Betsy Norton by Kyle Krakow & Charlotte Persons by Bruce Jacobs
As was explained in the January Echo, Sam Merrill has stepped down from chairing our incredibly active Conservation Committee after 12 years. Taking up those very important reins are two amazing volunteers – Betsy Norton and Charlotte Persons. They have been active on this committee for years, have led various SSBA conservation campaigns, and are ready and willing to carry on our conservation agenda.
Charlotte has been an SSBA Board member since February of 2019. She comes to us from Kelso and the Willapa Hills Audubon Society where she was active on their Board of Directors and with their Conservation Committee. She is passionate about the environment and open government. She represents SSBA on the Local Good Governance Coalition, a group of environmental and housing advocates in Thurston County. She has a special interest in revising the Washington Wildland Urban Interface codes to better reflect the difference between Washington’s eastside and westside wildfire threats.
Betsy moved to Olympia from Pittsburgh where she lived for 30 years. She is, however, a native Washingtonian, having grown up in Spokane. She chose Olympia to retire to because it is halfway between Mt Rainier and the coast. She joined SSBA in 2020. Betsy is especially interested in protecting habitat for wildlife and for providing people the opportunity to enjoy nature and its benefits. The pressure to develop land for housing and businesses without these protections is especially worrying.
We are so fortunate to have these dedicated women heading up our most consequential committee to benefit birds and protect our ecosystems for future generations. Thank you for your dedication and hours of work, Betsy and Charlotte.
