2016 ANNUAL REPORT

O U R E N D U R I N G L E G A C Y

We are a community of people who love the outdoors and champion wild places.

MISSIONWe work with communities to protect

Montana’s wilderness heritage, quiet beauty, andoutdoor traditions now and for future generations.

VALUESWe value innovation, integrity, collaboration,

stewardship, and tenacity.

VISIONWe envision a future where, from the rugged

mountains to the vast prairies, Montana’s wild places are protected, connected, and restored because

Montanans value wilderness as essential to our heritage and way of life.

Cradled between Glacier National Park and the BobMarshall Wilderness, the Badger-Two Medicine is aprime example of what makes Montana so special.

Meadows sprawl up the sides of hovering mountains,gin-clear streams brush the bottoms of craggylimestone cliffs, and dense stands of fir and aspensswoop down onto the prairie below. The Badger is vital habitat for grizzly bears, Canada lynx,wolverines, west-slope cutthroat trout, and all the other species that make the Crown of the Continentecosystem so extravagantly wild.

But whereas the Blackfeet people see a sacredhomeland and others see a place of wild beauty, somehave pictured oil wells and private profit. With thispicture in mind, the Department of Interior underSecretary James Watt issued dozens of oil and gasleases in the Badger in the 1980s.

It took 35 years, but together we finally got rid of thelast 18 remaining leases this year. Thanks to yourpassion and commitment, the Badger-Two Medicineremains wild.

MWA has played a pivotal role in the saga of theBadger-Two Medicine since the leases were issued 35 years ago. The saga, told in a documentary MWAproduced in 2016 called Our Last Refuge, has takenmany harrowing turns over the years. The story will nodoubt continue over the next four years, as we nowface a presidential administration and Congress thatcould try to roll back decades of conservation gains.This makes our work to protect Montana’s wild placesand public lands more essential than ever.

We indeed expect a fight over the next four years.Thanks to you, we’re ready for it. We now have morethan 5,000 members, some 20,000 friends, sevenchapters, and a team of 25 remarkable staff memberslocated in seven offices across Montana. We’re builtto galvanize, mobilize, and win.

In spite of the results of the 2016 election, we remainhopeful and resolute. That’s because our values—clean water, abundant wildlife, healthy forests, andaccess to public lands—are Montana’s values, andthose values transcend the current, bitter state ofAmerican politics. The 35-year fight to save the Badger-Two Medicine is proof of that.

Another reason for our optimism is the high profilepublic lands now have in Montana’s political arena.With MWA’s support, Governor Steve Bullock unveileda powerful pro-public lands agenda in 2016 thatincludes fighting all attempts to seize federal publiclands, protecting access to all of our public lands, andcreating an office of outdoor recreation. MWA will havea strong presence at the 2017 Legislative Session rallyingsupport for this agenda and fighting back against anylegislation aimed at selling off our public lands.

One more reason for our optimism is the BlackfootClearwater Stewardship Project (BCSP), a Montana-made solution for solving public lands challenges in theSeeley Lake and Ovando area. The BCSP proposalwould add 80,000 acres to the Bob Marshall,Scapegoat, and Mission Mountains Wilderness Areas.MWA worked tirelessly this past year building publicsupport for the BCSP. Seventy-four percent ofMontanans now support the proposal, as do dozens of organizations, business, and political leaders,

including Montana Senator Jon Tester. He reaffirmedthat support days after the election, fueling ourconfidence that the BCSP proposal could very well beintroduced in Congress this year.

We no doubt face some daunting challenges in theyears to come. But in our 58 years, MWA haspersevered under similarly difficult political conditionsand even won significant conservation victories inchallenging times. Because of your commitment, we'reconfident we'll continue to find success..

– Brian Sybert, executive director– Lee Boman, state council president (2015–2016)

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Hiking into Buffalo Lakesin the Badger-Two Medicine

Rosanna M

orris

S T E A D F A S T D E D I C A T I O NWe’ll fight to protect Montana’s wild places for however long it takes

“Our values—clean water, abundantwildlife, healthy forests, and access topublic lands—are Montana’s values,

and those values transcend the current,bitter state of American politics.”

I started working for MWA in June of 2013. Havinglived in Choteau for a few years, I had already spentlots of time exploring the Rocky Mountain Front—floating the Sun River, cross-country skiing up theWest Fork of the Teton, hiking and backpacking in theDearborn and Deep Creek.

But I had never been to the Badger-Two Medicine.

Like so many others before me, I turned to MWA’sWilderness Walks program to experience a new, wildplace for the first time. It was one of those glorious,early summer days with crystal-clear blue skies andblooming flowers blanketing every meadow, a daythat makes all the cares in the world loosen their grip.

We saw a sow grizzly and her two grown cubs grazetheir way across an open hillside, unaware of ourpresence. A small herd of elk roamed across anotherhillside. The leaders of the hike, who were localmembers of the Glacier-Two Medicine Alliance, toldthe group about the 30-year struggle to make sure thisplace is never developed for oil and gas. We enjoyedour lunch and shook our heads at the preposterous ideathat anyone would want to destroy such a special place.

