October 16-19

Gabrielle Boisramé is a California native with a B.A. in Applied Mathematics from Whitman College and a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from U.C. Berkeley. Her dissertation examined the water balance impacts of restoring a natural fire regime to a small watershed in Yosemite National Park. After graduation, Dr. Boisramé worked as an environmental scientist for the Delta Stewardship Council, a California State Agency. She is currently an assistant research professor at the Desert Research Institute. Her research quantifies the impacts of changing landscapes and climate on water resources, primarily in Nevada and California. This work includes ongoing field measurements in Yosemite.  

Darcy Brown is a land use attorney in the Fresno City Attorney’s office where she provides legal guidance on a range of issues, including extensive work in California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) compliance for development projects. In support of Fresno’s mission to develop an inclusive and prosperous city, Ms. Brown regularly provides detailed review of numerous environmental planning documents, including EIRs, Negative Declarations, Initial Studies, Notices of Exemption, Supplemental EIRs, Addenda to EIRs and Negative Declarations, and various public notices and staff reports. Ms. Brown has over 15 years of experience in environmental compliance and resource management throughout California’s forests, wetlands, and urban landscapes. Her work has included federal, state and local land use law, including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), CEQA, planning and zoning laws, California forest management regulations, endangered species law, dam safety and energy regulation, fair housing, and historic preservation. She currently serves as Secretary of the Environmental Law Section of the California Lawyers Association. 

Toni Cordero is an enrolled member of the Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation.  She was raised in Santa Barbara, California, and descends from the village of Syuxtun, in what is now known as Santa Barbara.  She is a paddler of a traditional tomol (plank canoe) on the Chumash community’s annual crossing of the Santa Barbara Channel. 

Toni has had a distinguished career spanning over four decades.  After earning Journalism degrees from the University of Southern California (B.A.) and Northwestern University (M.S.), she worked as a newspaper reporter in Southern California.  Toni then attended Stanford University Law School to earn her J.D 
 
Toni worked as an attorney with the California Department of Justice, in both the Environment and Civil Rights Enforcement Sections, for more than 25 years.  She was one of the first attorneys in California to recognize the critical nexus between those two legal areas, and pioneer the principles and practice of Environmental Justice law for which she is widely known and admired by her colleagues today.  Two California Governors appointed Toni to executive positions with California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control, first as the Department’s Chief Counsel, and then as Deputy Director of its Hazardous Waste Management Program. Toni also served with distinction as an assistant county counsel for Ventura County.  Toni returned to the California Department of Justice as Chief of Legal Affairs from 2017 to 2019, In this appointed role, she was responsible for the work of all legal divisions and of the office’s 1,200 attorneys. 

Toni is also on the Board of Advisors of the Sacred Places Institute for Indigenous Peoples and the Board of Directors of Surfrider Foundation and the Environmental Defense Center.  She previously served on the Board of Directors of the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California for almost 20 years. She has been an advisor to the Executive Committee of the Environmental Law Section of the California Lawyers Association (formerly the State Bar) since 2002, where she has done groundbreaking work elevating tribal issues and engagement with the Section.  Most recently, Toni came out of retirement to teach and mentor a new generation of lawyers as a Clinical Supervising Attorney with the U.C. Berkeley Law’s Environmental Law Clinic. 

Darren Croteau, Principal Geologist at Terraphase, has over 25 years of environmental consulting experience in site characterization, remedial design and implementation, and regulatory interactions. His broad experience encompasses characterization of impacts to soil, groundwater, surface water, soil vapor, and indoor air as well as remediation of a wide variety of contaminants, including chlorinated solvents, petroleum hydrocarbons, metals, and dioxins and furans. He also routinely used forensic techniques, particularly for petroleum hydrocarbons, for site characterization efforts, in addition to estimating client’s environmental liabilities, preparing remediation cost estimates, and providing strategic consulting. He has provided project management and technical leadership for commercial and industrial project sites in California and Nevada as well as strategic consulting for property transactions.  

Mr. Croteau has directed many complex multi-media site investigation and characterization efforts for chlorinated solvent releases (TCE and PCE). These include commercial sites with vapor intrusion concerns, off-site groundwater plumes and long-term groundwater monitoring. Mr. Croteau has also managed investigations and groundwater monitoring at large industrial sites including former chemical manufacturing facilities, sawmills and power plants with impacts to soil, groundwater, and surface water, and has conducted focused studies on groundwater, and surface water interactions.  

