Biographies
Board of Trustees
Bob Abbey served for over 32 years in public service working with state and federal land management
agencies before retiring from the federal government in July, 2005. He served eight years as the Nevada
State Director for the U. S. Bureau of Land Management. As the Nevada State Director, Bob provided
direction and oversight for 48 million acres of public land managed by the BLM. He managed a staff of 700
employees in eight field offices and the state office and an operating budget of $51 million. From 1999
through July, 2005; Bob was the Chairman of the Executive Committee for the implementation of the
Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act and managed the allocation of over $1.5 billion in funds
for resource management and environmental projects within the state. During his federal career, Bob
was the principal agency proponent for the Great Basin Restoration Initiative, testifying before
Congressional committees and working with both the Director of the Bureau of Land Management and the
Secretary of the Interior to elevate the status and funding levels for restoration activities in the Great
Basin. Bob is now a partner in a private consultant firm called Abbey, Stubbs, & Ford, LLC with offices in
Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada. Bob continues his advocacy within the private sector as a member of the
University of Nevada College of Agriculture Dean’s Advisory Committee and as a board member on several
statewide non-profit organizations.
Gretchen Baker was invited to join the ENLC Board of Trustees in March 2006. Raised in Indiana, she
began working in the West during college summers. After earning a B.A. from Rosary College (now
Dominican University) near Chicago, she realized she wanted to spend her time working in a natural
resource career in the West and went back to school, earning a Masters of Science in Environmental
Science from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University. She now works as an
ecologist at Great Basin National Park and worked at six National Park units around the country prior to
that. She met her husband, Craig, at a community picnic in Baker. He is co-owner and co-manager of
Baker Ranches, Inc. She is an active volunteer firefighter for the Snake Valley Volunteer Fire Department,
and also loves exploring the area, in particular caves. She looks forward to serving on the board to learn
more about restoration and to encourage good land stewardship of this beautiful area.
Keith Carson is a native Nevadan who has lived in White Pine County with his family since 1969. He is
the President of Carson Unlimited, Inc., a general engineering and general building construction company
which was founded in 1969 by his father, Dewey Carson. In 1971 Keith and his family purchased a ranch
in Elko County which Keith managed in addition to his duties at Carson Unlimited, Inc. His ranch
experience stimulated his interest in land preservation and agriculture. In 1981 Keith obtained his
private pilot’s license and enjoys viewing the Nevada landscapes from high altitudes. Keith also designed
and built Murry Springs Bottling Company. In 1998 Keith won the Nevada Governors Industry
Appreciation Award for the development of Murry Springs Bottling Company and Elyon water. Recently
Keith has added a new company, CPS Rock and Sand, Inc. to his portfolio of businesses. All the while,
Keith has been a strong supporter of the White Pine community, especially with the local 4-H club. He
created the Dewey Carson Scholarship which is awarded to local 4-H students. Keith’s concern for the
environment and the future of our children led to his membership with the Eastern Nevada Landscape
Coalition.
Brent Eldridge serves on the Executive Committee on the Board of Trustees for the Eastern Nevada
Landscape Coalition. A native of White Pine County, Nevada, he was raised on the family’s ranches in
North Spring Valley. Eldridge graduated from White Pine High School and continued his education in
mathematics at the Utah State University (USU). After attending USU for two years, he returned to White
Pine County to work on the family ranch and part time in construction. He has served on various advisory
boards for the BLM, is a Past Director for the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association, and Past Chairman for the
Nevada Land Action Association. Eldridge served as a White Pine County Commissioner for twelve years,
and served on the BLM's National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board. Because of his concern over the
water issues facing Nevada, Eldridge decided to run again for the White Pine County Commission after a
brief break. This past November he was again elected to the Commission. Eldridge’s enthusiasm for
enhancement of the landscape through restoration and love of the land enrich the Coalition’s mission.
John Hiatt serves as Chairman of ENLC. With a strong background in physical science and a PhD in
organic chemistry, John brings a strong science background to the Coalition. Employed by American
Medical Laboratories in Las Vegas, he serves as Technical Director. John, actively involved in conservation
for over 25 years, has served as Conservation Chair of Red Rock Audubon for almost twenty years. He
has served on the Enterprise Town Advisory Board (Clark County) since 1978, Chair for the Citizens
Advisory Committee on Ground Water Management for Las Vegas Artesian Basin the last 12 years, and is
a member of the BLM's Mojave/Southern Great Basin Resource Advisory Council. John's knowledge and
dedication to the landscapes of Nevada guide the Coalition with respect to a holistic, ecosystem
viewpoint.
