September 8, 1938 – November 10, 2022

Beloved mother, grandmother, sister, and friend Barbara Land Green, of Truckee, California passed away at the age of 84 on November 10, 2022. Her health had declined rapidly after a recent fall. Although her decline affected her physical and cognitive abilities, she never lost her sense of humor or the twinkle in her eye.

Barbara’s greatest passions were the outdoors and people. Her appreciation for nature and outdoor recreation led her to become an avid hiker and backpacker, as well as an ardent advocate and leader in open space protection. Barbara had a love for people and an extraordinary ability to work with them to achieve her objectives politically as an environmental activist.

Barbara was born to Colonel Cecil and Florence Land at Schofield Barracks, Honolulu, Hawaii on September 8, 1938. An army brat, she moved regularly, following her father to many posts including Georgia, Louisiana, Wyoming, and Germany. In her early adult years, she focused on raising her children in Sunnyvale, CA. It was here that Barbara became active in local politics in the early 1970s, volunteering and precinct walking for many campaigns.

Her interest in politics and passion for the environment were channeled into a career in land use planning and open space protection, emphasizing common-sense urban development. This permeated many elements of her life, first in the San Francisco Bay Area and later in her beloved new home of Truckee. An engaging networker, she enjoyed having spirited conversations and solving local community problems.

Her first elected position was to the board of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, on which she served for almost 10 years. That early work helped to spark a land conservation movement which today counts 250,000 acres of permanently protected open space on public land. Barbara was later appointed as a Planning Commissioner for Santa Clara County. She was presented the William Penn Mott Award from the Orinda Association for her outstanding contributions to environmental preservation.

After moving to Truckee in 1991, she was again appointed as a Planning Commissioner, this time in Nevada County. As her leadership experience evolved, she began pursuing larger roles and was elected to the Nevada County Board of Supervisors. Later her focus shifted toward more local issues as a Truckee Town Council member for two terms, serving as Truckee Mayor in 2008. Over time, she was elected or appointed to at least a dozen boards in the Bay Area and Truckee/Tahoe, including San Francisco Bay Trail Commission, Committee for Green Foothills, Trail Center, League to Save Lake Tahoe, and Truckee Donner Land Trust.

Barbara Green is survived by children Bill Green of Huntington Beach, Carolyn Westgaard of Palo Alto, and Sarah Green of Truckee; as well as sister Kit Land of Alameda and bother Skip Coggin of Evanston, Illinois. She is also survived by grandchildren Alexandra (“Alix”) and Quinn Westgaard, and Victoria (“Tori”) Green and her dog, Maggie. She is predeceased by her brother, Win Land, and her grandson, William Jr (“Jack”) Green and many beloved golden retrievers.? In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District or Truckee Donner Land Trust in memory of Barbara Green. A celebration of life will take place on December 3 in Truckee.