Kim Delfino, Director of the California Program of Defenders of Wildlife is one of the founders of the California Rangeland Conservation Coalition.  She oversees the work of Defenders’ eight-person California program team in protecting and restoring California’s imperiled wildlife and the places in which they live. 

Kim learned at an early age to appreciate California’s natural wonders on numerous trips all over the state with her dad, and avid fly-fisherman.  “ He also was an avid wildlife TV show viewer -- I saw every episode of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom and Marty Stauffer's Wild  America,” said Kim.  

After graduating from UC Davis, Kim studied law at the University of the Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law.  She began her career working in Washington, D.C., with the public interest law firm of Meyer & Glitzenstein, where she specialized in cases involving the Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act and other environmental laws.  Before joining Defenders of Wildlife, Kim worked for U.S. Public Interest Research Group as a staff attorney and for CALPIRG as Legislative Director.

“I strongly believe that biodiversity is our planet's living safety net and we must keep that net intact if we and future generations are to survive,” declared Kim.  “Living in the Central Valley, I have come to love watching burrowing owls and visiting vernal pools.  The owls are really cool critters, and the vernal pools in spring look like a living rainbow.”

In recent years, Defenders of Wildlife has turned their focus to conservation on private and agricultural lands.  “Since the majority of the species that we are trying to protect live in private lands it is imperative for the conservation community to acknowledge the importance of working with private landowners,” stated Kim. 

Kim recalls the story of how the Coalition came about: 

“Defenders met regularly with FWS Regional Director Steve Thompson about vernal pool grassland issues.  He pointed out that we should be talking with the ranchers.  The FWS helped organize a meeting at Tim Koopman's ranch in August 2005 and I attended it with Carol Witham, Barbara Vlamis, John Hopkins and Ed Pandolfino.  We agreed at that time to try to work with the ranchers and the coalition was formed.  We cared about protecting grasslands from development and it made sense to partner with the current landowners -- ranchers.  We started looking at research showing the beneficial impacts of grazing.  In particular, Jaymee Marty from The Nature Conservancy had published new research indicating that grazing had beneficial impacts on vernal pools.  So, we were assured that working with ranchers in the Central Valley was the right thing to do.” 

Kim acknowledges that the Rangeland Coalition is an important part of the Defenders of Wildlife agenda for California and enjoys working in partnerships.  “It is nice to work collaboratively” said Kim.  “This is a unique partnership that has a 360 degree perspective about the Central Valley grasslands.  Also, thanks to our close relationship with Cattlemen’s I learned a lot about ranchers and their environmental ethic.  It opened my eyes to the issues they face day-to-day,” she continued.