Roberta Moore moved to Baker in 1993, when her husband, Dave, retired from the National Park Service.
They reside in Baker, just below Great Basin National Park, on ten acres located in the middle of a Nevada
Land Conservancy bird and wildlife sanctuary. This 400 acre sanctuary, donated to the NLC by the Moore
family as a land trust, was recently designated by the Audubon Society as an Important Birding Area, one
of the very few in Nevada and the West. Born in California, Moore attended art school in Los Angeles and
went on to become a graphic designer/illustrator working for private agencies as well as public land
agencies. Moore has been involved with the National Park Service since 1987. She works now as an
interpretative park ranger at Great Basin National Park. She is presently working on a ranching wayside
exhibit, along with a ranching interpretive program for school children and visitors to the park. Moore is
also working on a compilation of wilderness testimonies. Having collected testimonies from a diverse
group of ranchers, environmentalists, and numerous Nevada writers, "Wild Nevada: Testimonies on
Behalf of the Desert" will be published by University of Nevada Press in Spring, 2005.
“I am very happy to be a part of the ENLC Board of Trustees. I see that, as diverse a group as we are,
that we all share one common thread - caring about the Nevada landscape. I hope I can contribute
much, but also feel that I will learn much more about the possibilities and the positive work towards
restoring the eastern Nevada landscape.”
Preston Wright was elected to the position of Vice Chairman at the June 16th Board of Trustees
meeting. Preston was raised on the Marys River Ranch in Elko County. He left Elko to attend Stanford
University; however he decided to return to the ranching lifestyle when he was twelve credits shy of
obtaining his degree in English Literature and Creative Writing. Preston is currently the manager and part
owner of Marys River Ranch. His family has owned or been involved with this ranch since 1923. They
currently operate the ranch under adaptive, holistic management practices, which they have used since
1994. In addition to a full time job as ranch manager, Preston is the current President of the Nevada
Cattlemen’s Association and has one year left to serve on his term. He is also Chairman of the Property
Rights and Environmental Management Committee for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. In
addition, Preston currently serves as a board member for the Western Folklife Center and Nevada
Advisory Council, Trust for Public Lands. Preston’s wife Patricia is an orthopedic surgeon, with her own
practice in Elko. They have three children ages nine to fourteen. Although agriculture and agriculturally
related interests consume large quantities of his time, Preston is also interested in Complexity Science,
history, painting, writing, and golf.
STAFF
Betsy Macfarlan serves as Executive Director for the Coalitions, she joined ENLC in May 2001 as its first
employee. Macfarlan completed a Bachelor of Science, and a Masters of Science in Ruminant Nutrition, at
Colorado State University. Her education makes her a perfect fit for a coalition that believes wildlife,
livestock and plant health come with a healthy, diverse landscape. Macfarlan joined the Coalition with
over ten years experience as a executive director of non profits. She has extensive experience
coordinating projects, including involvement in coordinating the 1st and 2nd Seeking Common Ground
Livestock Big Game Symposiums. Having helped establish the Eastern Nevada Landscape Coalition,
Macfarlan's position with the Coalition allows her the unique opportunity to combine her executive skills
with her interest in science and research, while facilitating the improvement of the natural resources in
her adopted home state. She continues to maintain her ties to agriculture by raising cashmere goats and
making goats milk soap.
Desiree Vaught joined ENLC in April of 2005. In her capacity as the ENLC receptionist and the executive
director’s administrative assistant she is often the first point of contact the public has with ENLC. Her
professional yet cheerful demeanor stands her in good stead in this position. Vaught is a native of Ely,
Nevada. Her family has worked in mining, construction, and ranching for several generations. Prior to
joining ENLC Vaught worked in the family business for several years. Her husband works for the Tri-
County Weed Project which is how she first learned about ENLC. Vaught says she enjoys working with
ENLC’s diverse group of employees and learning about the resource issues of the Great Basin.
Julie Thompson joined ENLC in 2005 as the staff Ecologist.
