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"I was born and raised in Portola and now live in Quincy with my wife and daughter. Growing up, I roamed the meadows and mountains of the Feather River region, fishing and exploring. My experiences taught me more about the importance of open space and environment than a classroom ever could." Have you always lived here? "After graduating from Portola High, I left Plumas County ready to explore new worlds and see new things. I attended two major universities and traveled around the world, but I always kept coming back to the Feather River region. I realize now that my place of birth had become my place of choice. Sometimes it takes getting away from the place you were raised to realize what you had." When did you first become aware of the need to protect the Feather River region? "During my college years, I'd return home for summers and holidays. With each visit, I noticed that the land I had grown to love was changing: a golf resort now stood in the place of a historic family cattle ranch; a new subdivision cut off access to the stream that Mr. Smith used to let me fish in; homes and pavement now covered what used to be critical deer habitat." How did you feel about these changes? "My initial reaction was often one of frustration. I called friends; I called family; I called the Planning Department. I was searching for answers and someone to blame. How could "they" have let this happen while I was gone? Didn't "they" care?" Over time, however, I realized that there wasn't any one person to blame for the many changes occurring in the Feather River region, and I soon realized that many people were just as frustrated as I. The problem wasn't that people didn't want to act to protect the special lands around them. Instead, it was that they didn't know what to do. It was out of this process that the idea of the Feather River Land Trust was born." When did you officially "open" for business? "We were incorporated on February 18, 2000 and I'm proud to say that in our first year of operation, we were able to collaborate with The Nature Conservancy to protect our first property, a spectacular 500-acre parcel located south of Sierra Valley near Babbit Peak. We were able to secure a conservation easement that ensures that the Washoe Tribe will continue to own the property and use the property as they have in the past for generations to come. |
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