Our Steering Committee
Sara Barth – The Wilderness Society
Sara Barth is the regional director for The Wilderness Society’s California/Nevada office, providing oversight of the organization’s work to protect the Sierra Nevada, the North Coast, the California Desert, and other public lands in the two states. Prior to joining The Wilderness Society, Sara served as an environmental advisor in Washington, D.C. to U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA). In that capacity, she worked extensively on federal legislation governing management of our national forests, parks and wildlife refuges, wilderness designation, wildlife conservation, offshore oil and gas drilling, and ocean and fishery restoration. Sara’s previous professional experience also includes work for the National Wildlife Federation and the World Wildlife Fund as an advocate for federal wildlife and public land protections. She earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in environmental science from the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and the Environment
Barbara Boyle – The Sierra Club
Barbara Boyle is Senior Regional Representative, Sierra Club, CA/NV/HI Regional Office. Barbara is a member of the Campaign Steering Committee and a founding member of the coalition. For the past 25 years she has worked in California, Nevada and the Pacific Northwest on a broad range of conservation issues with a particular emphasis on public land campaigns for forest, wilderness and wildlife protection. She served as Regional Director for Sierra Club in CA/NV/HI for over ten years and has lobbied on many federal environmental issues including wilderness, clean air, Superfund, nuclear waste and global warming. Her skills include strategic planning, media work, grassroots organizing, lobbying, mentoring and training staff, public speaking, budget management and fundraising. She is also a member of the coordinating committee for the California Wild Heritage Campaign and supervises several Sierra Club staff in California and Nevada. She has a Masters Degree in social work/community organizing and development.
Joan Clayburgh – Sierra Nevada Alliance
Joan Clayburgh is the Executive Director of the Sierra Nevada Alliance, joining the organization in December of 2001. The Sierra Nevada Alliance has been protecting and restoring Sierra land, water, wildlife and communities since 1993. The organization has over 80 member groups that work on conservation issues throughout the 400 mile long region. Primary programs address climate change, water quality and growth and development. Joan has over 20 years experience in non-profit management. Prior to the Sierra Nevada she was the Sierra Club national press secretary, a founder and campaign director for the coalition Californians for Pesticide Reform, executive director of Pesticide Watch, and campaign director for CALPIRG. She has provided technical assistance, training, and consultation to grassroots organizations throughout her career. Her specialty is leveraging coalition resources to achieve reforms at the local, state and national level. Joan graduated from Tahoe Truckee High School in 1981 and has a BA in communication from the University of California, San Diego. She is an outdoor enthusiast enjoying skiing, hiking, and camping with her husband and two dogs.
Steve Evans – Friends of the River
Steve Evans is Friends of the River Conservation Director. He supervises Friends of the River's conservation staff and provides overall direction for its conservation programs. Steve was hired by Friends of the River in 1988 and has served as its Conservation Director since 1990. He has more than 30 years of conservation policy experience in public lands and water resource issues. He completed Friends of the River’s statewide inventory of 4,000 miles of potential Wild & Scenic Rivers and has played a key role in the legislative designation of ten federal and state Wild & Scenic Rivers in California. Steve co-founded and has served on the steering committees of many of the coalitions administered by Friends of the River, including the California Wild Heritage Campaign, the Sierra Nevada Forest Protection Campaign, and the California Hydropower Reform Coalition. He previously was Executive Director of the Butte Environmental Council in Chico.
Charles Little – The Sierra Club
Charles Little is currently on the Steering Committee of the Clavey River Ecosystem Project of which he co-founded. He began working on forest issues in the 1980s as a member and then Chair of the Ancient Forest Subcommittee of the Bay Chapter of the Sierra Club. There he worked for protection of the old growth Headwaters redwood forests, then on the Northwest Forest Plan, and more recently has concentrated on Sierra Nevada forest issues. Mr. Little was a member of the California Ancient Forest Alliance and served on the Steering Committee of the California Wild Heritage Campaign. From 1996 to 2002 he was the Sierra Nevada Program Director for the Tuolumne River Trust.
Barbara Rivenes – Forest Issues Group
Barbara Rivenes is a Fire Safe Contractor working with Sierra Forest Legacy. Barbara 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 Board Chair of the Forest Issues Group (FIG), Conservation Chair of the Sierra Nevada Group of the Sierra Club, Ex-com member of the Mother Lode Chapter of the Sierra Club, and Board member of the South Yuba River Citizen's League.
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 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.