Mr. Croteau’s remediation experience includes designing and implementing in-situ thermal conductive heating and soil-vapor extraction for chlorinated solvent releases, excavation of petroleum hydrocarbon and volatile organic compound-affected soil, designing on-site soil treatment for petroleum and volatile organic compound-affected soil using aeriation and biodegradation, designing and implementing injection of oxidants for the destruction of petroleum hydrocarbons, and managing large groundwater extraction and treatment systems. 

Mr. Croteau also provides expert review and litigation support services for projects for a variety of clients including industrial, developers, and insurance companies. These projects include insurance disputes and cost allocation and recovery for large-scale site characterization and remediation and development projects. Mr. Croteau prepares declarations, expert reports, participates in mediations and depositions, and provides expert witness services for these projects.  

Mr. Croteau received his Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from University of California Santa Cruz and is a registered professional geologist. 

Mary Cruz is a tribal member of the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians and an active member of the Tribe’s Heritage Committee. A dedicated gatherer and cultural practitioner for over 25 years, Mary is deeply rooted in the traditions of her people She specializes in harvesting native plants used in traditional Mono practices such as basket weaving, cordage making, herbal medicine, and the gathering of seasonal foods like nuts and berries.

Her work honors the enduring relationship between the land an dMono culture, ensuring that every gathering practice respects ancestral knowledge and ecological balance.

Passionate about cultural education, Mary also teaches traditional Mono Indian basket weaving, sharing skills that not only preserve heritage but also strengthen community ties for future generations.

Barry is a partner in the San Francisco office and a member of the Land Use and Environmental & Natural Resources practices. His practice focuses on energy law, water rights, land use, and natural resources, representing private and public clients in permitting, transactional, and litigation matters. 

Barry’s energy and public utility practice involves power plant and transmission line siting and permitting in California Energy Commission and local agency venues, public utility regulation before the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), and power transactions. 

In the area of water law, Barry represents growers, ranchers, and other rural landowners, as well as water companies and districts, in surface and groundwater rights, water supply, and water quality. 

In the areas of land use and real estate, he represents private property owners, developers, business owners, and public agencies in matters involving development and use of land, including local government planning and zoning, Coastal Act permitting, development-related real estate transactions, NEPA and CEQA compliance, and related litigation. 

In the natural resources area, Barry handles wetlands, endangered species, and land conservation permitting, enforcement, and transactional matters that arise in connection with the ownership, development, use, and preservation of land. 

Jeremy Evans is a landscape photographer and filmmaker based in Mammoth Lakes, California. His work blends
artistic vision with a deep reverence for the natural world. Jeremy presents annually as part of Yosemite National Park’s interpretive programs and regularly speaks at the Dark Sky Festivals in Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and Death
Valley National Parks, where he shares his passion as an amateur astronomer.

His photography has been featured in a range of wilderness calendars and print publications, and his imagery is showcased in galleries and visitor center shops throughout the Sierra Nevada. As a director of photography and
camera operator, Jeremy has contributed to productions for The Discovery Channel, PBS, HBO, The History
Channel, and CBS.

Most recently, he worked on the National Geographic Channel documentary Water and Power: A California Heist, capturing powerful footage of the Sierra Nevada amid California’s historic drought. Jeremy is also a certified Wilderness First Responder through the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS).

His work has earned recognition including First Place in the Canon “Photography in the Park” contest, finalist honors
in the 2014 Wilderness Forever Smithsonian exhibit, and inclusion in the G2 Gallery’s National Parks exhibition.

In 2017 he received the Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award for excellence in broadcast and digital
journalism.

Erin Gearty is the Deputy Branch Lead for Environmental Planning and Compliance at Yosemite National Park, where she balances regulatory compliance and infrastructure needs with resource protection. She brings 15 years of experience with the National Park Service, having experience at several national park locations. Erin began her tenure at Yosemite in archaeology and transitioned into environmental compliance over a year ago. She holds a Master’s degree in Anthropology from Northern Arizona University and brings a strong background in archaeology to her work. She also supports collaborative efforts with Traditionally Associated Tribes, including the development of a traditional plant gathering environmental assessment and agreement. 