Ten days later, an oilman from Louisiana, SidneyLongwell, filed a lawsuit, demanding his right to drillon his lease in the Badger-Two Medicine.

Today, that lease and all others that remained at thebeginning of 2016 have been cancelled, lifting the 35-year specter of industrial development in theBadger-Two Medicine.

On a trip to Washington, D.C. shortly after this year’selection, I walked down the hall toward the office ofthe Secretary of the Interior in the esteemed companyof Blackfeet leaders, conservation partners, and a smallhorde of press. I paused for just a moment in front ofthe portrait of James Watt. As secretary of Interiorunder President Reagan, he launched the wholesaleleasing campaign to sell off the rights to oil and gas, at$1 acre, in a host of wild places, including the Badger.

It was a surreal moment to ponder how far we hadcome. Countless phone calls, thousands of publicpleas, hundreds of meetings and petitions, andnumerous over-flights and educational events andceremonies all leading to this day.

In Secretary Jewell’s office, I witnessedboth the U.S. government and DevonEnergy, an oil company that held 15Badger leases, recognize the importanceof correcting a mistake made long ago, ofbeing good neighbors, and of doing theright thing.

The following evening, we screened the25-minute documentary film Our LastRefuge to a captivated crowd at theNational Museum of the American Indian.

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The Badger-Two Medicine is vital habitat for grizzlies and elk

Right: Fall comes to the Badger-Two Medicine

P E R S E V E R I N G U N T I L P R O T E C T E DAfter 35 years, the specter of industrial development

no longer hangs over the Badger-Two Medicine

“The fact that MWA has persevered for more than 30 years on a campaign

that seemed impossible at times and now has seentremendous success

demonstrates its tenacity.“– Rhonda RonanB

ear Star Pho

tography

Rick She

remeta

Produced by MWA, the film chronicles the 35-yearstruggle to save the Badger from development. At theclosing of the film, rather than implore our guests tocontact Secretary Jewell and ask for the remainingleases to be cancelled—as we had done in October atnearly a dozen screenings of the documentary acrossMontana—we instead thanked her, her staff, and all ofthose present for listening to Montanans, for listeningto the Blackfeet, for doing the right thing.

At that moment, I couldn’t help but think back to thefirst time I had visited the Badger-Two Medicine.Though I was wearing heels instead of hiking bootsthat night in D.C., I had the same feeling of lightnessand optimism I’d experienced watching grizzly bearsgraze and elk roam, a feeling that told me whateverchallenges we might face in the next four years, wildplaces will endure as long as we keep up the fight.

In the coming year, we will work diligently to ensurethat the tremendous progress we have made is notundone and that the trajectory of this irreplaceablearea and the partnerships that have defended it for solong continues on a path to permanent protection.

– Casey Perkins, Rocky Mountain Front field director

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Marie Smith

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“I give to MWA becauseno organization inMontana is workingharder to ensure thatpublic lands remain in

public hands.” – Emma Elson

As a child growing up outside Helena and surroundedby national forest, public lands were my playground.After school and on weekends, my friends and I wouldspend hours prowling around the rocks, building forts,pretending to be mountain lions on the hunt. At thetime, I took public lands for granted, but after years ofliving all around the country, I realizehow lucky I was to grow up in Montanaand how deeply our public lands shapepeople in our state.

Now, as the new state policy director atMWA, I get to work to protect thoseplaces, to ensure that generations of kidshave the same opportunity to play in theforest. Unfortunately, over the last fewyears, we’ve seen efforts across the West to transfer these lands to state as afirst step towards industrializing andprivatizing them.

MWA has been at the forefront in thefight against lands transfer, working withdecision makers to strengthen supportfor public lands and activating our largeand passionate base of supporters tospeak up for our national lands. We’vehad a lot of defense to play—from billsat the federal level which seek totransfer deed or management of millionsof acres of national forests to county-level proposals that continue to pop upin our own backyard. So far, our effortshave been successful. Not only have we defeated alltransfer attempts thus far, but we’ve also shown ourelected officials that keeping public lands in publichands is non-negotiable, and their rhetoric has mostlyreflected that fact. We will be watching closely to ensuretheir actions match their words. If not, we will holdthem accountable.

One bright spot amidst these attacks on our public landshas been the willingness of our members, supporters,and coalition partners to stand up again and again forpublic lands. This grassroots support has been so vocaland so vigorous that we’ve been able to create newopportunities to pass proactive policies at the state level

that go beyond defense against transfer and actuallygrow and enhance our public lands. These policies formthe bedrock of Governor Steve Bullock’s public landsagenda, which he announced at a large public event inBillings in June. Surrounded by dozens of MWAsupporters and our partners, the governor rolled out an

agenda that includes rejecting lands transfer at everyturn, creating of an Office of Outdoor Recreation,creating a new public lands access advocate position,and restoring Habitat Montana, a popular state programthat funnels proceeds from out-of-state hunting licensesto conserving sensitive wildlife habitat.

To raise awareness of the public landagenda, MWA created a short film thankingthe governor for his proposals. Shared onour blog and via social media, the film was viewed more than 62,000 times.Throughout the summer, we continued tokeep the spotlight on these proposals,launching a public lands radio ad campaignand taking out full-page ads in all majornewspapers across the state. We backed up these media projects with large-scalegrassroots organizing through a vote pledgecampaign in which more than 5,000Montanans, mostly college-aged, pledged tovote to keep public lands in public hands.