Julie Thompson graduated from Colorado State University with an undergraduate degree in Natural
Resource Management and a M.S. degree in Forest and Range Ecology. While attending school, Julie
spent her summers in the field assessing and studying the diverse vegetation communities and
landscapes of Colorado and Utah. Post-graduation she expanded her knowledge of mountain and semi-
desert ecosystems and plant identification skills while working on the USGS/NPS Vegetation Mapping and
Classification Project in Zion and Canyonlands National Park, and Dinosaur National Monument. For the
last three years, she has made her home in Ely, Nevada, exploring and working in the Great Basin. Here
she works as an ecologist with the Eastern Nevada Landscape Coalition designing and implementing
restoration projects and coordinating landscape-scale watershed assessments to further our
understanding and conservation of the Great Basin.
Jennifer Brickey returned to Ely, NV, in January, 2006, to work for ENLC as a full-time botanist after
having worked for ENLC as a seasonal employee the previous summer. Jennifer is a native of Indiana
where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at the University of Evansville. She
completed her Master of Science degree in Forest Resources / Environmental Horticulture at the University
of Washington – Seattle in 2004. While working towards her master’s degree, Jennifer worked in the
Great Basin ecosystems as a volunteer for the Washington Native Plant Society and as an intern at the
BLM field office in Twin Falls, ID. Following the completion of her degree, she worked as a research
technician at Washington State University’s Puyallup Research and Extension Center where she gained
invaluable research experience but found herself missing the sagebrush. She returned to the sagebrush
this past summer as a biological technician for the USGS – Snake River Field Station in Boise, ID, before
finding her way to the Coalition late in the summer of 2005. At the end of the field season she briefly
returned to the Northwest before accepting a full time position with ENLC.
John Watt joined ENLC in March 2005 as a minerals field technician. He conducts Compliance inspections
for minerals Inspect and recommend resolution of expired mining notices. The information he collects,
including documentation of weed infestations or other problems on minerals sites in incorporated into the
watershed assessments. Watt grew up in a farming community in central Minnesota and worked within
the agriculture and food processing industry from field to processing during his years there. He came to
Ely from Alaska where he worked in the commercial fishing industry. Prior to Alaska he lived in Colorado
working as an elk hunting guide and operating a backcountry winter camp within a Colorado State Park.
His love of the mountains of the west and the public lands that exist there made Ely a perfect place to
settle down. Initially Watt substitute taught for 5 years in Ely and spent summers in Alaska. Soon
leaving Ely for the beautiful summer season became difficult and he managed to find work as a
Wilderness Ranger for the Forest Service for one summer. This exposed him to the growing season of the
Basin and Range and also the many mining sites, working and abandoned that dot the Basin and Range
country. The chance to work with ENLC in joint efforts to rehabilitate/reclaim disturbed land was viewed
by him as the perfect opportunity to unite his understanding of the value of the commercial use of natural
resources with his love of the natural beauty of the west and his desire to see that beauty preserved.
Nancy Williams joined ENLC during the spring of 2007 as a field technician conducting vegetation
monitoring for BLM’s watershed assessment. In October 2007 Nancy was hired as ENLC’s wildlife
biologist. Nancy was raised in the small town of Eden, New York and attended the State University of
New York at Brockport where she earned her B.S. in Earth Science and minored in Environmental
Sciences. Soon after graduation she volunteered for the USGS in Las Vegas conducting desert tortoise
research, which lead to a permanent position. After moving to Ely in 2002, Nancy received her M.A.S. in
Biological Sciences at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. Prior to joining ENLC, Nancy worked
seasonally for Great Basin National Park and The Nature Conservancy.
Neil Frakes returned to ENLC in May, 2005 as an Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation (ESR)
Technician. He works closely with the Ely BLM’s ESR program, including the planning process for new fires
and monitoring. He grew up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where he became interested in Ecology
through explorations in the forests behind his parent’s farm. He received a BA in Geography and
Environmental Studies from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota in 2002, with a focus on GIS and
Cartography. During summers as an undergraduate, he traveled to the West to work on wilderness trail
crews in Idaho and the Sierra Nevada of California. After college, he moved to Ely for a brief stint working
with ENLC collecting vegetation data across Nevada for the Southwest REGAP program. He returned to
school in 2003, and received an MA in Geography from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2005, in
which he conducted research on patterns of exotic plant invasion into the Rawah Wilderness of Colorado.
He currently enjoys skiing and hiking with his dog in the mountain ranges of Eastern Nevada, and
observing and understanding the biogeography of conifer species in these ranges.
