include: land conservation; land management; leading tours, field trips, and retreats in nature; wildlife biology; fundraising; nonprofit management; ornithology; conservation real estate; conservation easements; connecting people to land; spiritual and personal growth; geographic knowledge of the northern Sierra Nevada, Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, and western U.S.; and nature-based life coaching.
Vanessa Vasquez, Sierra Cascade Land Trust Council Coordinator
Vanessa Vasquez is an experienced land trust and conservation professional with over 15 years in the nonprofit sector. Most recently, Vanessa worked as the People and Land Program Coordinator for Feather River Land Trust in Quincy, CA. She graduated with an M.A. in Environment and Community Studies from Cal Poly Humboldt in 2012. As a recent hire for SCLTC, Vanessa brings operational expertise, fundraising and communication skills, partnership development, and a commitment to community conservation values. Vanessa is a life-long resident of Northern California and has a deep knowledge and love of place for the Sierra Cascade region. As a working mom, Vanessa aims for a healthy work-life balance and enjoys hiking, biking, and gardening with her husband and little girl. Email Vanessa.