As a result of these and other engagementactivities, in just the past year MWA hasnearly doubled our number of identifiedpublic lands supporters. Now, throughtargeted communications, events, and callsto action, we are working to activate thesesupporters as grassroots advocates in thestate legislature this coming year. Withthousands of public lands supporters signingpetitions, making phone calls, sending

emails, writing letters, and having face-to-face meetings,we will together advance Governor Bullock’s pro-publiclands agenda and stop proponents of lands transferfrom jeopardizing our outdoor way of life.

– Kayje Booker, state policy director

Left: Hiking near the Pintler Mountains Above: Camping in the Tobacco Root Mountains

P U B L I C L A N D S T A K E P R E C E D E N C EWe’re making public lands a top issue in Montana

James Chapm

an

Kevin Leagu

e

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“In our family, there was no clear line between religion and fly fishing.” – Norman Maclean, A River Runs Through It

On a cold, snowy morning in January 2016, I hoppedin my car before dawn and headed east from my homein Missoula, winding through Hellgate Canyon beforehanging a left up the Big Blackfoot River. Passing thespectacular cliffs of Russell Gates, I emerged in the kettlepond-studded valley around Ovando and gazed up at thesweep of the southwest Crown of the Continent, theunprotected doorstep of the Bob Marshall and ScapegoatWilderness areas and the headwaters of the Blackfoot. In my rearview mirror, the sun’s first rays painted thedistant cornices and peaks of the Mission Mountains adeep magenta.

It’s been forty years since Norman Maclean’s A River RunsThrough It first inspired countless Americans to pick up a fly rod and make the pilgrimage to Montana’s BigBlackfoot River. The novella has probably done more thanany work of art to raise the profile of Montana in thenational consciousness. It also beautifully evokes thespiritual value of engaging with the wild.

On this morning, I was making a leap of faith, so to speak.The Montana Association of Christians’ board of directorswas meeting at a retreat center in Lincoln. I was both

excited and nervous to ask for their support of the Blackfoot ClearwaterStewardship Project, acollaborative proposal thatwould permanently protect80,000 acres of wildernessaround Seeley Lake andOvando—including a goodportion of the lands I sawout my window as I crossedthe North Fork of the

Blackfoot and continued east past Kleinschmidt Flat. Theproposal would expand the Bob Marshall, the Scapegoat,and the Mission Mountains Wilderness Areas to includethe North Fork of the Blackfoot, Monture Creek, the wildSwan Range front, Grizzly Basin, and the West Fork of theClearwater.

As Norman Maclean’s words about religion and fly fishingechoed in my head, and as I thought about thetransformative power of wild places and wild rivers in myown life, the anxiety I felt about the meeting vanished intothe crisp morning light. These were people who shared mybelief that humanity needs wild places to remind us of ourrelationship—and our responsibility—to the rest of creation.

Often I find myself speaking to chambers of commerce orcounty commissions, defending wilderness using thelatest science and economic statistics. How refreshing itwas to speak to an audience that deeply appreciated theintangible and intrinsic qualities of wild places.

I left the meeting confident that the board would endorsethe Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Project, and it laterdid, in a beautiful letter to the congressional delegationand in an inspirational op-ed published in severalMontana newspapers.

With the help of critical endorsements by the MontanaAssociations of Christians and dozens of otherorganizations, businesses, individuals, and governmentalentities, we feel confident that the Blackfoot ClearwaterStewardship Project proposal will take a big leap forwardin the coming year, quite possibly as a piece ofcongressional legislation.

In the meantime, I’ll be working on strengthening MWA’spartnerships with communities of faith on behalf of thewild places that sustain and connect us.

– Zack Porter, western Montana field director

F I N D I N G F A I T H I N T H E W I L D

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Hiking the spine of the Swan Mountains

The Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Project reminds us that wild places can nourish the soul

“Seventy-four percent ofMontanans support protectingimportant wildlands aroundSeeley Lake and Ovando. That kind of overwhelmingsupport is a testament to the hard work MWA puts into

building consensus on behalf ofMontana’s wildest places.”

– Will Nese

Dee

Linne

ll Blank

Raymon

d Masters

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I gave birth to two babies this year. The first washikewildmontana.org, the only online, statewide trailguide to Montana. It gestated for more than four yearsand was born on a warm, sunny day in April. GovernorSteve Bullock helped us celebrate the birth at a launchparty on the deck of our office in Helena. With the capitalcity’s popular hiking trails in the background, thegovernor gave a speech extolling the virtues of Montana’spublic lands and how much they mean for our outdooreconomy.

My second baby, Celeste, was born in May when thebitterroots were in bloom.

I plan to spend a lifetime hiking with both.

When both of these babies were just a month or so old,I got a call from Skylar Browning, editor of the Missoula Independent. He wanted to let me know thathikewildmontana.org would be featured in theIndependent’s special summer “Explorer” edition. It wasjust one of many stories about the new guide thatappeared in newspapers, magazines, TV shows, andradio broadcasts across the country. Montana Magazine,The Seattle Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and AlaskaAirlines’ inflight magazine were among the publicationsthat covered the trail guide.

