Contact Us
Northwest Regional Office
313-A First Avenue South
Seattle, WA 98104
Phone: 206-903-1444 Fax: 206-903-1448
Visit our Parks Information Center and Gallery in downtown Seattle
Hours: Tuesday - Friday, 10 5, Saturday 11 - 4
Sean Smith, MS Regional Director
Before joining NPCA in October of 2005, Sean worked as Bluewater Network’s Public Lands Director for nearly eight years. At Bluewater, Sean focused primarily on the impact of motorized recreation upon public lands and waterways. He is recognized as an expert on the subject and has testified before Congress, written numerous articles, and served on several panels on the matter.
Sean has also worked as a seasonal ranger for both the National Park Service (NPS) and the US Forest Service (USFS). He conducted campfire programs and led guided hikes. He also fought wildfires and assisted wolf reintroduction activities. In the fall of 1997, Sean attended the NPS law enforcement ranger academy. He finished near the top of his class and served as class president. His time with the NPS and the USFS allowed him to live in some of America’s most spectacular places, - Glacier National Park, Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument, Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, and Yellowstone National Park.
Sean holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Washington and a Master of Science from Central Washington University in Natural Resource Management. At Central, Sean’s studies focused on the rise of the Wise Use Movement and its impact upon federal resource management.
Sean is also a private pilot and attended Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida. In his spare time, Sean runs www.WildArtStudio.com, an online art studio featuring his work. Sean lives in Western Washington with his wife and two children.
Email: ssmith@npca.org
Shane Farnor, Program and Volunteer Coordinator
Shane Farnor grew up in East Tennessee, a short distance from Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where he often visited with his family. He also spent his formative years at other national park sites, like Cumberland Gap, Fort Sumter, Appomattox Court House, Gulf Islands and Big South Fork. In 1995, Shane received a B.S. in Forestry with an emphasis in Wildland Recreation from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Since then, he has worked for Tennessee State Parks, Metro Parks of Nashville, Montana State University and Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo. During this time, Shane mostly worked as a naturalist/environmental educator with diverse audiences.
Shane came to NPCA’s Northwest Regional Office as a volunteer in January 2004. He joined the staff in October 2004 as Program and Volunteer Coordinator. He was the second full-time staff person to be added to the growing Northwest Regional Office. When Shane is not working to protect national parks, he can be found cooking, reading, hiking and exploring the parks. To date, he has visited over 70 national park units.
Email: sfarnor@npca.org
David G. Graves, Northwest Field Representative
David Gilman Graves grew up in Kentucky where his family took frequent vacations to visit National Parks, mainly Shenandoah National Park and Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Following graduation from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, with a degree in history, David took a 10,000-mile road trip across the United States. Along the way, he visited 27 national parks and fell in love with the Northwest. David then attended law school at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon. He graduated with a JD and a Certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law and was awarded the Environmental Leadership Award for his work on environmental issues while in law school.
David has previously worked with the Hells Canyon Preservation Council, Environmental Protection Agency, Advocates for the West, Friends of the River, California Hydropower Reform Coalition, and most recently with the Sierra Nevada Forest Protection Campaign as Conservation and Communications Coordinator. While not working to save the parks, he can be found hiking or backpacking with his wife Katie within the parks.
Email: dgraves@npca.org
