Prior to joining Save the Redwoods League, Friedman served as the California program manager at the Western Conservation Foundation. He acted as the national conservation lands coordinator for The Wilderness Society, facilitating advocacy for the Land and Water Conservation Fund and coordinating a coalition that influenced the Bureau of Land Management’s environmental and fiscal policies. Friedman also staffed the Energy and Mineral Resources subcommittee for chair Jim Costa, D-CA, in the House Natural Resources Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives. “I love working to protect the redwood range because it reminds us all about time—that these forests were here long before us and can provide joy for future generations to come,” says Friedman.
Friedman has shepherded public grants and handled government affairs issues since arriving at the League in 2022. He contributed to the League’s efforts to aid passage of CA-Proposition 4, which significantly bolstered state funding for climate resilience, wildfire prevention, drinking water quality, and natural resource management. His work helped the League raise crucial funds to get Prop 4 on the ballot and championed the bond to state legislators, Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration, and voters. Friedman has also secured public funding grants for many of the League’s major initiatives, including the restoration of ‘O Rew Redwoods Gateway, the protection of Lost Coast Redwoods, and work aiding giant sequoia fire resilience.
Today, as director of government affairs and public funding, Friedman oversees and implements all aspects of Save the Redwoods League’s public policy and public funding activities to support the organization’s programmatic goals. He manages Save the Redwoods’ public grants program and elevates redwood and giant sequoia conservation efforts with land management agencies and elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels.
“My work allows me to find alignment between Save the Redwoods’ conservation priorities and decisionmakers’ policy goals. Finding common ground on behalf of the redwoods is always rewarding.”