Tenille Lenard joined ENLC during the spring of 2005 as a field technician, mapping and inventorying
roads for the recreation department at the BLM. She also worked closely with the lands and archeology
departments. The following summer Tenille performed a watershed analysis by doing vegetation surveys
in Lincoln County, and worked with the Forest Service in Ely doing spring surveys in both the Snake
Range and the Schell Range. She is currently working closely with the Emergency Stabilization and
Rehabilitation (ESR) department at the BLM as an ESR technician. She is involved in the planning process,
and in the implementation of ESR projects. Tenille grew up in the central valley of California on an almond
farm, and has always loved being active and being outdoors. She received a BA degree in Physical
Education from California State University, Stanislaus and also received an E.M.T. license. Until recently,
Tenille would work in Ely during the summer months and Ski Patrol at a resort in the California Sierras
during the winter. She recently got married and now resides in Ely throughout the year. Tenille states
that the opportunity to work for the ENLC has opened her eyes to the beauty of the landscape in Eastern
Nevada and is very thankful for the opportunity to work in the resource management field.
Shane Trautner joined the ENLC team in October 2007. Shane was born and raised in Moorhead, MN
and dairy farmed throughout high school and college. After high school he attended North Dakota State
University where he earned his B.S. Degree in Rangeland Management. Shane spent the last two
summers of college doing field work for the USGS for the Carbon Sequestration Project (upper Midwest).
In 2006 he worked for the BLM office in Idaho Falls, ID as a Biological Technician monitoring vegetation.
Right before he came to ENLC he worked for the BLM in Dillon, MT as a Range Technician monitoring
vegetation and stream health, and conducting utilization and compliance on grazing allotments. Currently
Shane works for ENLC as the Range Specialist.
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATES
Dr. Barry L. Perryman is an assistant Professor at University of Nevada Reno. Dr. Perryman, a
Rangeland Ecologist, received his Bachelor of Science Degree at Abilene Christian University, Masters of
Science degree and Ph.D. at the University of Wyoming. Dr. Perryman works closely with the Coalition,
serves on our research committee and collaborated with Robert Wilson and Dr. William Morrill to research
and write a white paper titled "The Consequences of Doing Nothing".
Board of Trustees
Bob Abbey served for over 32 years in public service working with state and federal land management
agencies before retiring from the federal government in July, 2005. He served eight years as the Nevada
State Director for the U. S. Bureau of Land Management. As the Nevada State Director, Bob provided
direction and oversight for 48 million acres of public land managed by the BLM. He managed a staff of 700
employees in eight field offices and the state office and an operating budget of $51 million. From 1999
through July, 2005; Bob was the Chairman of the Executive Committee for the implementation of the
Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act and managed the allocation of over $1.5 billion in funds
for resource management and environmental projects within the state. During his federal career, Bob
was the principal agency proponent for the Great Basin Restoration Initiative, testifying before
Congressional committees and working with both the Director of the Bureau of Land Management and the
Secretary of the Interior to elevate the status and funding levels for restoration activities in the Great
Basin. Bob is now a partner in a private consultant firm called Abbey, Stubbs, & Ford, LLC with offices in
Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada. Bob continues his advocacy within the private sector as a member of the
University of Nevada College of Agriculture Dean’s Advisory Committee and as a board member on several
statewide non-profit organizations.
Gretchen Baker was invited to join the ENLC Board of Trustees in March 2006. Raised in Indiana, she
began working in the West during college summers. After earning a B.A. from Rosary College (now
Dominican University) near Chicago, she realized she wanted to spend her time working in a natural
resource career in the West and went back to school, earning a Masters of Science in Environmental
Science from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University. She now works as an
ecologist at Great Basin National Park and worked at six National Park units around the country prior to
that. She met her husband, Craig, at a community picnic in Baker. He is co-owner and co-manager of
Baker Ranches, Inc. She is an active volunteer firefighter for the Snake Valley Volunteer Fire Department,
and also loves exploring the area, in particular caves. She looks forward to serving on the board to learn
more about restoration and to encourage good land stewardship of this beautiful area.
