Justin Hall, President
Justin has over 15 years of experience working in the Nisqually Watershed. Prior to his current position at the Nisqually River Foundation, Justin worked as a natural resources extension agent for Michigan State University (MSU) where he managed a program to link MSU Extension to the state wildlife agency, providing efficiency in both organizations to meet their common goals. Prior to that, Justin worked as a forester for the University of Washington at Pack Forest, located in the Nisqually Watershed. Justin Hall’s educational background includes Bachelors of Science in both Fisheries Biology and Wildlife Science and a Master of Science in Silviculture and Forest Planning, all from the University of Washington. He is a member of Class 40 of the AgForestry Leadership Program, developing a network of leaders in agriculture, forestry, and natural resources for Washington State.
Jake Pool, Vice President
Jake grew up in the Eatonville area in the Nisqually River watershed. His family settled along South Muck Creek in the 1930s, now 5 generations living, tending to, and exploring the land. Jake, his wife Kristin, and their two kids love the outdoors and are avid hikers and snowshoers, finding adventures on public lands here and beyond. Jake is passionate about conservation in and around the Nisqually Watershed. In his position as the Nisqually Land Trust Stewardship Manager, he works with volunteers and the community to engage in conservation activities from restoration plantings and clean-ups, to foraging and sharing with people the wonders of the flora and fauna that abound here. Jake received his B.S. in Public Horticulture with a custom focus toward park management, restoration ecology, and forestry from the University of Washington.
Kirk Hanson, Secretary
Kirk is a small woodland owner with over 200 acres of family-owned forestland in western Washington. He’s worked on behalf of small woodland owners for more than 25 years, bringing a passion for ecological forestry and simplified hands-on management practices that allows forest owners to take a direct role in the stewardship of their own land. As a member of a three-generation family-owned forest, Kirk understands the issues and opportunities facing small woodland owners and relishes developing new strategies for optimizing the economic and ecological potential of their forests. Kirk worked for six years with the Washington DNR’s Small Forest Landowner Office before joining Northwest Natural Resources Group in 2006. Kirk’s favorite way to spend time in his forest is felling trees and pruning.
George Walter, Treasurer
George Walter is the Environmental Program manager for the Nisqually Indian Tribe’s Natural
Resources Department and has served the Tribe in that position for over forty years. He was
one of the founders of the Nisqually Land Trust and served as president of the Land Trust board
from 1989-2011.
Jeanette Dorner, Board Member
Jeanette grew up in South Pierce County on the banks of Muck Creek, a tributary to the Nisqually River. She has a B.S. in Earth Sciences and a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Pacific Lutheran University and an M.S. from the University of Washington’s College of Forest Resources with a focus on Restoration Ecology. She worked for 11 years as the Salmon Recovery Program Manager with the Nisqually Tribe, coordinating the protection and restoration of salmon habitat in the Nisqually watershed. She then moved to work on Puget Sound wide and Central Puget Sound salmon recovery for the last decade. She currently serves as the Executive Director for the Nisqually Land Trust and is so pleased to have returned to her home watershed and the Nisqually family (Nisquamily) to help protect and steward these special places.
Paula Swedeen, Board Member
Paula currently serves as Conservation Northwest’s Policy Director. She represents them on wildlife and wildlands policy issues at the state capitol and beyond, including wolf conservation, forest policy, and more. Paula has worked on habitat conservation issues around the Pacific Northwest for 24 years. She worked for 12 years as a wildlife biologist and endangered species policy analyst with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Washington Department of Natural Resources, and now serves on Washington’s Forest Practices Board and Wolf Advisory Board. Her recent work involves creating markets and ecosystem service payments to incentivize better habitat conditions on private lands where the regulatory reach is limited. Paula has a B.S. in Biology from Indiana University, a Masters of Environmental Studies and Political Science from Western Washington University, and a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis on Ecological Economics from the Union Institute.
Jeff Barney, Board Member
Jeff grew up in Western Washington and holds a B.S. in Forestry and Conservation from the University of Montana. He has worked as a Park Ranger in Yellowstone National Park, a Wilderness Ranger on the Lolo National Forest, and a Winter Ranger in Mount Rainier National Park. Currently, Jeff works for Pierce County as a watershed planner. His service area includes the Nisqually Watershed, where he and his family own property near Nisqually Community Forest. Jeff enjoys spending his time off with his wife, Kristin, and their two sons, Mac and Kai, on Puget Sound and skiing, hiking, and exploring the foothills of Mount Rainer and surrounding forest lands.
Joe Kane, General Manager
Joe Kane, General Manager: Joe served as executive director of Nisqually Land Trust from 2005-
2020 and was a founding board member of Nisqually Community Forest. He stepped down
from the NCF Board to take a part-time administrative role as NCF general manager in 2021.