Our Advisory Board
Matt Dietz – The Wilderness Society
Matt Dietz has been the Lead Ecologist for The Wilderness Society’s California office since 2006. Prior to working at TWS, Matt conducted field research for the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory, the Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, HawkWatch International, Hastings Natural History Reservation (U.C. Berkeley), and Montana Riparian and Wetland Association. Matt has also worked in environmental advocacy for the League of Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club and was the director of The Western North Carolina Alliance, a regional grassroots conservation organization. Matt holds a B.A. in History and Government from Bowdoin College, an M.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana, and a Ph.D. in Natural Resources and Environment from the University of Michigan, where he focused his research on the effects of human disturbance—in particular, road traffic—on the distribution, stress physiology, and reproductive success of migratory landbirds. His areas of expertise are ornithology, behavioral ecology, road and transportation ecology, conservation biology, and the design of protected-area networks.
Steve Evans – CalWild
Steve Evans has more than 37 years of volunteer and professional experience in the protection of public wild lands, rivers, and other natural resources. Steve worked for Friends of the River for more than 20 years, and because of his work, more than 2,300 miles of streams on federally managed public lands have been identified as candidates for the Wild & Scenic protection, and more than 341 miles of Wild & Scenic Rivers in California are permanently protected. Steve is a consultant for the California Wilderness Coalition, where he also served on the Board for more than 20 years. Steve is a published writer (author of Tops Trails Sacramento, Wilderness Press, 2008), an avid hiker, rafter, kayaker, and photographer.
Pamela Flick – Defenders of Wildlife
Pamela Flick is Senior California Representative for Defenders of Wildlife based in Sacramento. She primarily works on federal land management with an emphasis on Sierra Nevada national forests and restoring fire to our forest ecosystems, while also advancing conservation of carnivores, birds and amphibians. In addition to serving on the advisory board of Sierra Forest Legacy, Pam is a member of the Southern Sierra Prescribed Fire Council steering committee. She participates in the Sierra National Forest’s Dinkey Landscape Restoration Project and its Fire Policy Working Group, and is a member of the Southern Sierra Nevada Fisher Working Group and its leadership team.
Before joining Defenders, Pam worked as Communications Coordinator and Administrative Director for the California Wild Heritage Campaign, Administrative Director of the Sierra Nevada Forest Protection Campaign, and in Friends of the River’s volunteer rafting program and membership department.
Pam graduated summa cum laude from California State University, Sacramento with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies and a minor in Biological Sciences. She is a third-generation California native and hails from Mariposa in the heart of the Sierra Nevada.
Bob Kelso – Sierra Nevada Alliance
Bob Kelso is a business owner and entrepreneur who has started four separate businesses. He is co-founder of the Mountain Alliance in Calaveras County. Mountain Alliance stopped the Northern California Power Association from building additional dams on the North Fork of the Stanislaus River and worked on planning issues in the Ebbetts Pass/Highway 4 corridor. He was the committee chair for the Avery/Hathaway Pines Community Plan, and spent six years working with the Calaveras county planning department crafting the first community plan for this part of Highway 4. He is a past board member and current advisory board member of the Sierra Nevada Alliance, and has served on the boards of the Central Sierra Watershed Coalition, and the Lafayette Arts and Science Foundation. He has recently worked with the Stanislaus National Forest on OHV issues and the latest Travel Management Plan as a member of the Stakeholders Group, representing home owners. Bob earned a degree in Conservation and Natural Resources from UC Berkeley.
Barbara Rivenes – Forest Issues Group
Barbara Rivenes serves as Project Chair of the Nevada County Fire Safe Council proposing and vetting various fuel reduction projects in accordance with SFL guidelines. She helps guide the Nevada County CWPP process and articulates the Fire Wise Community protection. Barbara is also the Board Chair of the Forest Issues Group (FIG), Conservation Chair of the Sierra Nevada Group of the Sierra Club, and Ex-com member of the Mother Lode Chapter of the Sierra Club.
Don Rivenes – Sierra Foothills Audubon Society
Don Rivenes is the Secretary/Treasurer and Acting Executive Director of the Forest Issues Group (FIG). FIG is a group located in Nevada County that acts as a watchdog of Forest Service activities in the Tahoe National Forest and cooperates with Sierra Forest Legacy on projects directly affecting the Sierra Nevada Framework. Don also serves as Treasurer and Conservation Chair of Sierra Foothills Audubon Society representing Placer, Nevada and Yuba counties in land use concerns and forest projects. He also is Chair of the Yuba River Wildlands Campaign working for Nevada County wilderness and Wild and Scenic rivers for the Wilderness bill authored by Senator Barbara Boxer.