Keith Carson is a native Nevadan who has lived in White Pine County with his family since 1969. He is
the President of Carson Unlimited, Inc., a general engineering and general building construction company
which was founded in 1969 by his father, Dewey Carson. In 1971 Keith and his family purchased a ranch
in Elko County which Keith managed in addition to his duties at Carson Unlimited, Inc. His ranch
experience stimulated his interest in land preservation and agriculture. In 1981 Keith obtained his
private pilot’s license and enjoys viewing the Nevada landscapes from high altitudes. Keith also designed
and built Murry Springs Bottling Company. In 1998 Keith won the Nevada Governors Industry
Appreciation Award for the development of Murry Springs Bottling Company and Elyon water. Recently
Keith has added a new company, CPS Rock and Sand, Inc. to his portfolio of businesses. All the while,
Keith has been a strong supporter of the White Pine community, especially with the local 4-H club. He
created the Dewey Carson Scholarship which is awarded to local 4-H students. Keith’s concern for the
environment and the future of our children led to his membership with the Eastern Nevada Landscape
Coalition.
Brent Eldridge serves on the Executive Committee on the Board of Trustees for the Eastern Nevada
Landscape Coalition. A native of White Pine County, Nevada, he was raised on the family’s ranches in
North Spring Valley. Eldridge graduated from White Pine High School and continued his education in
mathematics at the Utah State University (USU). After attending USU for two years, he returned to White
Pine County to work on the family ranch and part time in construction. He has served on various advisory
boards for the BLM, is a Past Director for the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association, and Past Chairman for the
Nevada Land Action Association. Eldridge served as a White Pine County Commissioner for twelve years,
and served on the BLM's National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board. Because of his concern over the
water issues facing Nevada, Eldridge decided to run again for the White Pine County Commission after a
brief break. This past November he was again elected to the Commission. Eldridge’s enthusiasm for
enhancement of the landscape through restoration and love of the land enrich the Coalition’s mission.
John Hiatt serves as Chairman of ENLC. With a strong background in physical science and a PhD in
organic chemistry, John brings a strong science background to the Coalition. Employed by American
Medical Laboratories in Las Vegas, he serves as Technical Director. John, actively involved in conservation
for over 25 years, has served as Conservation Chair of Red Rock Audubon for almost twenty years. He
has served on the Enterprise Town Advisory Board (Clark County) since 1978, Chair for the Citizens
Advisory Committee on Ground Water Management for Las Vegas Artesian Basin the last 12 years, and is
a member of the BLM's Mojave/Southern Great Basin Resource Advisory Council. John's knowledge and
dedication to the landscapes of Nevada guide the Coalition with respect to a holistic, ecosystem
viewpoint.
Roberta Moore moved to Baker in 1993, when her husband, Dave, retired from the National Park Service.
They reside in Baker, just below Great Basin National Park, on ten acres located in the middle of a Nevada
Land Conservancy bird and wildlife sanctuary. This 400 acre sanctuary, donated to the NLC by the Moore
family as a land trust, was recently designated by the Audubon Society as an Important Birding Area, one
of the very few in Nevada and the West. Born in California, Moore attended art school in Los Angeles and
went on to become a graphic designer/illustrator working for private agencies as well as public land
agencies. Moore has been involved with the National Park Service since 1987. She works now as an
interpretative park ranger at Great Basin National Park. She is presently working on a ranching wayside
exhibit, along with a ranching interpretive program for school children and visitors to the park. Moore is
also working on a compilation of wilderness testimonies. Having collected testimonies from a diverse
group of ranchers, environmentalists, and numerous Nevada writers, "Wild Nevada: Testimonies on
Behalf of the Desert" will be published by University of Nevada Press in Spring, 2005.
“I am very happy to be a part of the ENLC Board of Trustees. I see that, as diverse a group as we are,
that we all share one common thread - caring about the Nevada landscape. I hope I can contribute
much, but also feel that I will learn much more about the possibilities and the positive work towards
restoring the eastern Nevada landscape.”
Preston Wright was elected to the position of Vice Chairman at the June 16th Board of Trustees
meeting. Preston was raised on the Marys River Ranch in Elko County. He left Elko to attend Stanford
University; however he decided to return to the ranching lifestyle when he was twelve credits shy of
obtaining his degree in English Literature and Creative Writing. Preston is currently the manager and part
owner of Marys River Ranch. His family has owned or been involved with this ranch since 1923. They
currently operate the ranch under adaptive, holistic management practices, which they have used since
1994. In addition to a full time job as ranch manager, Preston is the current President of the Nevada
Cattlemen’s Association and has one year left to serve on his term. He is also Chairman of the Property
Rights and Environmental Management Committee for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. In
addition, Preston currently serves as a board member for the Western Folklife Center and Nevada
Advisory Council, Trust for Public Lands. Preston’s wife Patricia is an orthopedic surgeon, with her own
practice in Elko. They have three children ages nine to fourteen. Although agriculture and agriculturally
related interests consume large quantities of his time, Preston is also interested in Complexity Science,
history, painting, writing, and golf.