I was about to hang up when Skylar added, “I went toSouth Fork Lolo Creek last weekend with my kids. It wasbeautiful! I’ve lived in Missoula for 20 years but neverknew about this place. It’s so close to town.”

Just a 30-minute drive from Missoula, this gem of wildMontana would be designated wilderness if not forPresident Reagan’s 1988 veto. Despite this setback, MWAhas never given up on this special place. Volunteers leadWilderness Walks here every year in hopes that eachperson who connects with South Fork Lolo Creek will bethe next advocate for its protection. Hikewildmontana.orgcontinues the tradition of Wilderness Walks, helping usreach young professionals like Skylar, as well as youngfamilies and the young at heart.

When I step foot on a new trail, I think of Skylar andhis kids discovering their backyard wildlands. I also thinkabout backpacking with Celeste in her first few months,wading knee-deep through the Centennials’ wildflowers,stepping over cascading pools in the Swan Range’sGrizzly Basin, and traversing jagged peaks in the CrazyMountains. Once you’ve been to these places, it’simpossible not to love them. And once you’re in lovewith the wild, what can you do but fight for its future?

I imagine this scenario—people emotionally connectingto a wild place—playing out 40,000 times over, one timefor each person who’s used hikewildmontana.org sincewe launched in April. Imagine if each of those 40,000people brings friends or children, and each of them fallshead-over-heels in love with our wildlands.

It’s a movement in the making.

– Kassia Randzio, marketing and grants manager

CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH WILD PLACES

Mother and son enjoying Our Lake in the Rocky Mountain Front

Our new online, statewide trail guide continues a MWA tradition

Cam

us Sturm

Kakuk

Throughout the year, I travel around northwestMontana, meeting people as diverse as the area’s creeksand mountains. Wild places in this corner of the stateare at the heart of my work, but it’s the people I meetalong the way that fuel my drive to protect little-known,but majestically wild places such as Roderick Mountainand the Scotchman Peaks.

During the fall of 2016, many of us in the KootenaiForest Stakeholders Coalition (KFSC) organized openhouses in small communities around northwest Montana,including Libby, Eureka, Noxon, and Troy. A diverse

group of Montanans who live, work, and play in theKootenai National Forest, the KFSC is dedicated tofinding common-ground solutions for managing thisforest.

In early November, the KFSC presented our community-based proposal to about 40 people at the Fire Hall inNoxon. We discussed the agreement we reached tosecure a sustainable flow of timber, protect recreationopportunities, and set aside 180,000 acres of newWilderness in the Cabinet Mountains, the ScotchmanPeaks, and the grizzly-abundant Yaak. After the presentations, I visited with county commissioners,

chatted with Forest Service employees, and met severalresidents of Sanders County who voiced genuinesupport for more Wilderness.

One gentleman who introduced himself as a long-timeMWA member and supporter offered me his hand,looked me square in the eye, and gave one of thesincerest compliments I’ve heard. “Amy,” he said, “thankyou for all you do, for all your hard work to protectwilderness, especially in the Scotchmans and Cabinets.”He smiled, and I was reminded why I love my job.

It’s humbling to be doing the kind of work thatgenerates this gratitude, and it’s an honor to bringpeople with different interests together to protect theMontana wildlands we all love.

With the open houses behind us, the next steps for theKFSC are to fine-tune our agreement and work with our congressional delegation to introduce legislation. In the meantime, I’ll keep traveling around northwestMontana and building support for the KFSC, fueled by the Montanans I meet while working on behalf ofwild places.

– Amy Robinson, northwest Montana field director

B R I D G I N G D I F F E R E N C E S Fostering common-ground solutions means protecting

more wilderness in the Kootenai

Above: Pine martin

Left: Upper Cedar Lake in the Cabinet Mountains

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Ed Wolff

Aaron

The

isen

One of the aspects of my job I like most is takingpeople to places they’ve never been before. In thesummer of 2016, I took several people to a place incentral Montana called West Crooked Creek.

As we sat on a ridgetop eating lunch and gazing at astunning vista of the area’s grasslands and ponderosa-studded coulees, I heard someone in our group say, “I simply had no idea that prairie lands like this existed—it’s so big and vast and beautiful.” Another said, “Itseems unchanged, almost like stepping back in time andseeing what others have seen for thousands of years.”

Hearing comments like these tells me that the peoplewho have been to West Crooked Creek will rememberit and feel compelled to protect it.

Connecting people to wild places that deserveprotection is a vital part of our work, and we do itbecause there are a lot of wild places in Montana thatare not well known or easily accessible. That holdsespecially true for many of the wildlands in centralMontana managed by the Bureau of Land ManagementLewistown Field Office, places such as Dovetail Creek,Dunn Ridge, and Chain Buttes.

These are just three of 16 areas in the Lewistown FieldOffice, covering more than 170,000 acres, that the BLMand MWA volunteers have identified as havingwilderness characteristics. But none of these places areprotected.

Not yet, at least.

