The Sierra Fund has a new executive director, replacing Izzy Martin, who retired earlier this year. Monday was Joan Clayburgh’s first day with the organization. She came over from the same job with the Sierra Nevada Alliance. She says the Sierra Fund’s goals will not be changing. That includes cleaning up the abandoned gold country mines, which they’ve been focusing on for the last 20 years…

click to listen to Joan Clayburgh

But Clayburgh says she hopes the Sierra Fund can accelerate the process more and get beyond pilot projects. And, of course, mitigating the impacts of climate change on the forests will also be a longterm and daunting challenge…

click to listen to Joan Clayburgh

Clayburgh has lived in the Sierra Nevada for the last 30 years, including in South Lake Tahoe, which was threatened by the Caldor Fire this summer. Among her accomplishments, she helped co-found the Sierra Nevada AmeriCorps Partnership, the Sierra Water Workgroup, and helped to secure millions of new dollars for conservation.