STAFF
Betsy Macfarlan serves as Executive Director for the Coalitions, she joined ENLC in May 2001 as its first
employee. Macfarlan completed a Bachelor of Science, and a Masters of Science in Ruminant Nutrition, at
Colorado State University. Her education makes her a perfect fit for a coalition that believes wildlife,
livestock and plant health come with a healthy, diverse landscape. Macfarlan joined the Coalition with
over ten years experience as a executive director of non profits. She has extensive experience
coordinating projects, including involvement in coordinating the 1st and 2nd Seeking Common Ground
Livestock Big Game Symposiums. Having helped establish the Eastern Nevada Landscape Coalition,
Macfarlan's position with the Coalition allows her the unique opportunity to combine her executive skills
with her interest in science and research, while facilitating the improvement of the natural resources in
her adopted home state. She continues to maintain her ties to agriculture by raising cashmere goats and
making goats milk soap.
Desiree Vaught joined ENLC in April of 2005. In her capacity as the ENLC receptionist and the executive
director’s administrative assistant she is often the first point of contact the public has with ENLC. Her
professional yet cheerful demeanor stands her in good stead in this position. Vaught is a native of Ely,
Nevada. Her family has worked in mining, construction, and ranching for several generations. Prior to
joining ENLC Vaught worked in the family business for several years. Her husband works for the Tri-
County Weed Project which is how she first learned about ENLC. Vaught says she enjoys working with
ENLC’s diverse group of employees and learning about the resource issues of the Great Basin.
Julie Thompson joined ENLC in 2005 as the staff Ecologist.
Julie Thompson graduated from Colorado State University with an undergraduate degree in Natural
Resource Management and a M.S. degree in Forest and Range Ecology. While attending school, Julie
spent her summers in the field assessing and studying the diverse vegetation communities and
landscapes of Colorado and Utah. Post-graduation she expanded her knowledge of mountain and semi-
desert ecosystems and plant identification skills while working on the USGS/NPS Vegetation Mapping and
Classification Project in Zion and Canyonlands National Park, and Dinosaur National Monument. For the
last three years, she has made her home in Ely, Nevada, exploring and working in the Great Basin. Here
she works as an ecologist with the Eastern Nevada Landscape Coalition designing and implementing
restoration projects and coordinating landscape-scale watershed assessments to further our
understanding and conservation of the Great Basin.
Jennifer Brickey returned to Ely, NV, in January, 2006, to work for ENLC as a full-time botanist after
having worked for ENLC as a seasonal employee the previous summer. Jennifer is a native of Indiana
where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at the University of Evansville. She
completed her Master of Science degree in Forest Resources / Environmental Horticulture at the University
of Washington – Seattle in 2004. While working towards her master’s degree, Jennifer worked in the
Great Basin ecosystems as a volunteer for the Washington Native Plant Society and as an intern at the
BLM field office in Twin Falls, ID. Following the completion of her degree, she worked as a research
technician at Washington State University’s Puyallup Research and Extension Center where she gained
invaluable research experience but found herself missing the sagebrush. She returned to the sagebrush
this past summer as a biological technician for the USGS – Snake River Field Station in Boise, ID, before
finding her way to the Coalition late in the summer of 2005. At the end of the field season she briefly
returned to the Northwest before accepting a full time position with ENLC.
John Watt joined ENLC in March 2005 as a minerals field technician. He conducts Compliance inspections
for minerals Inspect and recommend resolution of expired mining notices. The information he collects,
including documentation of weed infestations or other problems on minerals sites in incorporated into the
watershed assessments. Watt grew up in a farming community in central Minnesota and worked within
the agriculture and food processing industry from field to processing during his years there. He came to
Ely from Alaska where he worked in the commercial fishing industry. Prior to Alaska he lived in Colorado
working as an elk hunting guide and operating a backcountry winter camp within a Colorado State Park.
