Expanding our Work into the Interior West and Southwest

Our land acquisition team is growing, and so is our geographic reach. As of February, Western Rivers Conservancy will have offices in California, Oregon and Montana, positioning us to fulfill our mission in eleven western states. WRC staff

Spearheading our new Helena, Montana, office is Willis Yarberry. We are thrilled to welcome Willis to the project staff as Director of the Interior West and Federal Affairs, where he will work on conserving the great rivers of the Rockies, Southwest and Interior states.

Willis is a talented veteran in the land conservation world. He worked for the Nature Conservancy for more than a decade, most recently as Director of Major Projects & Government Relations in Helena. In this position, he worked to set aside thousands of acres of open space for habitat protection and public enjoyment.

Cam Tredennick, hired in January as Senior Project Manager, is a superb addition to the land staff. Cam has 15 years experience working in land conservation law, public land management and land acquisition. Most recently, as a project director for the Nature Conservancy in San Diego, Cam protected thousands of acres of precious open space in Southern California, specializing in large, complex transactions with many partners. With his experience, Cam is launching new initiatives in California and Oregon.

Also adding expertise to our Portland team is Alan Christensen, hired in November as Senior Project Manager. Alan recently retired from the U.S. Forest Service, where he was Assistant Director for Natural Resources in Oregon and Washington. With his strong natural resource background, Alan is identifying new conservation opportunities on rivers in eastern Oregon and Washington.

During Alan's accomplished career with the Forest Service, he held positions throughout the Pacific Northwest and the Rocky Mountains. Alan was responsible for programs in wildlife, fisheries, watershed, soils, botany and range that influenced over 24 million acres. He also extends our reach into the Interior West, having served as a founding staff member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

With a talented team in place, WRC is poised to save endangered river landscapes throughout the West.