Friends of Harbors, Beaches, and Parks utilizes the skills of three conservation and planning consultants for its work on the Green Vision Project, including:
Melanie Schlotterbeck, Outreach Coordinator Melanie focuses her work with conservation non-profits throughout the state. Her skill set ranges from GIS mapping to graphic design, grantwriting to messaging. In 2005, Melanie became the outreach coordinator for FHBP's Green Vision Project which consists of over 80 supporting organizations. She links the groups to county issues, provides regular updates, and organizes several workshops for the coalition each year. Melanie was also the lead local organizer for the statewide Resource Conservation Conference co-sponsored by FHBP. In 2006, she coordinated the wide-ranging support from conservation and community groups and assisted with negotiations for Renewed Measure M's comprehensive mitigation program. She now sits on the Orange County Transportation Authority's Environmental Oversight Committee, as its Vice Chair and represents more than 30 supporting organizations. The Committee oversees the mitigation program. In 2009, she sat on the Orange County Report Card Committee for the Parks, Recreation, and the Environment. In 2011, she began collaborating with the Orange County Council of Governments and was successful in creating a new land use strategy for open space conservation in the sub-regional Sustainable Communities Strategy.
Claire Schlotterbeck, Strategic Consultant After 10 years away from her beloved California, Claire Schlotterbeck became involved in 1978 in a fledgling effort to establish a state park in northern Orange County. More than three decades and 14,173 protected acres later Chino Hills State Park is nearly complete. Claire currently serves as Executive Director of Hills For Everyone, the non-profit citizen’s group that has created this State Park, a park that lies at the juncture of four of California’s most rapidly growing and urbanized counties. She continues to lead the cooperative citizen and governmental effort to protect the backbone and backdrop of open space known as the Puente-Chino Hills Wildlife Corridor. Because of her experience in building coalitions, Claire joined FHBP’s Green Vision Project Team to identify and secure funding for parkland acquisition. Ms. Schlotterbeck has also served as a consultant to the California State Parks Foundation, Laguna Canyon Foundation, and Laguna Greenbelt, Inc. In 2009, she proposed creating a Resource Directory for cities to understand sustainable policies and recent state laws.
Terry Watt, Planning Consultant
Since 1989, Terrell Watt, AICP, has owned Terrell Watt Planning Consultants. Ms. Watt’s firm specializes in planning and implementation efforts focused on regionally-significant projects that promote resource conservation and sustainable development patterns. Prior to forming her own consulting group, she was the staff planning expert with the environmental and land use law firm Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger. She is an expert in general and specific planning, open space, and agricultural land conservation, and environmental compliance. Her skills also include facilitation, public outreach, and negotiation. Terrell works with a wide variety of clients throughout California including non-profit organizations, government agencies, and foundations. In 2005, on behalf of Friends of Harbors, Beaches, and Parks and its environmental coalition she negotiated $243.5 million in an Orange County transportation measure to comprehensively mitigate for habitat impacts due to freeway projects.
As a planning expert, Terry is working closely with the team on the creation of the Resource Directory.
Melanie Schlotterbeck, Outreach Coordinator
Claire Schlotterbeck, Strategic Consultant
Terry Watt, Planning Consultant
