Latest Newsletter Donate Home About Education Events Access Parks Contact Programs Get Involved PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE As I sit watching the Valley's wild and scenic river roll past, an osprey watching two fishermen on the opposite bank at Choinumni Park, I know why I am committed to supporting the work of the Kings River Conservancy. The goal of KRC is to lure you away from your screens and busy lives to refresh your spirit in nature--just 30 minutes from downtown Fresno! We stand for safe, legal access to parks and public trails along the Kings River. Your donations go to park and trail maintenance, safety and educational signage, and special programs-- which you may specify with your donation-- such as extra warden patrol hours to combat poaching, invasive plant species removal, trout eggs for the incubator house. We have some fun river-themed events planned. While they are fundraisers for the KRC's maintenance projects, they are also good excuses to come down to the river to play. Long Live the Kings! Deborah Lencioni Lapp KINGS RIVER CONSERVANCY BOARD OF DIRECTORS Call the KRC office for information on the next meeting. Deborah Lencioni Lapp, President Deborah Lapp and her husband Greg live on the Kings River near Choinumni Park and host several functions annually at the Lapp RiverHouse. As a property owner on the river, she understands the balance between public access and private security. Deb is passionate about river preservation, recreation, safety and education and sharing her passions with the community. She teaches English at Reedley College. Sue Buckley, Vice President Sue Buckley loves to be outdoors! She volunteers at Reedley College, helping to keep their equine herd “student-ready”. She is deployed with Doberman Nüdel as a Cal-Emergency Management Association Search (SAR) dog team. Sue is a certified Wilderness First Aid / American Red Cross Emergency Medical Responder. Sue and husband Dr. Jerry Buckley love to hike, camp, and kayak, enjoying the out of doors resources of our beautiful planet. They both are delighted to work to protect the Kings River. John Gray, Treasurer John Gray, DVM, is a retired Grand Canyon river guide who lives on the Kings River with his wife and children. He owns Reedley Veterinary Hospital, enjoys water sports and snow skiing, and backpacks frequently in the Sierra Nevada. He is also involved with the Fresno Zoo Authority and the Central California Veterinary Medical Association. Lynette Ballis, Secretary Lynette Ballis and her husband John have lived in the Sanger area for the last 25 years and have always enjoyed the Kings River. They have two sons. They have been beekeepers for 38 years and their garden is filled with bee friendly plants. Lynette has been doing public education on the plight of pollinators for the past few years. She recently retired from a career with the USPS, and has been winning awards for her oil paintings of bees, flowers and people. Carl Buxman After his military service, Carl taught at Reedley High School then decided to pursue his dream of creating a farming, packing and shipping company, Sunny Cal Farms. He is married to Linda and they have three grown children and five grandsons. He enjoyed many years of back packing in the Sierras and river rafting and also enjoys traveling and community service. Tammy Eggert Tammy Eggert is a whitewater kayaker and private rafting guide on the Kings River. She started Healthy Epic Living, an adventure programming organization. She and her husband take people rock climbing, caving, canyoneering, rafting and backpacking through the Sierra Nevadas. They also share their adventures on YouTube: Exploring with the Eggerts. She works for the California Conservation Corps. In her spare time she performs and teaches aerial and flow art dance. Heidi Isner Heidi earned her A.S. Degree in Forestry from Reedley College and her B.S. Degree in Natural Resources from Oregon State University. Her experience includes wildlife and fisheries study/management water quality and natural resources interpretation. Heidi lives in Fresno with her husband Andy and daughter Addison. Andres "AJ" Jauregui Andres Jauregui (AJ) moved to Fresno in 2017 after living in Alabama and Georgia for almost two decades. He is currently an Associate Professor of Real Estate and Director of the Gazarian Real Estate Center at Fresno State. AJ is originally from Mendoza, Argentina, and has also lived in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Peru. In his free time, he enjoys fly fishing, playing ping-pong, and spending time with his wife and dog. Larry Miller Larry is originally from Rochester, NY. He settled in Erie, PA where he taught college zoology courses. Life turned when he was accepted to medical school. Larry is still a working family practice physician and has two children and three grandchildren. He is a life member of the Sierra Club and passionate about environmental issues. His love for zoology is ongoing and he has completed the training program at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo to be a volunteer docent. Hank Urbach Hank is a lifelong fisher and hunter, enjoyed a 35-year career in the computer industry and became involved in preserving the Kings River fishery in 1985. He had a hand in developing the Kings River Fisheries Management Program and today chairs its Public Advisory Group. He is past president of Fly Fishers for Conservation and serves as a representative for the Fisheries Program to the Upper Kings Basin Water Forum. KRC STAFF Vernon Crowder, Executive Director Vernon recently left his 40 year career in the commercial banking industry to pursue his life-time interest in public service. He has been a close friend and longtime supporter of the KRC. He has been actively involved in local business, environmental, and water issues for many years and served on many Foundation boards throughout the community. Diane Loflin, Education Director Diane has a degree in biology and worked as a junior high science teacher in Sanger Unified. She has four children with her husband David. Diane loves nature and never tires of the awe and majesty of our planet and universe. In her free time she enjoys spending time with friends, family (especially her two grandkids), hiking, kayaking, biking, fishing, gardening and art. Kristi Winter, Public Outreach Director Kristi graduated from Fresno State with a degree in Mass Communication and Journalism and has been coordinating events for more than 15 years. Kristi and her husband Brandon enjoy traveling, reading, riding bikes and watching baseball. 559-787-9500 kingsriverconservancy@gmail.com 2019 Kings River Conservancy Proudly Created by ChurchKey Media P.O. Box 1550 Reedley, CA 93654