Montana

Howie is a professional wilderness guide and wildland conservationist who has explored wilderness throughout North America. He is widely recognized as one of the top wilderness/public lands experts in the U.S. He has worked as an organizer, lobbyist, field worker and board member for various conservation groups since the mid ‘70’s. Howie has written two books on the American Wilderness plus numerous articles and papers on wildland conservation.

Minnesota

Kevin guided Wilderness canoe trips for 10 years in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA) in northeastern Minnesota. During that time, he became involved in the national effort to save the BWCA as Wilderness, and helped pass a new law to do so in 1978. Kevin co-authored the definitive history of that effort in his 1995 book, Troubled Waters: The Fight for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. He directed the Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness for 16 years, working on a wide variety of legislative and wilderness stewardship issues. He now works as the Midwest Director for Wilderness and Public Lands for the Izaak Walton League of America.

Washington

Sue worked as the director of the National Parks Program at The Wilderness Society for seven years. She is an isotope geochemist by training and worked for the US Geological Survey prior to her years at TWS. Her fieldwork for her MS was conducted in the remote wilderness of Baja, CA and her doctorate research was done on the Cretaceous granites of southwestern Montana. Sue's has an undergraduate degree in Political Science and at one time worked for the Chicago Daily News as an editorial assistant and for the Second City as an improvisational comedian.

Montana

Executive Director of The Wilderness Society from 1964-1976, Stewart has had a long and distinguished career with a number of environmental and conservation organizations.  He has also worked in the field conducting groundbreaking wildlife and wild lands research for state and federal land management agencies.

Minnesota

Jon is an attorney with the Minneapolis firm of Faegre & Benson, where he is a partner in the firm's regulatory litigation group. Jon has represented several public interest clients in public lands and wildlife issues nationwide. His cases include the 11th Circuit's recent decision in Wilderness Watch v. Mainella, which found that public motorized vehicle tours through wilderness areas on the Cumberland Island National Seashore were unlawful. He also represented Defenders of Wildlife in a successful appeal upholding the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park, and currently represents The Wilderness Society in a case involving wilderness review and planning in over a dozen units of the National Park System.

Alaska

Fran worked as a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the Arctic Wildlife Refuge for over 20 years. An outspoken proponent of Wilderness, Fran’s writings have appeared in various media sources and publications opposing proposed oil development in the Arctic Refuge. Fran is the Representative of Wilderness Watch’s new Alaska Chapter.