This year, the BLM began revising its LewistownResource Management Plan (RMP), and we’re makingsure that the agency hears from people who want thoseplaces protected under the new plan. Key to that effortis raising the profile of these lesser-known places so thatMWA members and the general public know moreabout them and work to protect them.

To that end, we joined with local sportsmen andHeadwaters Economics to conduct an analysis of theseareas covered in the RMP. That study showed that in just one popular big game hunting district, where mostof these BLM wildlands are located, elk hunting alone accounted for nearly $2.2 million in economicexpenditure in 2015. The amazingly healthy elkpopulation drawing hunters would not exist without awild, intact landscape.

We also invited reporters from local newspapers andtelevision stations to join us on flights over areas we’retrying to protect. These flights resulted in six television

and newspaper stories that reached across the state,bringing these special places to the attention of a hugeswath of Montanans.

Stay tuned in 2017 as we continue fighting for wildlandsin central Montana and hold the BLM’s feet to the fireas the agency decides how it will manage these placesfor the next 20 to 30 years.

– Mark Good, central Montana field director

SPOTL IGHT ING PLACES IN NEED OF PROTECT IONWe’re raising the profile of wild places in central Montana

Looking across the Mussellshell Breaks

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tonybynu

m.com

$50,000 +The Louis L. Borick FoundationThe Campion FoundationLiz Claiborne & Art Ortenberg Foundation

Donor Advised FundThe William & Flora Hewlett Foundation

Kendeda FundPEW Charitable TrustsU.S. Forest ServiceWestern Conservation Foundation

Wilburforce Foundation

$10,000–$49,999AnonymousThe Cinnabar FoundationThe Conservation AllianceCross Charitable FoundationHigh Stakes FoundationMontana Office of Tourism and Business Development

National Forest FoundationThe North Star Charitable Foundation

PatagoniaSolberg ManufacturingMary D. StarrTurner Foundation

Weeden FoundationYellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative

$1,000–$9,999David & Sandi AshleyMary Louise Backus RankinDavid & Araceli BarclayThomas & Currie BarronThe Base CampRobert & Shirley BayleyBenefis Health SystemCornelius & Angela BlissLee & Judy BomanThe Cadeau FoundationEdward Callaghan & Valerie Hedquist

Susan Carstensen & Larry Haferman

Checota FoundationSheila CoyTim & Kathy CrawfordVirginia CronkKimberly DaleBrenda & Swep DavisDick Anderson Construction, Inc.Enterprise Holdings FoundationDavid EricksonThe Fanwood FoundationCharles & Anne Ferrell

Michael FriedKevin & Kim GordonRandall & Nora GrayGreat Falls ClinicDaniel & Marjorie HarperV. Lee HarrisonDaphne Herling & Stephen Seninger

Carla HobbsChristian & Nora HohenloheConstance Horder & John Lyndes

David HunterBrooke & Maria HunterRoger Jenkins & Suzanne McDonald

Kenneth & Barbara KaufmanRosemary & Kim KeatingCraig Kenworthy & Karen Larsen

Carl Kravitz & Elizabeth WernerJohn & Gale KuglinMichael LebwohlWayne LeikerGreg LindLinnell, Newhall, Martin & Schulke, P.C.

Jamie LovaglioPeter Markalunas & Linda Schmidt

Peter & Kathleen MetcalfChristopher Moore & Jan Jackson-Moore

Jim MunozMike NemacheckDeborah & Jerry O’ConnellPatsy O’KeefeLouise Pfister & Barr EdwardsDavid PhilipsWilliam RahrLaura & David RoeBernard RoseKate Sako & Kendall FlintJohn & Katherine SchmidLeRoy & Diana SchrammJames & Christine ScottJ. David & Jackie Slovak

Edward SohlTimothy SpeyerDavid & Patti SteinmullerSharon & Richard StewartKeith StrongThe Sustainability FundBrian & Vanessa SybertWilliam & Susie TaylorTeel’s Marsh FoundationSally & Richmond ThomasonThirsty Lake SolarDennis & Michelle TigheRobert & Jacquinot Weisenbach

Western Organization of Resource Councils Education Project

George & Patti WidenerDonald & Bente Winston

$250–$9992J’s Fresh MarketEllen Aiken & David HuntIngrid AkerblomScott AlmdaleStephen & Kathleen AndersonConrad Anker & Jennifer Lowe-Anker

Susan AugustsonSandra Bailey & Kurt WahlElizabeth & Nicholas BaldickAnne & Jim BanksPatricia & Douglas Bartholomew

Carol BassJames BeemanMike BehnkeBighorn Outdoor SpecialistsBillings Community Foundation

William & Kim BirckLex Blood & Judith PressmarDavid BoggsBrad Borst & Jill ForsethVan & Susan BoyetteBozeman Area Community Foundation

Roger & Noreen BreedingBridger Brewing Company LLCMatt & Jane BrophyRaymond & Joyce BrownJohn Buck & Deborah Butterfield

C. Burt Caldwell & Marty SmithJoy CarloughMary & Peter CarparelliDean CenterChristopher Taylor Timberlake Fine Jewelry

Church, Harris, Johnson & Williams, P.C.

