About Lisa's Work
Lisa is currently pursuing a master’s degree at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. She studies conservation policy and law, and is focusing her research on a resource that many consider to be the “lifeblood of the west”, water. Our burgeoning western cities are placing heavy demands on water resources, leading to conflicts with farmers, land, and wildlife. The situation will only worsen, as scientists predict that climate change will lead to less snowpack, earlier snowmelt, and more drought in the western U.S. Lisa is concerned that as demands on water intensify, ecosystem function will take a backseat to other uses. She is interested in studying past and present projects to acquire and protect instream flow water rights. She sees this strategy as an innovative solution that will protect riparian ecosystems in the long term.
Prior to attending the School of Forestry, Lisa spent seven years working for the non-profit organization, Defenders of Wildlife. She spent the first half of that period in Washington, DC where she helped advocate for issues such as conservation on farm and ranchlands, organic agriculture, transportation planning, state planning for wildlife, and recovery of the Florida panther. For the last three years, Lisa was a grassroots organizer in New Mexico where she worked with a diverse range of groups including conservationists, hunters, fishermen, farmers, ranchers, faith-based communities, and tribal nations. She worked on national policies including the Farm Bill, climate change legislation, appropriations, and the U.S./Mexico border fence. She also worked on a variety of local issues including protection of the Valle Vidal, recovery of the Mexican wolf, and restoration of riparian systems including Comanche Creek. Lisa earned her B.S. from the University of Maryland in Environmental Science and Policy. After graduate school, she hopes to continue her career in the conservation policy field by either working for a legislative body, such as the U.S. Congress, or a non-profit advocacy organization.