SLT Board Welcome

Welcome to new SLT Board member, Shaun Walton! Shaun comes to SLT with a strong background in finance, wildlife biology, and as a safari guide! We are grateful for his thoughtful expertise as the Board grows and expands to meet the growing needs of the organization.

SLT Board Farewell

Thank you, Steve Bollock for being a guiding light for Siskiyou Land Trust. Steve is SLT’s  longest serving board member since he joined in 2011 and steps down this spring.

Steve has lived in Mt. Shasta since 1974, where he raised a family and worked as a painting contractor (owner of Rembrandt Painting) and as a commercial river guide (Turtle River Rafting Co).  Running rivers has been his greatest passion in addition to his spiritual quest which began in the 1960’s. An aspect of that personal growth was being part of a very dynamic men’s group for over twenty years, during which he co-led weekend “Rites of Passage” for teenagers in the Mt. Shasta community.

Steve’s work for the Siskiyou Land Trust began in 2011 at a time when his careers were winding down.  As a board member, he has also served as chairman of the outreach committee, member of the land acquisition committee, and organizer of the popular annual SLT rafting fieldtrip on the Klamath River. Steve’s transition into retirement was smooth as he had been running rivers and taking long road trips in his Westfalia camper van for the  previous decade. He was ready for a give back to this special place that had supported him during the  core of his lifetime. As a “young elder” his focus shifted into a greater devotion to caring for the land and mentoring the youth.

Steve’s years with Siskiyou Land Trust have been a rich dive into relationship with parts of Siskiyou County that had previously been foreign to him, specifically the ranching community. His early years working with the outreach committee enabled Steve to find his place in the organization. More recently he has  experienced a deepening his passion for being on the land which SLT seeks to conserve through participating on the land acquisition committee. Steve’s favorite SLT activities have been site visits where he can really get to know the people who deeply love their land and have committed to preserve it forever. Also, as a river guide, Steve’s work for SLT has given him a deep sense of satisfaction in helping to preserve the headwaters of rivers that he and his family, know so well.

THANK YOU, Steve! Siskiyou Land Trust is a better organization because of you! While we say farewell to this chapter of your service and expertise on the Board, we look forward to seeing you often out on the river!

Board Recruitment Update

The SLT Board is in process of growing its Board to fill Steve’s role and also increase Board size to 10 or 11 members. For the first time, SLT held an open Board solicitation, which closed in April 2024. As SLT grows as an organization, additional Board members will help support increased opportunities, work, and happenings! We are excited to share more updates with you and introduce our new Board members in upcoming months.

SLT Board, staff, and Emeritus Board gathering at LuginBuhl Ranch Preserve, April 2024.

LuginBuhl Emeritus Board Event

SLT Emeritus Board members were honored by being the first guests to the LuginBuhl Ranch Preserve on April 22, 2024. The gathering of past and present SLT leaders was planned by the Fund Development Committee, and hosted by Siskiyou Land Trust’s current Board and staff. We were able to bring together leadership that spanned SLT’s founders to our present day Board at this stunning 320-acre headwaters property. About 25 past and current Board members and staff attended the event. Special thanks to current SLT Board President, Wendy Whitson and Treasurer, John Whitson for taking the lead in hosting the evening with your warm welcome, delicious food, camp fire, and cold beverages. We were gifted with a perfect Spring night to come together to connect past and present land trust leadership in a most inspiring setting. Thank you to our Fund Development Chair (Stuart Somach), attending Board members, and the entire Fund Development Committee for envisioning and implementing this meet and greet event. This was a great way to kick off the Fund Development Committee events. Looking forward to more of these and expanding our reach of attendees! 

Strategic Planning Updates

Board and staff have been working on the 1st draft of Siskiyou Land Trust’s updated strategic plan incorporating community input from Spring and Summer 2023. We look forward to sharing our strategic plan with community members in upcoming months. Thank you for your helpful input!

SLT Board and Staff at a strategic planning meeting, Summer 2023.