Bill ColeAnne Collins & John Collins, Jr.Columbia Grain, Inc.Paul Conn & Dorothy BoultonCarpet OneTerry & Sharon CopenhaverNancy CunninghamJoseph & Elizabeth DavidsonKaren DavidsonBetsy De LeirisPeter DechMax DeibertCarl Deitchman & Robert Morgan

Jerry DeSanto & Karen FeatherDouglas Wilson & Company, P.C.Karen & Richard DoveNanette DowlingDropstone OutfittingJo Ann & Bert EderTimothy Edwards & Gayle Hudgins

Thomas ElfmontJulia EllisonSharon & Jim EnghFact & Fiction BookstoreThe Fagenstrom Co.Jesse Feathers & Ally BullochDoug & Melinda FerrellLaura Ferrell & Grant RiedeselRobert & Marylis FilipovichFirst Interstate BankAdrian Fisher

Richard & Joanne FisherForde NurseryDick ForehandFosse Insurance Agency Inc.Richmond & Janet FranklinEliza Frazer & Barry HoodCharles FrenchMary FriezeFrontier Physical Therapy PCConnie JensenBradley & Deidra FullerJohn & Lynn GarbersonKalu & Douglas GeorgeStephen & Linda GerdesSteven & Katrina GewirzRaymond Geyer & Jeanne Dussault-Geyer

Alan & Deborah GillGlacier Two Medicine AllianceJim GleasonBarbara & Jerome GlickmanGood Food StoreTimothy & Susanne GoodmanRichard Gordon & Cheryl Watkins

Jorge Granja MD & Mary Maltese

Great Falls Chamber of Commerce

David Grusin & Nancy NewtonEdwin & Joanne HallWilliam Hallinan & Marita Martiniak

Carla HannafordRita HardingKathleen & Neil HarringtonCharles & Catherine HasskampWilliam & E. Kirtland HealdDennis HeinzigHelena Area Community Foundation

C. Christina HelikerJim & Tammy HelsperLinda HersomMarcia Hogan & Karl EnglundTerri HoganSteve Holland

Halford & Kathy HolteHope Christian Community Foundation

George S. HowardSarah Howe CobbJeffrey Hunnes & Cristi HunnesGinger & Niles HushkaAnn & Paul JeremiassenAl JesaitisWynn & Minette JessupJim & Nancy JohnstonColleen JonesPamela Kellogg & Stephen Porter

Charles Ketterman & Ruth Kopec

Nancy KlecknerRobert & Ellen KnightJonathan Krauss & Ann Mary Norton

Walter & Nancy KuhnCaroline & Willis KurtzLa Quinta Inn and SuitesPaul & Carol LambergerJohn LambingMary LangenderferJohn Larson & Carol BarnesLatigo & LaceRichard LatterellDavid LehnherrJuanita LichtyKate Lindner & Michael DeGrandpre

Lone Elk LodgeFred Longhart & Marjory McClaren

Longview FoundationJim LoseyPeter LupshaBeverly MagleyKaren & Vann ManlyDavid & Arlene MariMiddleton MartinAddrien MarxGordon McConnellWilliam & Kathe McDanielsRobert McKelvey

To each and every member for yourongoing support and commitment toprotect the wild places that makeMontana, Montana.

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THANK YOUNathan Coo

per

Jim McLeanMark MencelJoshua MeyerCurtis & Rolane MeyerTerry & Kathryn MeyersSusan Miller & Elon GilbertMissoula Community FoundationMontana AcademyMontana Community FoundationMontana Plastic Surgery CenterMorning Light Coffee RoastersMountain Front MarketMountain View Physical Therapy and Sports Injury Clinic

Don & Marilyn MurdockMark Murzin & Kris KnoernschildNorwood & Dani NedomEric NielsenSusan NimickNorthWestern EnergySusan & Roy O’ConnorMargaret ParodiEva & Duncan PattenPayneWest InsuranceDale PedersenKatherine PellettPenthouse SalonAlex PhilpDave PlanteRobert PooleKaren PorterRick PottsDouglas & Sonia PowellPrairie Mountain BankJames RaffertyAlbert & Debbie RandzioReal World DesignTimothy & Jennifer RedlinMarilyn Reynolds & Bruce HarrisRobert & Marcia RiderGregory & Evelyn RiderRivers Edge Trail, Inc.John & Mary RobbinsPeter Romatowski & Suzanne Bonner Romatowski

Richard RomeisMarion Rosa

Joyce SchaubPeter Sellin & Evette AllisonMary Sexton & C. Richard CloughMark & Karen SheetsDwight & Lois ShortShowdown Montana Ski AreaSpencer Shropshire & Susan Epstein

Christopher & Jeannie SieglerTerrie & Robin SimonichRobert & Kayte SimpsonGary & Mary SloanJeanette SmithCamie SmithFrederick SmithFarwell Smith & Linda McMullenMarianne SpitzformSteele Wines, Inc.Geoffrey Stephens & Susan Quarrels

Jack StephensonJohn & Susie Stephenson-LoveStifel NicolausPorter & Gail StoreyMarvin & Rebecca StrengeTaylor’s Auto Max Nissan, VWBenjamin ThomasTimber TrailsPattie Wacker

Shannon WaldenNettie WarwoodNorm & Catherine WeedenTim WeillJeff Welch & Kelly NilesJacob & Kama WernerLarry & Myrt WestphalGordon & Janet WhirryPeter WhiteKathleen WilkeDaniel WilkinsonThe Winky FoundationJulie Wood & John SchieffelbeinJoe WoodwardJo Ann WrightRichard & Janet YoungAndrew Zimmerman

$1–$249Thank you to our committedmembers who are the foundationof Montana WildernessAssociation.

