Volunteer Spotlight: Cleve Pinnix

By Liz Dalton

A review of Cleve Pinnix’s background reveals that inevitably he would become a CLT Volunteer and Land Steward…

That background includes early on when he left his home state, North Carolina, for a summer job in the mountains and successfully pursued becoming a National Park Ranger. He was selected to attend Ranger Schooling, and moved out west as a Ranger in the great Grand Canyon. From there he “got lucky” as Mt. Rainier was his next assignment for 4 years.

However, he continued to move with assignment to Mammoth Caves in Kentucky, followed by an assignment living and working on Liberty Island, home to the Statue of Liberty. Later assignments came his way and, in turn, led to employment and broad experiences with the Washington D.C. Department of Interior as well as a stint as Congressional staff.

In 1981, he finally returned to Washington State, this time as the Department of Natural Resources and State Parks Director.

Cleve and his wife raised 2 children during these moving years, settled down in Olympia, joined CLT in the late 1980’s and has been an active member ever since.
Every year he has acted as the land steward for the Olli Conservation Easement property. As a land steward Cleve visits the property and ensures the values and restrictions of the conservation easement are being upheld and meets with the landowner to address any concerns. The Olli property is 60-acres privately owned and protected by a conservation easement. It is in the Goldsborough Creek watershed near Shelton and contains spring-fed tributaries to Goldsborough Creek. The property has been in the Olli family since the mid-20th century.

Cleve’s thoughts on volunteering for CLT include: Thinking that the mission of CLT is “absolutely critical” to the protection of resources and, therefore, for our quality of life as we know it now. In Cleve’s words, “I think people will just naturally take care of things they truly love and I am excited about the future allowing us to have access to the land. If you volunteer as a part of this group you will have opportunity to work hard with good people and to realize your contributions immediately.”

To become a land steward or to volunteer with Capitol Land Trust, visit CapitolLandTrust.org/get-involved.