Kathryn Landreth Joins The Nature Conservancy as Nevada State Director

Former U.S. Attorney to lead Conservancy's efforts to protect Nevada's natural heritage

Kathryn Landreth is known to many around the state for her long and distinguished career as a leader in Nevada’s corporate, legal and law-enforcement communities.

Now the former U.S. Attorney is working on behalf of Nevada’s plant and animal communities.  As The Nature Conservancy’s new Nevada State Director, Ms. Landreth is leading the non-profit land and water conservation group’s efforts to protect Nevada’s unique natural heritage.

The chance to make a positive difference in the state she has called home for 33 years is what drew Ms. Landreth to The Nature Conservancy.

With the support of 5,000 Nevada members and strategic partnerships with governmental agencies, The Nature Conservancy has conserved more than a million acres of private, public and tribal lands—including Ash Meadows, Pyramid Lake, and Red Rock Canyon—plus some of the state’s most important water resources.

Cindy Scripps, co-chair of The Nature Conservancy’s Nevada board of trustees and a member of the state director search committee, is extremely pleased with Landreth’s selection, calling it a clear case of putting the right person in the right job at the right time. 

“Kathryn was selected from a very strong pool of applicants, some of whom had more direct experience working in natural resource management and protection.  What set Kathryn apart was her solid grounding and faith in the pragmatic use of collaboration and partnership to achieve mutually successful ends.  To me, that’s the overriding qualification for the job because The Nature Conservancy is the most partner-oriented organization I have ever worked with.”

Ms. Landreth’s professional career in Nevada spans more than 30 years, including five years with the University of Nevada system, and five years with Citibank of Nevada. In 1993 she was appointed United States Attorney for the District of Nevada, a position she held until 2001.  As U.S. Attorney, Ms. Landreth supervised litigation, both civil and criminal, protecting Nevada’s public lands from exploitation and abuse.

Most recently, Ms. Landreth served on the executive team of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, holding the position of Legal Advisor to the Sheriff.  A significant part of her work there was advocacy for mental health reform in Nevada.

“One of the great appeals of The Nature Conservancy, from my perspective, is its commitment to finding balanced, consensus-based solutions. My years with the federal government taught me the challenges and, more importantly, the rewards of reaching out to affected parties in dealing with emotional issues such as conservation and land use.  My experience with mental health advocacy has shown me the value and strength of partnering with a wide array of interests and perspectives, including groups who might otherwise be identified as adversaries.”

Tom Warden, a Vice President at The Howard Hughes Corporation who also serves on The Nature Conservancy’s Nevada board of trustees, recently met Ms. Landreth for the first time though says he has long known her by reputation.

“The Nature Conservancy has tackled some difficult conservation issues in Nevada, with good success.  Kathryn’s leadership will take us to an even higher level of achievement.”

The Nature Conservancy completed its first transaction in Nevada in 1967, when at the request of Governor Grant Sawyer it acquired the Berlin town site and held it for three years until the State was able to finance the purchase.  The transaction allowed Ichthyosaur State Monument to be expanded into Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park, which today encompasses 1,153 acres of some of Nevada’s most unique natural, cultural, and historical resources.

Today The Nature Conservancy is actively working to protect and restore the Muddy and Amargosa rivers in southern Nevada, and the Truckee and Carson rivers in northern Nevada.  It is also helping to protect approximately 2.5 million acres of Eastern Nevada’s most ecologically significant lands and waters by developing and transferring science-based conservation strategies to the public agencies responsible for land and natural resource management. 

Landreth will divide her time between The Nature Conservancy’s Las Vegas and Reno offices, supervise a staff of 27, oversee a $2.4 million annual budget, and report to a 20-member board of trustees.

“I’m extremely honored to be working with such a great team of staff and trustees.  The lasting results this small but dedicated group has achieved inspires me to continue The Nature Conservancy’s track record of preserving Nevada’s natural landscapes.”