Thank you to all whosupport our work withtheir payroll deductionsand pledges throughMontana Shares.

Thank you to theparticipants of the Wild Bunch monthlygiving program.

Jose & Michele AcostaMarcia AndersonLaurel AngellTanjariitta AnttilaBette Jo & Louis ArchambaultRyan AugustineDavid & Teri BallGrant & Laurie BarnardGuy BatemanJoyce BatemanMike & Lisa BayJoane BayerTimothy BeganRod BensonJoanne BernardLex Blood & Judith PressmarCaryl BoehnertLauren BoltonTroy BomanBarbara BoormanLinda BortonFred BrewerRaymond & Joyce BrownSara & James BuleyRichard Canfield & Deborah Haydon-Canfield

C Alina CanslerJoy CarloughStephen & Ann CarlsonMary & Peter CarparelliDouglas & Marilyn ChestnutTerry & Sharon CopenhaverJames & Virginia CourtKaren CroganSteven & Susan CummingsNancy CunninghamKimberly DaleJohn DavisBetsy De LeirisTerry Deal & Janice Munzke-DealJeanne DehartCarl Deitchman & Robert Morgan

Gabrielle DelaneyKaren & Richard DoveNanette DowlingJames DoyleGregory EirscheleJesse Feathers & Ally BullochDoug & Melinda FerrellRichard & Joanne FisherDonald & Julie FleckAaron FosterAndrew FranksMatthew Furshong & Alisa OparGabe Furshong & Lauren Caldwell

Scott & Heidi GaiserJana & Bill GoodmanJeffrey Goodrich & Claudia Kellersch

Heather GreeneNick Grener & Kayje BookerEdward GulickKris GunstenSherrill HalbeWilliam Hallinan & Marita Martiniak

Mark & Kara HansonAnnemarie HarrodPeggy HartEric HeidleJim & Tammy HelsperDaphne Herling & Stephen Seninger

Steve HollandDesiree HolmRobert HopkinsMorgan HydeLowell JacobsonPeter, Elizabeth, Seamus & Ruby Jennings

Nathan Jones & Amanda HagertyFred JosozvichKristin JuliarSharon KepfordRalph KnappSandra & Mike KnappLeonard KopecBritta Krause

Jonathan Krauss & Ann Mary Norton

Gary KurnsSidney KurthVladimir KustanovichJo LameyFred & Susan LaRoqueJohn Larson & Carol BarnesRichard LatterellKim and Kolby ManderleKaren & Vann ManlyBarney & Sandy MannRuth MarionWendy MarshDavid McCloreyBrian McDonaldMichael & Katie McGrewCharles & Roxanna McLaughlinJim McLeanMary MeyerDelayne MilbyKen MillerChristopher Moore & Jan Jackson-Moore

Alexander MooreSheri MorrisonPaul & Leslie MulliganRobert MullinJim MunozHarvey NiemiDan & Mary O’BrienAaron Olsen & Emily SchembraPeggy OsbournRoger & Pat OtstotElizabeth PaddockCasey PerkinsCaroline & Max PerkinsJames PetersonDavid PhilipsH. Wayne Phillips & Marilyn Schneider

Gretchen PlattMagda PodlipnyRick PottsDebo PowersKassia Randzio & Zack Porter

Jennifer ReynoldsSheila & Charlie RiceJoanne Richter & Sara WeinerNansu RoddyBernard RoseBridget RoskamRyan RossLynda SaulLawrence SchusslerMichael SeizysKarel ShaneMark & Karen SheetsStanley & Constance SkousenRenee SnyderMarianne SpitzformBruce SpringDavid & Patti SteinmullerSharon StevensonKenneth StolzMargaret & Robert StringerPeter SundlingGigi & Chuck SwensonJoe SwierkoszJeanAnne SwopeBrian & Vanessa SybertLee Tallier & Clare WoodJames & Leiana ThormahlenWalter Tingle & Thea HolmesKay TrebeschPattie WackerKiandra WaggonerPeter & Laura WakemanBarbara & David WaldenSara Walsh & Frank HagelNorm & Catherine WeedenJoshua WerkheiserMaria WinslowLarry WinslowJoe WoodwardJo Ann WrightJoe & Cynthia YatesRichard & Janet YoungZane & Gloria ZellAndrew ZimmermanHans & Barbara Zuuring to

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Individual Giving $ 831,059

Foundation Grants $ 1,161,168

Investments $ 268,583

Sales $ 10,278

Total Revenues $2,271,088

REVENUE

Conservation Programs $1,784,805

Administration $ 209,054

Fundraising $ 205,977

Total Expenses $2,199,836

<1%

On September 30, 2016, MontanaWilderness Association had:

• Total assets of $4,134,780, liabilities of $595,961, and net assets of $3,538,819.