Andrew Lojo is Principal Geologist at Terraphase, with 30 years of experience as an environmental consultant serving the redevelopment, manufacturing, mid-stream, forest products, high tech, legal, insurance, and municipal sectors. Andy has extensive experience managing a wide variety of complex environmental projects, including emergency response fuel spills from pipeline and terminal releases, environmental due diligence for property redevelopment, acquisitions and divestitures, technical support and historical research for environmental litigation cases, and complex site investigation and remediation projects for manufacturing and chemical use facilities. Andy has experience investigating and remediating various chemicals of concern released to soil, surface water, stormwater, groundwater, and soil vapor. His project work has included sites with fuels, solvents, pesticides, metals, semivolatile organic compounds, polychlorinated biphenyls, and dioxins/furans. 

Andy has extensive regulatory experience representing clients in California. He has negotiated site closures and assessments with the San Francisco, Central Valley, and North Coast Regional Water Boards; Department of Toxic Substances Control; Environmental Protection Agency; California Department of Fish and Wildlife (OSPR); US Coast Guard; and various Bay Area County Environmental Health Departments and Water Agencies. Andy has assisted clients with permitting various complicated remedial construction projects with USACE (404 permits), Regional Water Board (401 Certifications), the Division of State Lands (access agreements), and the California Coastal Commission (Coastal Development Permit). 

Andy has a strong technical background in remedial construction work, excavation and grading, shoring and slot trenching, landfill capping, geotechnical testing, construction management, numerous drilling technologies, soil, groundwater, surface water, and stormwater sampling techniques, soil vapor investigations, indoor air assessments, cone penetrometer, UV and laser-induced fluorescence investigation techniques, and hydrocarbon forensic evaluation. 

Andy received his Bachelor of Arts in Geology from San Francisco State University in 1988 and is a registered professional geologist. 

I am a Native California artist and a member of the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians. 

My family has lived in Coarsegold, California for over 45 years. I have developed and  have a great appreciation of the uniqueness of my Native American heritage. 

I have worked for the PRCI for over 20 years. I started as the Cultural Specialist developing the first THPO (Tribal Historic Preservation Officer) position. At the present I am the Cultural Historian. 

I have been involved extensively in the preservation and conservation of the art and 

culture (resources) and have extensive experience related to the Preservation of Tribal 

Cultural Material Collections. 

I also have: 

Participated in several traditional tribal walks across the Sierra Nevada including walks from Yosemite to Lee Vining and the Mono Nation from Bishop to Mono Hot Springs. 

Conducted various archaeological excavations, surveying and monitoring for county, state and federal agencies, including Yosemite National Park 

Worldly knowledge of the United States and the Orient and with other cultures 

Artist ability in the fine arts, such as glass etchings, painting, drawing, stained glass, and photography with an emphasis on Native American art. 

Andy Sawyer is an Assistant Chief Counsel at the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) in Sacramento, California, where his responsibilities include managing the activities of the Office of Chief Counsel involving the State Water Board’s water right and drinking water programs.  He has held his current position since 1988, and worked for the State Water Board since 1977.  Before coming to the State Water Board, he had a clerkship with Justice Samuel J. Roberts of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. 

Andy is a former chair of the Environmental Law Section of Sacramento County Bar Association, and a former chair of the Environmental Law Section of the State Bar of California. 

Andy received his J.D. in 1976 from the University of California at Berkeley and his A.B in 1973 from Harvard.

Scott Stephens is interested in the interactions of wildland fire and ecosystems. This includes how prehistoric fires once interacted with ecosystems, how current wildland fires are affecting ecosystems, and how future fires and management will influence people and ecosystems. He is also interested in wildland fire and forest policy and how it can be improved to meet the challenges of the coming decades, both nationally and internationally. Working with Indigenous partners to learn how to steward ecosystems into the future with climate change is a key area of research.  

Stephens has given testimony on fire and forest policy at the US House of Representatives, the White House, California Assembly and Senate, California Governor’s office, and recently severed on the 2024 US Wildfire Commission.  He is on the Board of Directors of the Climate Wildfire Institute and is one of the leaders of The Stewardship Project which is a partnership of Indigenous people and western science to improve federal fire policy. He was selected in the  Top 1% of Researchers Worldwide in 2024 (https://clarivate.com/highly-cited-researchers/)