Summer 2020 Newsletter

Letter From the Interim Executive Director

By Sara French

Dear Friends,

 2020 has been a year of challenges and transitions for so many, including all of us here at Amah Mutsun Land Trust (AMLT). Some of these transitions at AMLT were planned, like bringing on two new full-time staff members, and building new programs in the areas of cultural burning and coastal stewardship. Others were wholly unseen; like pivoting our programs in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, evacuating our program headquarters at Cascade Ranch due to wildfire, and searching for a new Executive Director. Whether expected or not, I have come to realize that it is in challenging moments and times of transition that we experience the most growth. I am grateful to report that with its clear mission, solid momentum and support, and committed team, AMLT is effectively meeting these diverse, and sometimes unexpected, challenges. I know that we will all come out stronger as a result.

A month ago I did not expect to find myself in the interim Executive Director role, but I am up for the challenge and happy to be able to serve Amah Mutsun Land Trust during this time of transition. I began working with the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band as a volunteer in 2009; and, in 2014, I was AMLT’s first paid employee – as a part-time program coordinator. Over the years, I have fulfilled many roles for the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band and Land Trust – from research associate, consulting ethnobotanist, and grant writer, to serving as the full-time Director of Programs and Development for two years, and then moving into the role of Director of Development this summer with the successful hire of a new Director of Programs (more on this exciting change below). My varied experience and long-term commitment to AMLT – along with crucial support from our amazing board of directors and staff – gives me confidence that I will be successful in this new, albeit temporary role.

One welcome change in 2020 was the hiring of Nicholas “Nic” Rajen as our new Director of Programs. Nic is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, who holds a B.S. in Physics and a M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering. Among his many attributes, Nic is exceptionally kind and dedicated to serving the Native American community, as evidenced by his experience as a staff and board member of the Native American Land Conservancy, his employment with the California Indian Nations College and his experience supporting Native American high school students in STEM fields, and the way he contributes his whole heart and suite of skills to the success of AMLT. With Nic’s leadership and hard work, AMLT was able to develop COVID-19 protocols to get the Native Stewards back to work safely in the middle of a pandemic, plus develop an entirely new Virtual Camp program for Amah Mutsun youth, which you can read more about here. Having Nic in charge of all AMLT programs adds significant new capacity to our organization, and we are very happy he has joined us. 

We are also very grateful to have Lawrence Atencio, from the Ohkay Owingeh and Santa Clara Pueblos in New Mexico, join AMLT as our full-time Native Stewardship Corps Field Manager. Lawrence spends ¾ of his time in the field, leading the Native Stewardship Corps, and ¼ of his time in the office, supporting the development of the Native Stewardship Corps and other AMLT stewardship programs. Holding a B.S. in Agriculture Range Science, Lawrence brings both depth and breadth of experience as a natural resource manager, including over 15 years of professional work in the areas of rangeland management, forestry, vegetation monitoring, invasive species removal, GIS, wildland fire, and youth development. As a highly skilled sawyer who has held his Wildland Firefighter Type-II certification since 1996, Lawrence is a perfect leader for the Native Stewardship Corps’ fieldwork, which currently focuses on fuel reduction and grassland and forest restoration. The Native Stewardship Corps is our largest, and most complex program, and having Lawrence at its helm is providing many important benefits to our organization and to the Native Stewards themselves, who appreciate Lawrence’s unique ability to support their stewardship efforts.

In addition to these new staff, AMLT continues to benefit from the expertise and dedication of Jay Scherf, our Operations Coordinator, Rob Cuthrell and Rick Flores, our long-term research associates, our Native Stewards, who have been working with us for years, and our highly experienced and dedicated Board of Directors. And of course, we all benefit from the guidance of Chairman Lopez, our AMLT Board President, and Chair of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, who works tirelessly for his Tribe and its Land Trust – all as an unpaid volunteer!

The foundations and individuals who have supported AMLT over the years, and this year in particular, are also contributing immensely to our success. If you have donated to AMLT already this year, please know that your support is greatly appreciated. If you would like to make a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation to support our work, you can do so here. And please join me in showing appreciation to the following foundations who have helped make it possible for AMLT to not only implement our programs, but also push through the unexpected circumstances in which we have found ourselves this year: Conservation Lands Foundation, Kalliopeia Foundation, Resources Legacy Fund, Satterberg Foundation, The Christensen Fund, and The San Francisco Foundation.

Despite the challenging times we are all living, AMLT remains in a strong position. We have a capable and committed team and are looking forward to welcoming our next Executive Director, hopefully before the end of the year. A search committee, consisting of Board Members, Amah Mutsun Tribal Band Council members, and AMLT staff, has been formed, and will be distributing the Executive Director job announcement soon. So please stay tuned, and help us spread the word about this exciting opportunity to join Amah Mutsun Land Trust! This is a great place to be.

Sincerely,

 Sara French

Interim Executive Director

Amah Mutsun Land Trust