His love of the mountains of the west and the public lands that exist there made Ely a perfect place to
settle down. Initially Watt substitute taught for 5 years in Ely and spent summers in Alaska. Soon
leaving Ely for the beautiful summer season became difficult and he managed to find work as a
Wilderness Ranger for the Forest Service for one summer. This exposed him to the growing season of the
Basin and Range and also the many mining sites, working and abandoned that dot the Basin and Range
country. The chance to work with ENLC in joint efforts to rehabilitate/reclaim disturbed land was viewed
by him as the perfect opportunity to unite his understanding of the value of the commercial use of natural
resources with his love of the natural beauty of the west and his desire to see that beauty preserved.
Nancy Williams joined ENLC during the spring of 2007 as a field technician conducting vegetation
monitoring for BLM’s watershed assessment. In October 2007 Nancy was hired as ENLC’s wildlife
biologist. Nancy was raised in the small town of Eden, New York and attended the State University of
New York at Brockport where she earned her B.S. in Earth Science and minored in Environmental
Sciences. Soon after graduation she volunteered for the USGS in Las Vegas conducting desert tortoise
research, which lead to a permanent position. After moving to Ely in 2002, Nancy received her M.A.S. in
Biological Sciences at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. Prior to joining ENLC, Nancy worked
seasonally for Great Basin National Park and The Nature Conservancy.
Neil Frakes returned to ENLC in May, 2005 as an Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation (ESR)
Technician. He works closely with the Ely BLM’s ESR program, including the planning process for new fires
and monitoring. He grew up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where he became interested in Ecology
through explorations in the forests behind his parent’s farm. He received a BA in Geography and
Environmental Studies from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota in 2002, with a focus on GIS and
Cartography. During summers as an undergraduate, he traveled to the West to work on wilderness trail
crews in Idaho and the Sierra Nevada of California. After college, he moved to Ely for a brief stint working
with ENLC collecting vegetation data across Nevada for the Southwest REGAP program. He returned to
school in 2003, and received an MA in Geography from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2005, in
which he conducted research on patterns of exotic plant invasion into the Rawah Wilderness of Colorado.
He currently enjoys skiing and hiking with his dog in the mountain ranges of Eastern Nevada, and
observing and understanding the biogeography of conifer species in these ranges.
Tenille Lenard joined ENLC during the spring of 2005 as a field technician, mapping and inventorying
roads for the recreation department at the BLM. She also worked closely with the lands and archeology
departments. The following summer Tenille performed a watershed analysis by doing vegetation surveys
in Lincoln County, and worked with the Forest Service in Ely doing spring surveys in both the Snake
Range and the Schell Range. She is currently working closely with the Emergency Stabilization and
Rehabilitation (ESR) department at the BLM as an ESR technician. She is involved in the planning process,
and in the implementation of ESR projects. Tenille grew up in the central valley of California on an almond
farm, and has always loved being active and being outdoors. She received a BA degree in Physical
Education from California State University, Stanislaus and also received an E.M.T. license. Until recently,
Tenille would work in Ely during the summer months and Ski Patrol at a resort in the California Sierras
during the winter. She recently got married and now resides in Ely throughout the year. Tenille states
that the opportunity to work for the ENLC has opened her eyes to the beauty of the landscape in Eastern
Nevada and is very thankful for the opportunity to work in the resource management field.
Shane Trautner joined the ENLC team in October 2007. Shane was born and raised in Moorhead, MN
and dairy farmed throughout high school and college. After high school he attended North Dakota State
University where he earned his B.S. Degree in Rangeland Management. Shane spent the last two
summers of college doing field work for the USGS for the Carbon Sequestration Project (upper Midwest).
In 2006 he worked for the BLM office in Idaho Falls, ID as a Biological Technician monitoring vegetation.
Right before he came to ENLC he worked for the BLM in Dillon, MT as a Range Technician monitoring
vegetation and stream health, and conducting utilization and compliance on grazing allotments. Currently
Shane works for ENLC as the Range Specialist.
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATES
Dr. Barry L. Perryman is an assistant Professor at University of Nevada Reno. Dr. Perryman, a
Rangeland Ecologist, received his Bachelor of Science Degree at Abilene Christian University, Masters of
Science degree and Ph.D. at the University of Wyoming. Dr. Perryman works closely with the Coalition,
serves on our research committee and collaborated with Robert Wilson and Dr. William Morrill to research
and write a white paper titled "The Consequences of Doing Nothing".
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Eastern Nevada Landscape Coalition
Eastern Nevada Landscape Coalition