• $2,636,558 unrestricted and $271,135 temporarily restricted assets.

• $737,128 in fixed assets.

• $631,126 in permanently restricted endowment funds.

Revenues for the year were $2,271,088 and expenses were $2,199,836.

Notes to Financial Statements:

• Montana Wilderness Association is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization under 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

• This financial information is drawn from audited financial statements by the accounting firm Anderson ZurMuehlen.

51%

12%

37%

9%

10%

81%

EXPENSES

12

2 0 16 F I N A N C I A L S U MM A R Y

“MWA has a proven trackrecord that is only getting

stronger. That’s why we choseto make a planned gift to

MWA—to ensure that we’resupporting the mission well

beyond our lifetimes.” – Riley Kurtz

HELENA OFFICE

80 S. WarrenHelena, MT 59601mwa@wildmontana.org406-443-7350

Brian Sybert, Ext. 104Executive Directorbsybert@wildmontana.org

Gabe FurshongDeputy Director406-461-6897gfurshong@wildmontana.org

John Gatchell, Ext. 106Senior Conservation Advisorjgatchell@wildmontana.org

Cedron Jones, Ext.109GIS Mapping Specialistmwagis@wildmontana.org

Denny Lester, Ext. 105IT Managerdlester@wildmontana.org

Laura Parr, Ext. 110Business Managerlparr@wildmontana.org

Carl Deitchman, 406-422-3008Finance Directorcdeitchman@wildmontana.org

Amanda Hagerty, Ext. 108Special Projects Coordinatorahagerty@wildmontana.org

Heather Greene, Ext. 102Development Directorhgreene@wildmontana.org

Annie Mclaughlin, Ext. 111Development Manageramclaughlin@wildmontana.org

Bob Ronan, Ext. 101Database Managerrronan@wildmontana.org

Zuri Moreno, 406-438-2040Trail Stewardship Program Managerzmoreno@wildmontana.org

Mike Rooney, Ext. 103 Development Coordinator mrooney@wildmontana.org

FIELD OFFICES

Billings Field OfficeCharlie SmillieEastern MT Field Director2822 3rd Avenue N. Suite 204Billings, MT 59101406-690-3725csmillie@wildmontana.org

Bozeman Field Office105 West Main St., Suite 2BBozeman, MT 59715

John ToddConservation Director406-544-3397jtodd@wildmontana.org

Sally CatheySouthwest MT Field Director615-347-6503scathey@wildmontana.org

Ted BrewerCommunications Director406-461-1427tbrewer@wildmontana.org

Choteau Field OfficeCasey PerkinsRocky Mountain Front Field Director

P.O.Box 37, Choteau, MT 59422406-466-2600cperkins@wildmontana.org

Great Falls Field OfficeMark Good Central MT Field Director1400 1st Ave. N.Great Falls, MT 59401406-453-9434mgood@wildmontana.org

Missoula Field Office118 W. Broadway, Suite 1Missoula, MT 59802

Zack PorterWestern MT Field Director 406-823-0695zporter@wildmontana.org

Kassia RandzioMarketing and Grants Manager406-830-6035krandzio@wildmontana.org

Kayje BookerState Policy Director406-830-7926kbooker@wildmontana.org

Whitefish Field Office750 2nd St. W. Ste A Whitefish, MT 59937406-284-1747

Amy RobinsonNorthwest MT Field Directorarobinson@wildmontana.org

Grete Gansauer Northwest MT Field Coordinator ggansauer@wildmontana.org

OFFICERS

Lee Boman, Seeley LakePresident

Mark Hanson, MissoulaPresident Elect

Wayne Gardella, HelenaTreasurer

COUNCIL MEMBERS

Yve Bardwell, ChoteauBarb Harris, HelenaSteve Holland, BozemanGerry Jennings, Great FallsLen Kopec, AugustaJohn Larson, Kalispell

Allison Linville, WhitefishAddrien Marx, Seeley LakeCharlie O’Leary, ButteRick Potts, MissoulaDebo Powers, Polebridge

Bernard Rose, BillingsGreg Schatz, Columbia FallsPatti Steinmuller, BozemanAlan Weltzien, DillonJo Ann Wright, Great Falls

CHAPTERS

Eastern Wildlands Chapter2822 3rd Avenue N, Suite 204Billings, MT 59101mwaewc@wildmontana.org

Flathead-Kootenai Chapter750 2nd St. W, Suite AWhitefish, MT 59937mwafkc@wildmontana.org

Island Range Chapter1400 1st Ave. N.Great Falls, MT 59401mwairc@wildmontana.org

Madison-Gallatin Chapter105 West Main St., Suite 2BBozeman, MT 59715mwamgc@wildmontana.org

Shining Mountains Chapter118 W. Broadway, Suite 1Missoula, MT 59802mwasmc@wildmontana.org

Wild Divide Chapter80 S. WarrenHelena, MT 59601mwawdc@wildmontana.org

2 0 16 B O A R D & S T A F F

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80 S. Warren • Helena, MT 59601 • 406-443-7350wildmontana.org

facebook.com/wildmontana • twitter.com/mwawildmontanayoutube.com/mwawildmontana • instagram.com/wildmt

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