Photo by Brian Christianson
Our Beginning
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The Great Burn Conservation Alliance was founded in 1971 by a group of university students who fell in love with a place. Their summer project was documenting the resources, plants and animals of a little-known wild area called the Great Burn in the northern Rocky Mountains on the border of Montana and Idaho.
Out of this summer project, the Great Burn received the highest possible rating for inclusion in the national wilderness preservation system. A generation of wilderness advocates was born. And an organization took root with a continuing focus on education, advocacy, and building community around shared love of place. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, GBCA has achieved a remarkable list of successes protecting a single landscape with a lean, effective organization. |
The Team
Hayley Newman, Stewardship and Outreach Director
Hayley joined GBCA in 2018 as the Stewardship and Outreach Coordinator, managing all aspects of GBCA's on-the-ground stewardship and outreach programs. Previous to the GBCA, Hayley worked on a variety of conservation biology issues with several local and national non-profit groups and federal government agencies. She holds a B.A. from the University of California, Santa Cruz and a M.S. in Environmental Studies from University of Montana, focusing on road ecology.
Skye Borden, Development and Advocacy Director
Skye is the newest addition to GBCA, joining in 2020. She leads fundraising, works to influence Forest Service planning, and provides administrative and financial oversight for the group. Skye has over ten years of experience working in rural communities to promote land and water conservation. She holds a B.A. in political science from Middlebury College, as well as a Masters in Environmental Law and Policy and a Juris Doctorate from Vermont Law School.
Dale Harris, Director Emeritus
Dale Harris was a founding member of the Great Burn Conservation Alliance, and served as its Executive Director until 2019.
Dale was the only member from Montana appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture to the Roadless Area Conservation National Advisory Committee from 2006-2008, and co-chaired the group as it developed the Idaho Roadless Rule. Dale has also been vice-chair of the Idaho Roadless Implementation Commission since 2008. Dale was instrumental in developing the Clearwater Basin Collaborative in Idaho, and co-led the group for ten years. He was also a founding member and joint leader for the Montana Forest Restoration Committee.
In recognition of his conservation leadership, Dale has received several awards, including the Chevron-Texaco Conservation Award, the Eddie Bauer Company Heroes for the Earth Award, and the Cinnabar Foundation Len and Sandy Sargent Award. Dale holds a B.S. in Forestry from the University of Montana.
Dale was the only member from Montana appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture to the Roadless Area Conservation National Advisory Committee from 2006-2008, and co-chaired the group as it developed the Idaho Roadless Rule. Dale has also been vice-chair of the Idaho Roadless Implementation Commission since 2008. Dale was instrumental in developing the Clearwater Basin Collaborative in Idaho, and co-led the group for ten years. He was also a founding member and joint leader for the Montana Forest Restoration Committee.
In recognition of his conservation leadership, Dale has received several awards, including the Chevron-Texaco Conservation Award, the Eddie Bauer Company Heroes for the Earth Award, and the Cinnabar Foundation Len and Sandy Sargent Award. Dale holds a B.S. in Forestry from the University of Montana.
Laura Lee, Staff Accountant
Laura has been GBCA's staff accountant since 2000. She enjoys working with many small non-profits in Missoula, helping them achieve their mission through effective financial management. Laura holds a B.A. from Carleton College and acquired her accounting education from the University of Montana.
Rory O'Connor, Roving Ranger
Rory has been employed as GBCA's seasonal "Roving Ranger" every summer since 2008. In this position, he performs skilled backcountry ranger duties including sign maintenance, user-created camp cleanups, resource monitoring, etc. Rory previously worked as a seasonal backcountry ranger for the U.S. Forest Service.
Seasonal staff: 10-12 seasonal field stewards
Board of Directors
Drew Lefebvre, Teaching Naturalist, Montana Natural History Center
Nick Littman, Program Director, Missoula Writing Collaborative Instructor; GBCA seasonal trip leader
Bert Lindler, Community volunteer in Grant Creek and Mineral County, former outdoor and environmental writer for the Great Falls Tribune and technical editor for the U.S. Forest Service. (Board President)
Mike Oliver, Deputy Director of Public and Governmental Relations (Retired), US Forest Service Region 1 (Board Secretary)
Brad Smith, North Idaho Director, Idaho Conservation League
Sharon Sweeney, District forest ranger (Retired), US Forest Region 1
Skip Kowalski, Wildlife Biologist (Retired), US Forest Service
Daphne Herling, Senior research analyst, Bureau of Business and Economic Research, University of Montana.
Nick Littman, Program Director, Missoula Writing Collaborative Instructor; GBCA seasonal trip leader
Bert Lindler, Community volunteer in Grant Creek and Mineral County, former outdoor and environmental writer for the Great Falls Tribune and technical editor for the U.S. Forest Service. (Board President)
Mike Oliver, Deputy Director of Public and Governmental Relations (Retired), US Forest Service Region 1 (Board Secretary)
Brad Smith, North Idaho Director, Idaho Conservation League
Sharon Sweeney, District forest ranger (Retired), US Forest Region 1
Skip Kowalski, Wildlife Biologist (Retired), US Forest Service
Daphne Herling, Senior research analyst, Bureau of Business and Economic Research, University of Montana.